I'm looking for some way to software-control my laptop speakers. Obviously I can mute in the sound mixer, but I want to keep the headphone jack enabled.

The reason being, when I'm at school and listening to music with my headphones, I have twice now accidentally pulled the headphones out, and revealed to everybody that I like to listen to Mariah Carey had my music blare out. Kinda annoying.

I feel like there is some kind of software notification to Windows that the headphones are plugged in, because the 'line out' jack shows 'not plugged in' when there's nothing there, but shows 'working' if I plug a cable in. So I'm wondering how I can detect that notification for the headphone jack.

The other option is, since I use headphones about 95% of the time, is to just internally disconnect the speakers. But I'd like to be able to use the speakers when I actually want to, without plugging them back in.

I'd just like to say, if you're a hardware vendor and supply audio hardware with a driver that doesn't do this, then you suck. WTF?

Mariah Carey, not too bad. As long as you're not listening to Celine Dion... XD

To do this in software it may be depended on driver, like Beavis said.

Once headphone in, the speakers disable themselves. Once headphone out, speakers resume. But if you mute the speakers output, then headphone won't work at all. What you're asking is to have speakers on/off, independent of output to headphone. Since you're a hardware guy, may be you can engineer some kind of additional logic switch to do that.

My LCD TV have independent sound output to speakers and headphone. I can adjust volume independently on each.

If nothing works, just Duck Tape the headphone plug onto the laptop! XD

You might also try getting everyone in your classes to sign a non-disclosure so that your secret is never leaked to the press.

That could be embarrassing. Although, could do a lot worse than Mariah Carey (like Paris Hilton...or, Brittany Spears....yeeeesh!)

Celine Dion? Wow you're hella old.

I think some spammer brought back this thread.

Does it make me even older, if I tell you I listen to the Bee Gee's? XD

Yeah a spammer bumped it.

For my problem, I ended up just disconnecting the speaker connection from the motherboard internally. It means that I'll have to open her back up if I ever want to re-enable the speakers, but I doubt I ever will.