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I want to use my laptop's built-in speakers while my headset is plugged in (because I need to use my headset's microphone).

My laptop doesn't separate my headset from my laptop speakers when it is plugged in. It just gets grouped into speakers under the list of playback devices in Sound from the Control Panel (I've checked all disconnected and disabled devices and it doesn't show up).

Sound

I only have one audio port and it's a combo audio port. I use Realtek HD Audio Manager and have reinstalled it but nothing's worked (it's already updated).

Realtek HD Audio Manager

I've contacted the manufacturer's customer care and they told me that the jack doesn't have a mechanical switch, and they can't help me much about this.

Is it possible to at least trick my audio driver to recognize only the microphone and not the microphone and headset combo?

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  • If you have a mechanical switch in the laptop's audio jack, you would have to rewire the jack.
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Nov 27, 2018 at 23:20
  • @DrMoishePippik How do you rewire the jack?
    – reneandy
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 2:19
  • "How do you rewire the jack?" 1. Determine whether there is an integral switch. If so, 2. Get the circuit diagram (service manual), or trace the wiring yourself. 3. Acquire the tools. 4. Become a skilled service technician. 5. Get training in electronics design. 6. Redesign the laptop circuitry to do what you want. 7. Acquire programming skills. 8. Redesign the audio driver software. 9. Make all of the changes to your system. Ensure that the normal updates don't revert your driver changes. 10. See if it works. If not, repeat steps as needed until success.
    – fixer1234
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 4:21
  • @fixer1234 Thanks for the answer. I suppose this means there's no software-related approach to this?
    – reneandy
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 14:26
  • That was just about how to rewire the jack if it contains a mechanical switch. If it is software controlled, you wouldn't need to do that.
    – fixer1234
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 19:02

1 Answer 1

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Most modern Realtek audio chips have separate outputs for both speakers and headphones, and can serve them independently at the same time. But output policy depends on audio driver version and configuration. In some configurations, default Microsoft HD driver creates separate playback endpoints for speakers and headphones but Realtek driver switches a single endpoint between them. In some other cases, Microsoft and Realtek drivers behave contrary. Even different versions of Realtek driver may behave differently.

You can try the following:

  • Uninstall Realtek driver and let Windows install its default Microsoft driver.

  • If you have installed Realtek driver provided by laptop's vendor, install universal Realtek driver intended to the appropriate audio chip, and vice versa.

  • If the above does not help, determine audio chip model by a tool like HwINFO and search the net by requests like "ALC888 separate speakers headphones". If you find a post/article that shows that a particular laptop having the same chip as yours, can use separate outputs in Windows, try to find Realtek driver provided by its vendor.

Please note that even you successfully find a proper driver version/configuration, its functionality may differ from yours usual, so features present on your current configuration may not be available in the new one. Unfortunately, it's a lottery.

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