Important system alerts, audio notifications, and media sounds all are received by the user through laptop speakers. However, sometimes you just want them to stay quiet and have all those functions served via headphones only.
For the times when you don’t want to utilise the built-in speakers of your laptop, you can simply disable them from your system settings. Frankly speaking, disabling laptop speakers is no rocket science.
You can easily disable the laptop speakers whilst also keeping the headphones functional by following a few simple steps. So let’s get you through all those steps and help you disable your laptop speakers.
How to Disable Laptop Speakers but Not Headphones in Windows 10?
All laptops are equipped with at least one speaker to fulfil the system requirements. Most users like to use the speakers of their laptop. However, in some instances you may want to disable them and that really is not a problem.
Laptop speakers can be operated and configured separately which is why you can easily disable them but still continue to use your headset without any complications.
Steps to Disable Laptop Speakers
To disable your laptop speakers but not headphones in Windows 10, follow the steps below.
1. Open Windows 10 Settings
You can use the shortcut keys ‘Start key + l’ on your keyboard to launch the settings of your system. Alternatively, you can also go to the ‘Start’ menu of your computer and search for settings from there and launch the application.
2. Find the Sound Tab
Once you have opened the settings of your computer, click on the ‘Sound’ tab in the settings which can be found under ‘System’ from the sidebar.
3. Manage Sound Devices
Once you open the sound page, you will see many options related to the sound of your laptop. On the same page, you will find a ‘Manage Sound Devices’ option. Click on that.
4. Find Laptop Speakers
In the ‘Manage your Devices’ section, you’re going to find all the sound devices connected to your laptop like external speakers, headphones etc.
Locate your laptop from this list and click on it.
5. Disable the Speakers
Now finally, you will see an option to test or disable your speakers. From here, choose the ‘Disable’ option and that’s it, you’re done.
Note: To avoid any confusion while disabling your laptop speakers, you can remove all the external sound devices connected to your laptop. This way you will only see your laptop’s speaker in the list of audio devices.
How to Disable Laptop Speakers but Not Headphones in Windows 7?
Disabling laptop speakers if you’re a Windows 7 user is not difficult either. Just like Windows 10, you can configure the built-in speakers of your laptop separately in Windows 7 as well.
Steps to Disable Laptop Speakers
If you’re a Windows 7 user, follow the simple methods below to disable your laptop speakers:
- Method 1
Here’s a quick fix for your issue:
- In your laptop’s taskbar, find the speaker icon and open it.
- Here, you will see all the sound playing devices attached to your laptop.
- Check the ‘All Sound Playing Devices’ option.
- Next, uncheck the ‘default communication device’ or ‘default sound device’ option.
The default sound device is typically your laptop’s speaker. By unchecking this option, you can disable your laptop speakers and keep your headphones functional.
- Method 2
You can use this method to change the default sound device of your laptop. This method is simple and will require you to open the ‘Control Panel’ of your laptop.
Follow the steps below to disable your laptop speakers but not headphones.
- Open the ‘Control Panel’ of your laptop. (In case you don’t know where that is, simply search for it in the ‘Start’ menu of your device and launch the control panel from there).
- Next, find the ‘Sound and Hardware’ section.
- From there, choose ‘Manage Sound Devices’.
- From the list of sound devices linked to your laptop, find your laptop speakers.
- Disable the laptop speakers from here.
- Now connect any external sound device like headphones to your laptop.
- Your laptop will recognise this external sound device as a default sound output device of your laptop.
And your problem here is solved. Now you can enjoy your headphones as the primary sound device of your laptop while its own speakers are disabled.
Other Ways to Disable Laptop Speakers
The above mentioned methods to disable laptop speakers are by far the easiest ones. However, your options are not limited to that only. If, for some odd reason, the mentioned methods fail to work for you, don’t worry.
We have a few other options available that can help you disable your laptop speakers but not headphones. These methods will require you to do some additional hassle though.
Anyway, let’s get going with the remaining guide. Below you can find out 2 other methods to disable your laptop speakers.
Using Automation Program
In case, you don’t want to change the setting manually each time, you can use several automation programs that will automatically do the job for you. Sounds great, right? So for this method, you need to get your hands on an automation software like Ellp.
This automation program offers you multiple operations that can be activated for an automatic function.
Now here’s what you need to do:
- First of all, download an automation program in your laptop.
- Once you launch the application, you will see a series of cards or operations that you can choose to be activated.
- Here, look for the ‘Sound” category.
- In this category, you will see various operations that can be performed automatically, once activated.
- Look for ‘Disable Speakers when Headphones are Connected’ option.
- Enable this option and you’ll have nothing left to worry about.
- Now whenever you connect your headphones, your laptop speakers will be automatically disabled by the software.
