Broken headphone jacks on laptops roots from many problems. It could either be a result of a loose headphone jack that often results from overuse or repeatedly using headphones with a bent plug or jamming in something to the headphone port that is not headphones.
Once your headphone port becomes loose, your headphones may not work due to loss of connectivity or worse; it is because the headphone port itself breaks loose from your laptop’s motherboard. Sure, there are ways you can fix free headphone jacks on your computer, but doing so may void your device’s warranty.
Generally, headphone jacks on laptops can be fixed by diagnosing which of these problems is causing trouble to your headphone jacks.
First, if you are not able to use your laptop’s internal speakers because your device continuously detects that you have your headphones plugged in, you may have broken off a little piece of something into the headphone jack. If this is the case, try to remove it following these steps.
You have to disassemble your laptop following the steps indicated in its manual. If you see the problem roots from the headphone jack and you got something stuck in it, you won’t be able to get out the debris by just shaking it.
The Steps:
1. Take a 6cm wire and solder its tips to cover it with tin. The diameter of the cable shouldn’t be more significant than 3 mm.
2. Then, take your soldering iron and pliers. Grab ahold of your soldered wire using your pliers and insert it inside the headphone jack so that it would touch the tip of the broken jack connector.
3. Using your soldering iron on your other hand, rub it against the wire you’re holding and wait up until the coil heats up and melts the tin on its tips.
4. As the tin melts up, it will solder the broken tip that’s stuck in the headphone jack together with the wire you’re holding.
5. After the tin has hardened for a few seconds, gently pull out the broken tip by pulling out along with the wiring.
What You’ll Need
· Soldering Iron
· Screwdriver set
· Solder
· Plastic Prying tool
· Magnifying safety glasses
· Hot glue gun
· Hot glue stick
Steps:
1. Open your laptop case. Depending on your laptop, you will need to use a Philips screwdriver to loosen the screws that hold the chassis together. Read your computer manuals for specific instructions if you’re not sure how to remove your laptop’s chassis.
2. Check if your laptop’s headphone port is connected to the machine via cable or if it’s soldered into the motherboard. Examine the area for potential damage and examine the headphone jack itself for signs of a broken connection. If the jack is soldered into the motherboard, it may have been broken one of its connection pins.
3. Solder the broken headphone port pin into the motherboard if it has been dislodged from the circuit board. Allow your soldering iron to heat for about 5 minutes and put on your magnifying glasses to help you get a clearer vision of the small pins.
4. Plug your glue gun into an outlet and set it to ‘high.’ Wait for the oozing out of a small amount of glue, which is an indicator that the firearm is hot enough. Add a dollop of hot glue onto the headphone port and press it firmly to fix it in place. This step should only be performed after all the pins are set into the motherboard.
5. Reassemble your computer following the steps indicated to your device’s manual.
If these two methods still don’t work for your laptop, or you can’t dislodge the piece that was stuck on your headphone port, try to consider buying a cheap USB sound card, which generally costs about less than $10. This typically includes a mic and headphone jack.
. There are cheap sound cards available out there. However, those looking out for high-quality music for their audiophile ears should opt for more expensive external sound cards available in the market.
As a last resort, though, if none of these methods worked for you, you need to get your laptop serviced by an experienced repair person. They will either remove any obstruction that’s causing your headphone jacks to malfunction, or they will replace the ports if it needs to. This, however, is an option we do not guarantee to be cheap and practical as it usually is an expensive fix.
Overall, you are left with no choice if you’ve torn the jack or broken the jack off the motherboard. You will have to bring your device to its designated service centers and see if it is still covered by the warranty period you were given. In the meantime, your only option is to use a cheap sound card provided that you set it as your default or primary audio device.