Headphone jack not working!

[Gangstapimp50]

I have a dell dimension 4550 i believe and i recently messed up the headphone jack in the front underneath the cover next to the usb jacks. It looks like it got pushed in and now its not working.

I found another jack, its on the cd drive, it has a volume control thing, but when i put my headphones......nothing.

Im using windows xp, is ther any setting i need to set it on to use the cd drive jack as the default one?

[gadgetguy]

The jack on the CD drive is only for the CD drive. I know of no way to make it usable for general computer use.

[redwudz]

You could use the rear audio output jack, though you would have to unplug your speakers or put in a 'Y' splitter and just turn down the speakers. Or many speakers have a headphone jack on them. Unless you don't want to replace your speakers, that would be the easiest.

Replacing or repairing the front jack is likely a big project.

[SingSing]

Replacing or repairing the front jack is likely a big project.

The front jacks are all brand specific/custom jobs, so it is not an easy job to replace any of them nicely.

The jacks themself are about $1.00 at Radioshack.

[TBoneit]

Well on a Dell like yours the Headphone jack is on a small circuit board that mounts the jack, The Mic (sometimes) and the USB sockets.

You should be able to order the board from Dell. It is usually held in by one or two screws. I believe yours sits in the front under the HDD bays and has two ribbon cables going to it. Easy enough to change once you get the part.

[Gangstapimp50]

My headphone wires are not long enough to reach from the back of my comp to where i sit. Is there extensions wire out ther, and how much do they cost in general?

also, it will be a pain to go to the back of my comp everytime i wanna listen to music, are there settings on my comp that i turn the headphone jack on and off?

[SingSing]

Target and Walmart has stereo jack extension cable for about $2.99.

[ZAPPER]

It could depend on your skill/comfort level when it comes to opening up your laptop.

Personally I would open it up and at least have a peek at the mount and connection at the jack to the board. I don't know if the jack is mounted to a board or has a short section of wire to it. (Best case IMO) from there either repair what you have, replace it with an exact replacement part if you can find one or do some Micky mouse conversion.

I am by no means an electronic tech but I have made a simular repair before using the female end of a patch cord and letting it just dangle out of the case with a stopper knot tied inside of the case to keep from pulling it out. It was a two way radio base station and as far as I know it is still working.

You might be able to find a small shop that will fix it, but I bet that it will cost a hundred bucks. I have the utmost respect for some of these guys' knowledge, but damn they can seem heartless when it comes to charging you. I would pay $50 and bite the bullet, but much more I would start to squirm a little.

[SingSing]

The easier approach is still using a Y-cable or extension cable. The best approach is get a Speaker with headphone jack.

[Gangstapimp50]

Thers a few local shops that i can ask, ill check tomorow, but for the time being im goin to get a extension cord

[Gangstapimp50]

The easier approach is still using a Y-cable or extension cable. The best approach is get a Speaker with headphone jack.

I have great speakers that came with the dell, and ther quite big compared to comp speakers ive seen before. I also have a huge bass box, would little speakers be able to hand that?

[TBoneit]

The Dimension 4550 is the larger tower as I recall it not a laptop?

The headphone jacks on these are usually on a easy to change bord, one screw two locator slots 3 cables, 1 for audio, 1 for USB, one for the front panel buttons andLEDs. Just call Dell and buy. Look in the case after opening looking in from the back it should be on the right side under the drive bays.

[ROF]

The Dimension 4550 is the larger tower as I recall it not a laptop?

The headphone jacks on these are usually on a easy to change bord, one screw two locator slots 3 cables, 1 for audio, 1 for USB, one for the front panel buttons andLEDs. Just call Dell and buy. Look in the case after opening looking in from the back it should be on the right side under the drive bays.

or pull the board and use two dabs of solder to reconnect it. I wouldn't purchase this part from Dell. A computer shop should fix it for $5 or less.

[TBoneit]

ROF just curious what would you charge to resolder a Audio jack in a laptop?

Some of the prices you quote are awfully low. $5 ? maybe if the customer brought it in already out of the computer, not if I have to open the case and since it is a Dell Clean out all the dust as well as r/r the part.

[ROF]

ROF just curious what would you charge to resolder a Audio jack in a laptop?

Some of the prices you quote are awfully low. $5 ? maybe if the customer brought it in already out of the computer, not if I have to open the case and since it is a Dell Clean out all the dust as well as r/r the part.

There are six clips to pop(front bezel falls off) and one screw(sometimes no screw) holding the board in place. The soldering iron is ready to go at the flick of a switch. It's not difficult and would take less time than smoking a whole cigarette to fix.

My prices depend on the customer and the laptop in question. This isn't a laptop though.

[Gangstapimp50]

Ima start calling around now, im not that hands on and i dont want to touch anything thats been soldered.

Thanx for all the help, i wasnt expecting ppl to know about headphone jacks

[ZAPPER]

I don't know why I thought it was a laptop. Silly me. Don't get old, your mind will trip you up just for fun.

[TBoneit]

Zapper as you know there are three things that tell you that you are getting old
1. You start forgetting things
2. Um er....

Where was I?
What am I doing here?

Oh well, bye.

[ZAPPER]

I have been a broken man ever since a teenaged girl called me Sir.

I have reread the whole topic three or four times, and I would have sworn that before I posted someone mentioned laptop. Oh well, time for my medicine.