The sound output for speaker and headphone toggles repeatedly without being selected

[DanBurnand]

No error message , but the output devise continuously toggles between the speaker and headphone option when not selected. 

[Raj_05]

Hi @DanBurnand,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The issue with your HP laptop toggling sound output between the speakers and headphones without being selected could be caused by several factors, such as.

Possible Causes:

1. Loose or Faulty Headphone Jack: Dust or damage in the headphone jack can cause it to intermittently detect a connection.
2. Driver Issues: Outdated, corrupt, or incompatible audio drivers can cause this behavior.
3. Audio Enhancement Conflicts: Software enhancements might be interfering with the audio output.
4. OS or Settings Issue: Misconfigured audio settings or an issue with the operating system.
5. Third-party Software Conflicts: Applications managing sound output (e.g., sound control software) may be causing toggling.

Steps to Troubleshoot:

Inspect the Headphone Jack:

• Check for dust or debris inside the jack and clean it gently with compressed air or a toothpick.
• Try plugging and unplugging headphones a few times to ensure the jack is responsive.
• Test with a different pair of headphones.

Update Audio Drivers:

• Open Device Manager:
  • Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
• Expand Sound, video, and game controllers.
• Right-click your audio device (e.g., Realtek Audio, Intel High Definition Audio) and select Update driver.
• Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
• If no update is found, visit your laptop manufacturer’s website to download the latest drivers manually.

Disable Audio Jack Detection (Temporary Test):

• Open Control Panel > Sound > Playback tab.
• Set your Speakers as the default device.
• Test if this stops the toggling. If it does, the headphone jack might be faulty.

Disable Audio Enhancements:

• Open Control Panel > Sound.
• Select your audio device (Speakers/Headphones) and click Properties.
• Go to the Enhancements tab and check Disable all enhancements.
• Click OK and test.

[Raj_05]

Test in Safe Mode:

• Boot into Safe Mode to rule out third-party software conflicts:
  • Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
  • Go to the Boot tab, check Safe boot, and select Minimal.
  • Restart your computer.
• Test audio output in Safe Mode. If the issue does not occur, a third-party application might be the cause.

Run Audio Troubleshooter:

• Go to Settings > System > Sound.
• Scroll down and select Troubleshoot under the Output section.
• Follow the prompts.

Check for BIOS Updates:

• Visit the HP Support website and check if a BIOS update is available for your model.
• Follow the instructions carefully to update your BIOS.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support