Volume control on XPS 12 - Windows 8

Hi struts14,

This may happen when you connect the Logitech speakers through the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Please try updating the Audio drivers by clicking on the link below.
http://dell.to/1dFtXxL

Type in the Service tag and under Drivers and downloads select theAudio section, download the Realtek Driver

Try these steps and let us know your findings.

Thank you for your advice. I tried downloading the Audio driver several times but each time received a failure notice. If I read the log correctly, the installed software is the same as the patch.

Unfortunately the problem persists. If it makes any difference, the headphones use a USB connection.

Hi struts14,

Thank you for your response, we appreciate that you’ve tried a couple of troubleshooting steps.
Please let us know the manufacturer’s model details for your headphone or speakers that you connect so we can update you accordingly.

Reply us with your findings.

The headset is a Logitech H530. Logitech says it is Windows 98 compatible (which it was two weeks ago). Windows troubleshooting says it might need a 2 plug (? not sure if that is the correct term) USB to work. Any way it doesn't any longer.

I would appreciate any advice you might have to offer.

Thank you.

"If it makes any difference, the headphones use a USB connection."

Hello. I might be able to explain a couple of things. The fact that your headset is usb is an important detail. Your laptop has an internal "sound card" using Realtek audio hardware. The Realtek audio driver only applies to that hardware.

Your usb headset is an external "sound card". The Realtek driver has nothing to do with it so there is no necessity in re-installing the Realtek driver. Your external usb audio device uses a Microsoft usb driver that is native to Windows. Normally it works automatically.

"Windows troubleshooting says it might need a 2 plug (? not sure if that is the correct term) USB to work."

Usb devices get their electrical power directly from the usb port. Some devices need more power than one port can supply and so they must plug into 2 ports. That would not apply to your Logitech H530 headset. However you could try plugging it into the other usb port on the laptop.

"When I plug in my Logitech headphones, the volume controls go to zero. There is a new volume indicator permanently on my desktop that keeps returning the volume to zero."

I am having trouble visualizing the new volume indicator. Maybe Munawar P understands better.  If you want to insert a screen shot into a post here are instructions. The forum made some changes a couple of weeks ago so some parts of the instructions no longer apply, but it mostly is still the same. You need to be using Internet Explorer to insert a screen shot (not Firefox) due to some bugs in the forum changes.

When you plug in any usb audio device, it should show up in the Sound properties (right click the audio icon in the task bar and then select Playback Devices). Here is an example of what I mean. You won't see the exact same thing in your Sound properties but you should see something that indicates a usb device. (Sorry for the bad picture quality -- it says "Logitech USB Headset".)

If you see the usb device there, set it to be your default playback device. If you do not see a usb device there, right click anywhere in the blank (white) area of the Sound properties and select to show disconnected and disabled devices. If you still cannot see a usb audio device in the Sound properties then your headset is not being recognized by Windows. One possible reason is that the headset is defective so I would suggest trying it on a different computer just to double check that it is still working.