Audio Jack/ Headphone Port Help

[BoxsterRS]

My headphone port stopped working. I cannot select it in the preference window and after some searching on the web and this forum I do not have the red light issue. Most importantly when connecting my headphones nothing happens. I only have one device for sound output to select and that is my internal speakers. What can I do to check if it is a hardware or software? Maybe drivers? I had Airparrot 2 installed and it was a pain to remove (Only app I would assume interferes with audio drivers). This is happenning on an early 2011 Macbook Pro 15"

 

[maflynn]

Hardware failure? If so, then there's nothing you can do about it (short of replacing the logic board).

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"What can I do to check if it is a hardware or software? Maybe drivers? I had Airparrot 2 installed and it was a pain to remove (Only app I would assume interferes with audio drivers). This is happenning on an early 2011 Macbook Pro 15""

Suggestion:

Try booting from an external drive with a "basic" OS installed onto it.
This will eliminate "software issues" and driver conflicts.

Does that change anything?
Does the headphone port suddenly start working again?

If the answer is "no"...
... at that point you may have to think "hardware".
Short of replacing the logic board, I'd consider a small USB audio "dongle" that has in/out ports for headphone, etc.
These are relatively cheap and will give you a workable solution, even if it means having a small dongle plugged in for sound...

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Or..... Your could try booting into safe mode if it works there it's probably a software issue.

 

[squarebreathing]

Another idea would be to backup everything using time machine (or manually), using the terminal to create a usb bootable drive for your OS (there are guides to do this online, it's not hard), and doing a full format on the hard drive and reinstalling everything. A clean install should fix anything the Airparrot program did.

If it STILL doesn't work after that, then the USB dongle suggestion that was given earlier would be the best way to go. They are not too expensive and can provide very high quality audio. Here is an example of one: http://www.amazon.com/external-Adap...=1455645743&sr=8-4&keywords=usb+3.5mm+adapter

Only bad part is that it would take up a USB port whenever in use.

 

[Ovedius]

Not sure if this helps you but I might as well share it.

My old 2010 Macbook Air had a properly funny (not ha-ha funny, stupid funny) issue with its jack hole.

If I wanted to connect something trough the jack, I had to first close the lid.
Then connect headphones, or whatever, then open the lid again.

The jack simply refused to work if I tried connecting something like a normal person would.
But what could I do?
I had to follow that mildly laborious ritual whenever I wanted to use headphones.

...I kept up with its eccentricities for five years


PS.
I tried EVERYTHING to fix it.
Reinstalled OS X, reset the PRAM and the SMC, you name it.