Table of Contents
Users have said that the new operating system has problems with the sound. Reports say that Headphones Not Detecting on Windows, so users can’t hear anything when they plug them in. This can happen for obvious reasons, like if your device isn’t plugged in properly or if the audio drivers on your computer aren’t working right.
No matter what caused the problem, this kind of problem is easy to solve. In this article, we’ll walk you through this process and show you a few different ways to fix the problem quickly and easily.
Headphones Not Detecting on Windows: Best 7 Ways to Fix it
Run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter
- Press the Win + I keys together to open Windows settings.
- Choose System from the left pane and click on Troubleshoot on the right side of the window.
- Click on Other troubleshooters.
- In the following window, locate the Playing Audio troubleshooter and click on the Run button associated with it.
- Wait for the troubleshooting to complete its scanning.
- If not, click on Close the troubleshooter and move to the next method below.
Enable the Headphones
- Launch Control Panel and change the View by category to Large icons.
- Head over to the Playback tab and right-click on an empty space.
- Choose Show Disabled Devices from the context menu.
- You should now be able to locate your headphones. Right-click on them and choose Enable from the options available.
Reboot while the headset is connected
If you unplug your headset and then plug it back in, your PC won’t notice it again until you restart it. So, if you haven’t already, make sure that the headset that isn’t being recognized is connected to your PC before you restart. Wait until the next startup is done and then check to see if the problem is gone.
Override Maxx Audio PRO Settings
- First, make sure that Maxx Audio Pro is already open.
- Make sure that the Max Audio toggle is turned on from the home screen of Max Audio Pro.
- Once you’ve made sure that the Maxx Audio feature is turned on, click on the drop-down menu below the equaliser and choose the headset over the headphones.
- You can finally turn off Maxx Audio again and close the app without worrying that the settings won’t be saved.
Update your drivers
If you can’t connect your Bluetooth headphones or can’t hear anything through your USB headphones, it’s time to check if your drivers, especially your Bluetooth, USB, and audio drivers, are misconfigured or out of date.
You can automatically update your drivers by going to the support page for the manufacturer and downloading and installing the right drivers for your system. But if you don’t have the time or patience to update your drivers by hand, Driver Easy can do it for you.
It’s an automatic driver updater tool that helps you scan and find any missing or outdated drivers. You can then download and install the latest drivers for your system directly from the device maker. You don’t have to waste time looking for driver updates when you have Driver Easy.
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any devices with outdated drivers.
- Click Update All. Driver Easy will then download and update all your outdated and missing device drivers, giving you the latest version of each, direct from the device manufacturer.
Check for and download Windows updates
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo + I keys simultaneously to open Settings.
- Click Windows Update.
- Click Check for updates. Then Windows will start downloading the updates if they are available.
- When the process is finished, click Restart now to restart your PC. Or you can Schedule the restart.
Disable software enhancements
If you’ve tried everything else and still haven’t found a solution, you should look into the Sound Enhancements that you probably have turned on. Many Windows 11 users who were upset that they couldn’t connect their headset said that the problem went away when they turned off all software-powered audio enhancements.
- To start, press the Windows key + R to see the Run dialog box.
- After that, enter the word“control” in the Run box and press Enter to launch Control Panel.
- Within the Control Panel, look for Sound using the search box in the top-right corner.
- Select Sound from the list of options on the next menu.
- Once you’ve reached the Sound screen, make sure the Playback tab is chosen, then use your right mouse button to pick Properties from the context menu when you right-click on the playback device that is giving you trouble.
- Click the Enhancement tab in the horizontal menu on the Properties page of your default audio device, then tick the box next to Disable all improvements.
- To preserve the changes, click Apply at the end.
- Restart your computer and check to see whether the problem has been fixed after the subsequent starting procedure.
You can get more help at the Microsoft Support Center.
Why Headphones Not Detecting on Windows
- Because the wire on the headphones is broken, the device can’t connect to the system in a stable way.
- The audio jack you are using for the headphones is either broken or corrupted. If you haven’t already, you might want to try plugging the headphones into a different jack.
- The audio drivers that allow headphones to connect to the system are either out of date or broken. The best way to fix this problem is to keep the drivers up to date or reinstall them from scratch.
- Windows 11 is not set to use your headphones as the default sound device. You can change these settings to fix the problem if another device, like the speakers, is set as the default device.
FAQ
How do I get Windows 11 to recognize my headphones
In Control Panel, click the View by drop-down menu and choose Large icons. -Choose Sound. -Right-click the headphones and click “Enable.” -Right-click it again and choose “Set as Default Device” from the menu.
Why is my PC not detecting my headphones
Right-click on the Headphones option on the Playback tab and choose the option to Show Disabled Devices. Now look for your headphones on this list, right-click on them, and click “Enable” Again, right-click on it and click “Set as default device.”
How do you fix undetected headphones
- Right-click the sound icon at the bottom right part of the screen, then select Open sound settings. …
- Go to Manage sound devices. …
- Check the devices under Disabled. …
- If you see your headphones there, click on your headphones’ name, then click on Enable.