headphone jack help...

I don't think so...

How I think those jacks work is when you plug in a plug it pushes a little spring which shorts out the connection to the internal speakers (which is why the speakers shut off when you put headphones in) ... maybe try using a bent paperclip and a flashlight and seeing if you can wiggle that little spring in the jack, as that is probably what is broken.. .maybe it'll snap back into place?

I'm not even sure that's how it works, just from my observation I think that's correct... There may be a way software-wise to reroute the sound to the other ports, because I know you can have different ports be different surround sound speakers.. but I'm not sure how, or if it is possible on your model

That would be a cool idea digital raid. Actually I was about to start a thread on this very subject. I, myself have tripped over my headphone cord just a few too many times now while it has been connected to my np4750, and the headphone jack is essentially mush. When I insert a plug to the jack, it has considerable lateral freeplay and I only get audio in my right ear. The sound is not cut to the speakers either. I consider this unfortunate, as my roommate and I are rather private people and I do not want to annoy him with my audio.

I have considered to options:
1) Buy an Audigy 2 ZS PC Card
2) Take a gamble that nothing else is going to go wrong with this laptop in the remaining two years I have on the extended warranty and crack her open and fix the jack myself. I know that fixing the jack will be a relatively simple soldering job, but I am not sure I want to void the extended warranty that I paid dearly for.

But anyway, that is my predicament. I am sure you can sympathize.

i would do option 1, though there is a cheaper turtle beach pcmcia sound card

opening it up will kill the warrenty and it prolly will not be just a simple soldering job without the service manual

or send it in and use the warrenty you paid for

Problem is, I don't know if sending in the laptop (which would cost me about 30 dollars) and being without it for a week is worth the audio jack. I'm actually looking at an audigy2 zs pcmcia right now on Ebay.

Well, I just bought an Audigy2 pcmcia card. I had a $100 best buy gift card from this past christmas. I put it to good use. Good luck raid.

Update:
I recieved the Audigy 2 zs PCMCIA card yesterday. The thing is nice, however I had some rather severe issues with it:
Severe crackling during DVD-Audio playback
Medium crackling during Counterstrike Source
Zero sound in FEAR
Medium to severe crackling during HL:Lost Coast
Super-severe crackling to the point where it drowns out the rest of the audio in Linux. (Ubuntu Dapper development)
Mild popping to medium popping during mp3 or CD playback

Needless to say, I was quite dissapointed at my 109 dollar (including shipping) fancy new audio card. I did some research and here's what I found out:

There have been 2 versions of the Audigy 2 zs PCMCIA card. First one was short and did not plug in properly to many laptops (Box) Second one was longer and works fine in my PCMCIA slot.

Neither card plays nicely with laptops that have ENE CB-1410 Card Bus Controllers

My Sager np4750 has the ENE CB-1410 Card Bus Controller.

So, disheartened, I went about seeing if I could do anything about this.

I managed to find something that seems to have worked very well.

Step 1: Download latest beta driver from Creative. Find it here. Also there is a driver specifically for the Audigy 2 ZS Notebook. It is supposed to fix some things, but does not mention anything about "Provides full OpenAL / EAX® ADVANCED HD support" which seems to be what the first driver mentioned is for.

Step 2: Download latest PCMCIA Controller driver for the ENE CB-1410. Find it here. The .inf file include with the driver says its from 8/14/2002, so actually, the driver that you already have is probably fine. On a site I found, it is recommended to use the driver available from HP for the controller, which is what I did, however upon examination, the Sager driver and the HP driver appear to be identical.

Step 3: Download PCI Latency 3. It can be found here.

Step 4: Install Creative Driver (I installed the Beta driver for the EAX gaming support, I do not know what the notebook specific driver will do) of your choice. Wait to reboot until Step 7

Step 5: Confirm Cardbus driver is installed.

Step 6: Install PCI Latency Tool 3. Open the program. Search for the Audigy Card. Verify that the latency of the Audigy Card is 64. Look for EME cardbus controller. Set Latency to 64 to match the Audigy Card. On the top tool bar, click "Settings". Then from that menu, "Apply" and "Save" then "Apply at Startup"

Step 7: Reboot.

Now hopefully your Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook is working as well as mine!
This thing really is incredible, once you get it working. Using all the EAX HD sound effects, FEAR takes on an entirely new aspect. Everything sounds so much creepier. First time I played FEAR, I barreled through it. Going back with the advanced sound effects, I find myself jumping alot more. And music sounds great with the CMSS 3D effects on (EAX Menu). When I get out of this dorm and get an apartment, next year, the card is going to be the central point of my sound system. I'm excited.


P.S.
I haven't done anything with it in Linux yet.


I Think I'll make a thread explaining this. don't know if it is a pressing need, but i think it may be nice having it anyway.

i have the exact same problem. sucks don't it? I too use an object to hold the head phone jack down method. thinking of taking the laptop apart and see if I can't figure something out. I also want to get an edirol 10 in 10 out audio card but it'll take me a long time before I can save the dough for it.