[TriLUG] How to get laptop earphone jack to work?

[Brian Henning]

It still could be a software issue, or a hardware issue, or both.  For a 99% worthless datapoint:

My business laptop is a Dell Latitude D800.  It docks in a docking station that has a 3.5mm plug into which my powered speakers are plugged.  The laptop itself of course also has its own 3.5mm headphone jack, into which my headphones are plugged.

On this particular machine, there is clearly a software (or at least firmware) element to redirecting sound to the onboard headphone jack, evidenced thusly: after a reboot, sound comes from my powered speakers until I unplug and replug the headphones.

So it could be that the physical plug-sensing leaf switch inside the jack is broken.  Or whatever soft-switching mechanism is in place (whether on a chip or in a program) is defunct.

Best of luck with it all!
~B

-----Original Message-----
From: trilug-bounces at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-bounces at trilug.org] On Behalf Of Steve Litt
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:54 AM
To: Triangle Linux Users Group General Discussion
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] How to get laptop earphone jack to work?

On Friday 11 January 2008 09:15, John Wheeler wrote:
> Steve,
>
> I have seen this same issue across operating systems on a little
> Inspiron that I inherited from a friend.
> It seems there is a technical issue with some common plug layouts on
> these integrated sound chipsets that only arises when the machine is
> slammed repeatedly into the wall (by arbitrary user) in fits of
> seizing rage. This is induced by malfunctioning windows installations.
>
> The best solution I could find was to open the casing to resettle the
> pieces and connections before whispering softly into the input
> promises of never letting another admin touch her there again.
>  From now on it's just me and her, baby.
>
> Ahem, after you try all of the software suggestions, open it up and
> look for physical damage.

Thanks John.

I'm indeed suspecting hardware.

The manual says when you stick in the 3.5mm stereo plug, it's supposed to turn 
off the speakers and play through the plug. This unit does neither.

It's hard to conceive of a data-centric way to defeat this, so I'm suspecting 
hardware.

HOWEVER, according to the manual, in order to get to the audio board you need 
to do the following disassembly:

1. Prepare the computer for disassembly (Section 5.3) and
remove the following components:
❏ Hard drive (Section 5.4)
❏ Memory module compartment cover (Section 5.6)
❏ Optical drive (Section 5.9)
❏ Switch cover (Section 5.10)
❏ Keyboard (Section 5.11)
❏ Display assembly (Section 5.13)
❏ Top cover (Section 5.14)

Removing the display isn't at all trivial, and neither is the top cover.

Looks like I'm going to be living with the tinny little speakers until the 
computer is obso enough that I have nothing to lose by such extensive 
disassembly.

Ugh!

Thanks

SteveT

Steve Litt
Author: Universal Troubleshooting Process books and courseware
http://www.troubleshooters.com/
-- 
TriLUG mailing list        : http://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
TriLUG Organizational FAQ  : http://trilug.org/faq/
TriLUG Member Services FAQ : http://members.trilug.org/services_faq/