Dell Laptop problem :(

brembo26

Hi all,
I was wondering if someone could help me with my Dell Inspiron 1501 laptop. I was listening to music on it one night with a set of earphones plugged in and then I fell asleep. In the middle of the night the laptop fell off the bed and landed where the jack goes into earphone port . The jack didn’t break and I could take it out, but the unit itself has broke from the laptop and now it constantly thinks that there is earphones plugged in, therefore no sound from the speakers. My question is does anyone know how to tell the laptop use the speakers?
Thanks for any replies.

bonzodog2

I'd say the headphone socket itself is damaged. The laptop doesn't know if phones are plugged in or not. You could get a new socket fitted, but it would be a good bit for labour. Cheaper workaround would be get some speakers that can plug in to it.

xsiborg

any chance you could take a pic of it and upload it? where you say the unit itself has broke from the laptop?

you could set the default output device to speakers in control panel, i presume you're using windows OS.

something like this:

brembo26

bonzodog2 wrote: »

I'd say the headphone socket itself is damaged. The laptop doesn't know if phones are plugged in or not. You could get a new socket fitted, but it would be a good bit for labour. Cheaper workaround would be get some speakers that can plug in to it.

but speakers dont work either, the speaker/microphone unit is not connected to the laptop anymore. so nothing works. just need to find a way to tell the laptop to use the original speakers

brembo26

xsiborg wrote: »

any chance you could take a pic of it and upload it? where you say the unit itself has broke from the laptop?

you could set the default output device to speakers in control panel, i presume you're using windows OS.

Ya thats the exact laptop and yes im running windows. thats the same laptop in the picture as well, i have not takin the unit itself out but its moving around inside it and plugging a set of earphones/speakers in does not work either so its definitely broken.

and its vista im running.

i tried setting to default in control panel but no luck, the "set default" button is inactive so cant click.

xsiborg

ouch! sounds (sorry, no pun intended!) like the audio module has come away from the motherboard, i couldnt even be sure if a soldering iron would fix this, but you could pick up a new motherboard for about €120...

http://www.laptopsparesdirect.ie/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=1825

brembo26

thats what i was trying to avoid:( tear :P is there no way to tell the computer to use the speakers? rather than the "earphones" that are supposedly plugged in? something is telling me im sitting in the wind with this problem.

bonzodog2

Headphones or speakers are selected just by the insertion of the plug, there's a little switch inside the socket. The computer doesn't know thye difference.

Here's another workaround for you:
usb sound card for 2.85 on ebay, free post
but you'd have to get speakers extra

xsiborg

bonzodog2 wrote: »

Headphones or speakers are selected just by the insertion of the plug, there's a little switch inside the socket. The computer doesn't know thye difference.

Here's another workaround for you:
usb sound card for 2.85 on ebay, free post
but you'd have to get speakers extra

thats MAD, haha, deadly site though, and fierce cheap too!

brembo26

jesus if that works thats a brilliant idea!!! thanks a million. just under €3 is alot better than €120!!

Muchos gracias! (spelling but i dont care now! )

bonzodog2

Just another thought, laptops can get quite hot, esp if fan intake/outlet smothered by bedding. Some even known to catch on fire. Bad idea to fall asleep with it on the bed !