The reason behind this behavior of the Realtek Audio Manager is the settings. The settings of Realtek Audio Manager are usually set to treating both audio inputs/outputs as the same device. These are usually the default settings of Realtek Audio Manager. This is why, as you might have noticed, the devices will show up as a single device i.e. speakers or headphones and not 2 separate devices in the Sound window of your system. The settings can easily be changed so you don’t have to worry.
Method 1: Change Realtek Audio Manager Settings
There are some settings in the Realtek Audio Manager that can be changed to solve this issue. There is an option named Make front and rear output devices playback two different audio streams simultaneously that is unchecked by default. So, checking this option and making both audio streams as separate ones might work for you. Here are the steps for changing this option
Once done, you should be good to go.
Method 2: Disable Front Panel Jack Detection
Disabling the Front Panel Jack Detection option from the Realtek Audio Manager has worked for a lot of users as well. Try to change this option if the method 1 didn’t work for you. Here are the steps that can help you find this option
This should solve the issue for you. Note: If changing this setting doesn’t solve the issue then perform the following steps Now check if the problem is resolved or not.
Method 3: Uninstall Realtek Drivers
If nothing else works then try uninstalling the Realtek Drivers from the Device Manager and let Windows install the audio drivers. Windows comes with its own set of generic drivers that are compatible with almost all the devices. Simply uninstalling the Realtek drivers and rebooting will push the Windows to install the drivers for you. This has resolved the issue for a lot of users. Although the problem should be solved by the 2 methods given above but if nothing has helped then this should be your last resort. Here are the steps for uninstalling the Realtek Drivers
Restart the computer when the drivers are successfully uninstalled. You should have the proper drivers installed on the next startup.
Method 4: Change BIOS Settings
There is a front panel setting in the BIOS settings that can be changed to solve this issue. This setting might not be available for every user but it will let the users (who have this option) have a second audio output. Follow the steps given below to access and change the BIOS settings Follow the steps given below once you enter the Windows after changing the front panel settings
Once done, both your headphones and speakers have the same audio stream. You should also be able to switch the devices for audio purposes.
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