XPS 8940, front audio jack requires Realtek driver

Question

The front audio jack requests what I just plugged in. I specify headphones. However, an error message appears: Windows cannot find 'C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA\RtkNGui64.exe'. I have tried installing Realtek drivers, but they all report there is no Realtek hardware. How can I listen to my computer through this port, please?

ispalten · Accepted Answer

Those drivers should have been installed when you bought the XPS? I have used headphones once, and they did work I recall?

This is the direct link to the Dell Driver, https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=n0prr&oscode=w2021&productcode=xps-8940-desktop

Before you install that, did you look in Device Manager?

Should see this:

First the Audio devices:

Then the Software Components:

I've got an Nvidia card and it also installs Audio drivers as you can see on the top screen capture.

Does any of the 3 REAR Jacks work?

NJDave · Answer

The Realtek driver for XPS 8940 is available on the Drivers & Downloads page for the model. When you say you've installed Realtek drivers, not sure if you've installed the one Dell provides.

wfjordan444 · Answer

Thank you for your timely response. I have installed the drivers you cite, and I believe the device manager shows the relevant components. For example,

However, the Sound component of the Control Panel does not indicate a related playback device.

I have not tried the rear jacks. I will need an extension cord to work with those jacks. I am using an AMD video card with three monitors.

ispalten · Answer

There is a SLIDER on the right side of Sound, did you move it down?

I don't have as many sound devices, but mine looks like this:

Headphones appear last on mine?

More tips here ==> https://www.lifewire.com/fix-headphones-not-working-with-windows-11-5196404

wfjordan444 · Answer

I wondered when I posted that picture whether anyone would catch the slider. You're very observant. I purposely excluded the devices that would show if I slid it down because they're three ham radio interfaces, and you can't expand the box to avoid the slider.

Anyway, I installed the drivers--I'm grateful for the support--and plugged headphones into the rear jack. Magically, the sound device appeared, and the problem was remedied. Thanks for the valuable help.

Erdie · Answer

I've found the only way for the front ports to become functional is if I uninstall the drivers, scan for new hardware, and let that default driver install.

The reason I went down that path is I tried a newer driver in an attempt to fix the terrible sound quality, but it wouldn't work with the front ports. In the end, I got tired of trying to make the 8940 have decent sound and opted to instead buy a cheap USB sound card and use that (Soundblaster PLAY! 3 is what I went with). I can't use the front ports, but I just couldn't tolerate the sound that came out of that driver. Not sure if I was doing something wrong, but my decent speakers sounded like cheap, unpowered units we used to plug into our Panasonic Shockwave portable CD players in 1996.

wfjordan444 · Answer

Thank you, Erdie. I have yet to be successful with the front connections. However, the back ones worked after I deleted the device in the device manager and installed the drivers cited in an earlier post. I run this audio into a Yamaha AV receiver. This I listen to when I'm playing music stored on the completer. As for the regular audio, I use a Dell Soundbar that mounts under a dell monitor. It plugs in as a USB device.

XPS Desktops

XPS 8940, front audio jack requires Realtek driver

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