How to Fix Headphones Not Working on Windows 11

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Headphones are essential for a personal computing experience. You can connect wired or wireless headphones with your computer. If they are not getting detected, it can be a hardware issue, settings conflict, driver issues, or operating system glitch. If your headphones are not working on Windows 11, you will need to troubleshoot and fix the headphones.

Here is a step-by-step guide to narrow down the issue and get it working.

Table of Contents

Use Headphones on Another Device

To diagnose if it is a hardware issue, you can try connecting your headphones to a different computer, tablet or laptop. If it works better on another device, that means the problem is with some settings or audio drivers on your Windows PC. You can also try connecting different headphones to your computer and check if it was an issue with the headphones.

Restart Your PC

Most of the time, a simple restart can fix a lot of issues. Just disconnect your headphones from your device, restart your computer and connect it back with your PC. If it gets detected but not working, it must be a settings conflict or driver issue.

Check Audio Mixer Settings

There are different settings for regular speakers and headphones. You need to ensure that the volume bars are all up for your headphones. Try these settings for the same!

Step 1. At the bottom right of the Task Bar, right-click on the Volume icon and select the ‘Open Volume Mixer’ option.

Step 2. Drag up all the volume levelers on the window including the apps to 100%.

Step 3. Click on the device icon to check the Speaker Properties.

Step 4. Click on the Advanced tab and put a check on the ‘Enable Audio Enhancements’ check box. Select Apply and Okay to save changes.

Step 5. Under the speaker icon, click on the small triangle to check Headphone Properties.

Step 6. Ensure that all general settings and advanced settings are appropriate. Click on the Enhancement tab and enable Bass Boost & Loudness Equalization options. Click to Apply changes and save settings.

Set Headphones as Default

There are possibilities that the Headphones are not getting autodetected until you set it as your default audio output device.

Step 1. At the bottom right of the Task Bar, right-click on the Volume icon and select the ‘Open Sound Settings’ option.

Step 2. The Sound settings window will open. Connect your headphones to your computer.

Step 3. Under the Output section, in the dropdown menu, choose your default output device as Headphones. Raise the master volume to high and close the window.

Unpair and Pair it Again

While using a Bluetooth device, there are possibilities that the pairing may conflict. It might have worked earlier but after connecting a new Bluetooth device, the old one stops working. You will need to pair your Bluetooth headphones again.

Step 1. At the bottom right of the Task Bar, right-click on the Volume icon and select the ‘Open Sound Settings’ option.

Step 2. Under Related Settings, click on the Bluetooth and other devices link.

Step 3. Click on the headphone and then click on the Remove device option. This will unpair your headphones from your computer. Restart the computer and come back to the same window.

Step 4. Click on the (+) Plus sign to add a Bluetooth device and pair your device once again.

Step 5. Check your device if you are able to fix the headphones.

Install Windows Updates

Microsoft Windows release new updates, patches, bug fixes, and other advanced settings on a weekly basis. It is important to download and install Windows updates at a periodic intervals.

Step 1. Press (Win + I) to get into Windows Settings.

Step 2. Scroll down and click on the Updates & Security option.

Step 3. You will be on the Windows Update tab on the left-hand side panel. Click on the Check for Updates button on the right to look for new updates.

Step 4. Windows will download and install the latest updates and ask you to restart the computer if there are any major critical updates installed. Restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

Use the Best Driver Updater Software

We have diagnosed it was a hardware issue or a settings issue. If still, your headphones are not working on Windows 11, it must be a driver conflict. You need the best compatible audio drivers to fix this issue. The manual process may not bring the right compatibility. Here comes the need for the best driver updater software for Windows.

Advanced Driver Updater

Overall Rating: 4.9/5

Developed by: Systweak

Ranked: 1st – Best buy

Updates: Outdated Device Drivers

Backup: Backup Drivers Before Updating

Restore: Roll Back Drivers for Compatibility Issues

Schedule Scan: Daily / Weekly / Monthly

Scan Types: Automatic / Manual

Customer Care: Email Support

Best Price: $39.95

Exclusion List: Yes

Advanced Driver Updater is one of the best driver updater software for Windows in 2022. It has great compatibility with Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista and XP (both 32 bit and 64 bit) versions. The advanced scan algorithm can perform a quick scan and dig out all the faulty, corrupt, outdated, missing, and incompatible device drivers.

If there is any driver conflict, it can fetch the latest compatible device drivers according to the make and model of the device and install them on your PC. It takes a proper backup of the previously installed device drivers before making any kind of changes. You can always roll back to the previous state in case of any compatibility issues. It has great compatibility with all the devices that connect to a Windows PC.

Summing Up

Working with headphones can give you tough times if they have settings mismatched or some driver conflict. This article has all the basic checks to fix headphones on your computer. If still, your headphones are not working on Windows 11 or earlier versions, you can make use of the best driver updater software to fix all driver conflicts. Fix it up with Advanced Driver Updater!

Author Section:

Camila Saunders is an expert writer who contributes articles for the Latest Technology News, software, and driver updates for professionals in digital marketing, social media, web analytics, content marketing, and digital strategy world.