Solved Lost all sound device detection when trying to fix headphone detection

I tried plugging in some headphones to the standard headphone jack port earlier and the system simply could not register them. All the standard panels (such as from the windows tool bar) or the Sound preferences pane in settings couldn't detect anything other than the built in speakers on the laptop. So I started unplugging and plugging the headphones from the jack and and checking in all these spaces to see if anything I could notice changed among what was displayed or the options available in any of these panes. No dice, its like the headphone jack doesn't exist as far as these panels were concerned.

So I went to Dell and downloaded the latest audio drivers for my exact model ( Realtek-High-Definition-Audio-Driver_V4W52_WIN_6.0.9700.1_A02 ) and installed them and restarted. No dice.

So I went to the Windows Get Help and pursued audio trouble shooting. After it ran diagnostics and such it suggested the following (and I quote):

To fix the problem, we need to update the audio driver in this device.

To update the driver, follow the steps below:

1. Select Start button, then type in the search bar "Device Manager" and select Device manager.
2. Click to expand the option Sound, video and game controllers and right-click in the audio driver.
3. Select Uninstall device and wait for it to finish uninstalling.
4. Restart your PC.

Important: Make sure to save documents before you restart.

Note: This restart will automatically prompt your PC to reinstall the audio driver.

Click to expand...

So I did exactly that. The restart *DID NOT* prompt the computer to reinstall anything that I could tell, and now the computer can't detect any sound output system, not even its own built in speakers. In returning to the Device Manager and scrolling down, now the entire "Sound, video and game controllers" section is completely missing from the list of devices.

I am on a Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 with Windows 11 Version 23H2 (OS Build 22631.4602)

Normally I would keep reading tutorials and trying things, but as I have managed to make things worse each time I have tried so far with the standard instructions provided around the net, so I thought I would ask for some more personalized help before I make things any worse. Any thoughts or suggestions?

*EDIT:* I ran the same most recent audio driver installer again as per above and after the latest restart the computer does detect its own built in speakers again and the "Sound, video and game controllers" section in Device Manager has returned, but the system is just as unable to detect the headphones as before -- its still internal speakers detected on sound output devices only. So at least I have managed to claw my way back to the original problem from the larger mess I had made of things, but the original problem remains unsolved.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, welcome

Have you tried another audio device in the jack to make sure it’s not just your headphones cable or something?
Or tried the headphones in another device to make sure they’re working?

You could try the troubleshooter?

Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters
It should be the top one.


Also, there is also an in-place repair upgrade as an option. You never know.

"Have you tried another audio device in the jack to make sure it’s not just your headphones cable or something?"

Yes, three different pairs of headphones did not work in this jack, 100% of what I tried.

"Or tried the headphones in another device to make sure they’re working?"

All three of the headphones I tried subsequently worked in another computer.

"You could try the troubleshooter?"

That was what I was following in my initial post its advice is what caused me to lose sound entirely. After following the disaster that was the troubleshooter (in this case really more of a "troublemaker") I had to reinstall some things to get back to merely not having the headphone jack working, but sound otherwise being okay.

"Also, there is also an in-place repair upgrade as an option. You never know."

I mean, yes, but every-time I reinstall I have to spend like a week updating everything and removing all the insufferable bloat and garbage that windows 11 tries to ram down my throat. If I make one mistake in that process then I have to start again. I kind of consider that the nuclear option, I would rather not have headphones working than have to do that again without other more critical reasons compelling me.

I found this video which finally gave instructions that worked for me:
So now I have headphones after most of a month. It feels like Windows gets more frustrating, bloated, and burdensome with every single update. I am not sure how much longer I can take this. I am computer illiterate and yet, too my surprise, I am having an easier time getting everything I want working in the ways that I want them to work on some flavors of Linux than I am with Windows 11. I thought the whole point of things like Windows and OSX was ease and convenience for those of us who are too computer illiterate to venture into the "no training wheels" OSes whose features and development are not driven by baked-in market necessities of customer care like Windows ostensibly should be.