XPS 8500 Front Headphone jack as audio in?

Hi NibbleNobble,

I’d be glad to assist you regarding the same, please follow the steps mentioned below to fix the issue.

1. Please unplug the iPhone from the microphone jack from the computer.
2. Go to device manager and under audio devices, select the audio device, right click and uninstall the software completely.
3. Restart the computer and install the latest audio drivers from the Dell’s support website by clicking on the link below.
http://dell.to/1dFtXxL

4. Type in the Service tag, under Drivers and downloads select the operating system and install the Audio driver from option Audio.
5. Once the installation is completed, restart the computer and check if the audio on the computer’s working fine.

Let us know if this helps.

Thank you.  Unfortunately it didn't work.  The install failed due to the driver version being the same as the one installed.  When I turned the computer back on it automatically installed the drivers, which were the same drivers I downloaded from the site.

What's strange about my issue is I can plug a headset into the computer and I can hear the music/audio through them.  If I stop the music and talk into the microphone of my headset I can hear myself back in my own ear.  If  I unplug the headphone plug from the port and just leave the microphone plugged in and talk into the mic I do not hear my voice through the speakers, however earlier today I could hear my voice through the speakers.  Anytime I find a "test speakers" thing I run it and sound comes out of the speakers no problems.  The troubleshooting program from the control panel sees nothing wrong. 

When I open up the playback devices (Sound) I see the green meter moving in conjunction to the music - Speakers: Realtek High Definition Audio - Default Device.  

Under the recording tab there is something in there called - Stereo Mix - Realtek High Definition Audio that shows ready.  It is also showing a green bar that is moving to the music.  When the microphone is plugged in the green meter also shows movement when I speak into the microphone.  The microphone here shows Microphone - RealTek High Definition Audio - Default Device.

When the computer is starting up there is no startup sounds.  

There is a setting somewhere on this computer that turns that microphone jack into a jack that you can plug in mobile audio devices and listen to them on your computer speakers, basically making your computer the amp.  The volume mixer shows moving green bars that there is sound supposed to be coming out of them, but there isn't.  

Hi NibbleNobble,

Thank you for your response, I appreciate all the troubleshooting that you’ve done on your computer and also requesting you provide us some time so we can check our resources and answer you appropriately.

yeah, no problem.  Further playing around with my computer:  I listen to an online scanner "Broadcastify".  It opens up and plays out through my speakers whereas Netflix audio does not.  iTunes music does not.  Audio tests work on the speakers I have (they're surround sound).  As of right now I think I have figured out the microphone thing, as there is a "listen" tab and I unchecked the "listen to this device" check box and I think the microphone/iphone thing no longer works.  I had checked that numerous times before but never noticed a change, but at the time I was in and out of every setting possible on my computer.  So, at this point I cannot hear my phone or microphone through my speakers if I plug it into the front/top jack anymore. 

The issue with no sound persists.  I see the meters moving under Volume Mixer when music play.  When I plug my microphone into the mic port I get a balloon popup saying that I just plugged a device in the audio jack.  a few seconds later a second bubble comes up saying "Windows can now play sounds from this device".  I unplug and I get the normal "you have just unplugged a device from the audio jack".  Not much sure what else to add.  Just throwing out what else I know for your consideration.  Thanks.

Hi NibbleNobble,

Thank you for your response, as the hardware is working fine on the computer we have tested the computer and speakers and it looks like the issue with the software. Please try performing a System restore to a point when the computer was working fine previously and check if that fixes the issue. If not, you might have to back up the data and try performing the Factory reset which will set everything to factory default.

Let us know if this helps.