Although this process requires the hassle of downloading a software first, it does eliminate it for the future. Once you’re done with setting up this software and enabling various automatic functions, you will save yourself from any further hassle.
Using BIOS
If nothing else works for you, you still have an option left. This method is rarely used by anyone because disabling the sound of your laptop is usually not a problem. You can try any of the aforementioned methods to disable the speakers of your laptop and it will be a success.
However, if you’re somehow not successful by using those methods, you can follow this method to disable the speakers of your laptop.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Open the ‘Settings’ of your laptop.
- Now go to the ‘Update and Security’ section.
- Here, find out ‘Recovery’ option. Click on it and find ‘Advanced Start up’ option from the list that you see.
- Click the ‘Reset’ option from this screen.
- Once that is done, find the ‘Advanced Options’ tab under the ‘Fix’ section.
- Here, you will see ‘UEFI Firmware Settings’. Choose this option to open the settings.
- Find the ‘Restart’ option and click on that.
- Next, proceed by opening the ‘System Configuration’ option.
- Find and click ‘Audio’ on this page.
- Finally, you will see an option of ‘Enable Internal Audio’.
- Now of course, you don’t have to enable it. Instead, uncheck this option to disable the internal audio of your laptop.
- Next, apply these settings and exit the configuration screen.
It is highly unlikely for anyone to use this method because disabling laptop speakers from the basic sound settings of your system is a lot easier and works every time.
However, if anyone is not getting their desired results from those methods, they can try out this method instead and disable the internal audio of their laptop.
How to Enable Laptop Speakers?
Enabling the laptop speakers back again shouldn’t be a problem either. You simply need to undo all the changes you made to disable the laptop speakers and you will have your speakers functioning again.
Following are a few simple steps that can help you enable your laptop speakers:
- From the ‘Start’ menu of your laptop, find and launch the system settings application.
- In the ‘Settings’ of your laptop, you will see a Sound tab under the System section
- Open that tab and you will see a ‘Manage your Devices’ option.
- Select that option and you will see a list of all the connected audio devices to your laptop.
- Here, you will also see your laptop speakers which you disabled previously.
- Simply click the ‘Enable’ option to make your laptop speakers functional again.
The process is super simple and is applicable if you disabled your speakers from the system settings. If you used any other method to disable the speakers, rewind and undo all the changes you made.
Update Audio Driver
In case, your laptop speakers are acting up and giving you a hard time as you try to enable them, there might be an issue with the sound driver of your system.
Again, it’s not a big deal. You can easily resolve the issue by updating the audio driver of your laptop if nothing else is working in your favour.
So let’s see how you can do that.
- Open the Start menu of your laptop and find ‘Device Manager’ from there.
- Launch the device manager and then open the ‘Sound, Video, and Game Controller’ tab.
- On this screen, you will see your audio device listed. Right click on the sound device and choose the driver update option from the menu.
- Now let your laptop search and install the required audio driver by choosing the ‘Auto Seek Driver’ option.
Once the update/installation is done, you should be able to hear you laptop’s speaker. Hopefully, this method, if not anything else, will solve your issue.
How to Turn Off One Speaker on a Laptop Windows 10?
Turning off one of your laptop’s speakers is quite simple. Well typically, laptops come with a single speaker only and use the two stereo effect configuration to keep the sound equally balanced at the left and right side of your speaker.
Anyway, if you wish to minimise or eliminate the sound from either side, you can the steps below:
- From the taskbar of your laptop, click on the ‘Sound’ icon.
- Once you have launched the sound settings, move to the ‘Levels’ tab.
- On this screen, you will se a ‘Balance’ option. Click on it.
- Now, you can adjust the volume of your desired speaker (left or right) or completely turn it down.
- That’s it! Now one of the speaker’s side will not function anymore.
How to switch between headphones and speakers?
If you want both your headphones and laptop speakers functional side by side but like to switch between them as per your requirement, you can learn this quick method below.
- Click on the Sound icon which can be found in the taskbar of your computer.
- Next to the audio output device, you will see a small arrow. Click on it.
- Here, you can find a list of audio output devices linked to your laptop.
- Choose headphones or speakers from this as and when you like to switch between them.
This method is useful if you don’t want to disconnect your headphones each time you want to switch to the speaker of your laptop. In a case otherwise, you can simply disconnect the headphones from your laptop to switch to the laptop speakers and connect them again to switch to headphones.
Conclusion
We have mentioned every single method that you can use to disable your laptop speakers while keeping your headphones functional at all times. From simple and basic methods to complex methods that can be used if nothing else works, we’ve got you covered with everything.
You can use whatever method you find the most feasible and easy. Once you are past the need to disable your laptop speakers, you can follow the simple mentioned methods to enable your laptop speakers back again.
Lastly, we hope this guide was helpful for you and your problems are resolved by now!