Your Realtek High Definition Audio speaker shows Not plugged in on your computer? Don’t panic. You’re not alone. The good news is, you can fix the Realtek High Definition Audio Not plugged in issue quite easily.

Try these fixes

  1. Run the audio device troubleshooter
  2. Update your audio driver
  3. Disable front panel jack detection
  4. Run System File Checker
Note: the screenshots below come from Windows 10, and fixes apply to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Method 1: Run the audio device troubleshooter

When Windows shows Realtek High Definition Audio Not plugged and you have already plugged in your device, you can run the Windows built-in audio device troubleshooter which helps you detect and fix any hardware issue.

To do so, follow these steps:

1) Type Control Panel in the search bar on your desktop, and click Control Panel to open it.

2) Ensure to choose View by Large icons or View by Small icons, and click Troubleshooting.

3) Click Hardware and Sound.

4) Click Playing Audio to find and fix problems with playing sound.

5) Click Next.

6) Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.

Windows will detect and fix your problem.

Now restart your computer and see if Realtek High Definition Audio is plugged in.

Method 2: Update your audio driver

The missing or corrupted audio driver may cause your Realtek audio device not plugged in. To rule it out as the cause of your problem, you can update your audio device driver to the latest version.

There are two ways to update your audio driver: manually and automatically.

Manual driver update – You can go to the website of your audio device manufacturer, find the latest correct driver for your device, and then download and install it on your computer. This requires time and computer skills.

OR

Automatic driver update – If you don’t have time or patience, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.

Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.

1) Download and install Driver Easy.

2) Open Driver Easy and click Scan Now. Driver Easy will then scan the problem drivers in your computer.

3) Click the Update button next to the flagged audio device to automatically download the correct version of their driver (you can do this with the FREE version). Then install it in your computer.

Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All and get a 30-day money guarantee).

4) Once updated, restart your computer to take effect.

Re-plug your audio device and see if it works properly.

Still, Realtek High Definition Audio is not plugged in? Don’t worry. There are other fixes.

Method 3: Disable front panel jack detection

Realtek HD Audio Manager allows you to configure sound settings for your Realtek High Definition device. So if you find Realtek High Definition Audio is not plugged in, modifying settings in Realtek HD Audio Manager can help.

1) Type Realtek Audio HD Manager in the search bar on your desktop, and click Realtek Audio HD Manager to open it.

Or you can click Realtek Audio HD Manager in the Control Panel to open it.

2) Click the Speakers tab, and click the folder icon under Device advanced settings.

3) Check the box next to Disable front panel jack detection. Then click OK.

4) Save your settings and close Realtek Audio HD Manager.

5) Restart your computer and play sound to see if it works.

Still no luck? Don’t give up hope.

Method 4: Run System File Checker

Corrupted system files can cause your hardware not working as expected, including your Realtek High Definition Audio device. In this case, you can run System File Checker (SFC) to fix any problematic system files and your problem can be resolved.

Here is what to do:

1) Type cmd in the search bar on your desktop, right-click Command Prompt (or CMD if you’re using Windows 7) and select Run as administrator.

2) Copy and paste the following command into Command Prompt, and press Enter.

sfc /scannow 

3) Wait for the process to be 100% complete.

4) Type exit in Command Prompt and press Enter.

5) Restart your computer.

Now plug your audio device and see if it’s plugged in successfully.

There you have it – the four methods to fix Realtek High Definition Audio Not plugged in.

83
83 people found this helpful
guest
8 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments