Laptop Woes - Jack plug snapped off in headphone socket

[cwathen]

Not sure if anyone else has come across this, but I've managed to snap the jackplug on my headphones in half whilst they were plugged into my laptop - which now means that half the jack plug is stuck inside the socket.

After trying disassembly and unable to get the thing completely apart in the hope that I could solder the microphone connector (which I never use) in it's place, and with being unable to find any internet guides for taking it apart (btw, does anyone know how to dismantle a 2003 Toshiba Satellite A30?) I then tried putting a tiny spot of super glue onto the bit of the jack plug left and inserting it into the socket in the hope that the two would stick together and I could get them out.

This didn't work, the glue wasn't strong enough and I obviously can't put any more than a tiny amount on or the socket and connector will get glued together.

Does anyone know of any way of getting a snapped jack plug out of the socket?

Alternatively, as it's just AC97 software audio I assume that it's only a matter of software which decides which socket is which. Does anyone know a utility/driver which can route the headphone output to one of the other connectors (I've got microphone and line in connectors which I never use)?

[Lorns]

Short of using a miniscule tap and die set to make a thread, and a dremel/or little drill to make the pilot hole. That is the sort of DIY solution i would try and use. If tweezers and long nose pliers failed.

I've paid it a little more thought. If Drilling a little pilot hole into the half of jack plug is feasible instead of trying to make a thread and using a little screw till it bites to then enable it to pull out. You could always try gluing a little nail or cocktail stick into the hole, wait until the glue sets then pull it out.

Or if i was you i'd just ignore my advice as my initiative ideas normally end up causing far bigger problems.

[Stuart*]

Short of using a miniscule tap and die set to make a thread, and a dremel/or little drill to make the pilot hole. That is the sort of DIY solution i would try and use. If tweezers and long nose pliers failed.

I've paid it a little more thought. If Drilling a little pilot hole into the half of jack plug is feasible instead of trying to make a thread and using a little screw till it bites to then enable it to pull out. You could always try gluing a little nail or cocktail stick into the hole, wait until the glue sets then pull it out.

Or if i was you i'd just ignore my advice as my initiative ideas normally end up causing far bigger problems.

As crazy as Miss H's solution sounds it can't actually do any harm. You are going to lose the current plug anyway, come what may. Put some superglue (not too much) on the bit that's left and try putting it into the socket again. If it works you then use the plug off your microphone. The worst that can happen is you lose the use of the socket if this doesn't work!

Laptops are notoriously difficult to fix yourself - intentionally. The configuration for the other ports probably cannot be changed.

Personally I would try everything before resorting to a visit to 'da horse (© Little Britian) at PC World cos it'll cost you a fortune!

[Lorns]

CRAZY? My brain just works to differently to yours. See you computer people don't need much of an exscuse to start dismantling your pootahs with confidence. To me the thought of dismantling mine fills me with horror, so i always look for the easy way out of a hard time. That was actually the first thought that came into my head. I like the way your dad thinks

Anyhoo! Any news on the broked jack plug?

[cwathen]

I've now got a cocktail stick glued into my lappie's headphone socket and am leaving it overnight in the hope that it will stick properly - last time I only gave it half an hour.

From speaking to the audio engineers at work today, there is no tool or accepted method for extracting a broken jack from a sealed socket; the solution would always be to replace the socket. Easy enough on a hifi, not so much on a 3 year old laptop which Toshiba don't readily supply parts for.

If this doesn't work it looks like I'll need to go down the route of USB audio to hear anything from my laptop again.

Just to add insult to injury, the soundcard in my desktop machine has decided to completely fail tonight, meaning that at present I have no sound from either of my computers! And it's Friday night! Which means I can't listen to cacky manufactured Cascada tracks stupidly loud before going out! :-/


Looked into the possibility of rerouting the outputs by software, doesn't seem to be possible, and even if it were because the other two jack sockets wouldn't have the switching mechanism to cut the speakers off, it would mean that I'd have sound from the headphones *and* the speakers at the same time, which would be pointless.
So tomorrow we'll see.

[Gavin Scott]

I've now got a cocktail stick glued into my lappie's headphone socket and am leaving it overnight in the hope that it will stick properly - last time I only gave it half an hour.

Cyanoacrylate based adhesives such as Superglue wont bond properly to porus surfaces, such as wooden cocktail sticks.

Use a piece of metal; or use Miss Hellfire's excellent suggestion of a Dremmel and a tap to screw into and extract the rogue piece.

[Lorns]

I've now got a cocktail stick glued into my lappie's headphone socket and am leaving it overnight in the hope that it will stick properly - last time I only gave it half an hour.

From speaking to the audio engineers at work today, there is no tool or accepted method for extracting a broken jack from a sealed socket; the solution would always be to replace the socket. Easy enough on a hifi, not so much on a 3 year old laptop which Toshiba don't readily supply parts for.

If this doesn't work it looks like I'll need to go down the route of USB audio to hear anything from my laptop again.

Just to add insult to injury, the soundcard in my desktop machine has decided to completely fail tonight, meaning that at present I have no sound from either of my computers! And it's Friday night! Which means I can't listen to cacky manufactured Cascada tracks stupidly loud before going out! :-/


Looked into the possibility of rerouting the outputs by software, doesn't seem to be possible, and even if it were because the other two jack sockets wouldn't have the switching mechanism to cut the speakers off, it would mean that I'd have sound from the headphones *and* the speakers at the same time, which would be pointless.
So tomorrow we'll see.

Only left the glue to set for half an hour. What do expect you fool. Oh and i hope you primed both surfaces of the jack plug before glueing together for a stronger bond.

Now the only reason i bet that your engineer friends only suggest replacing the part is because they hadn't thought of my solution. I bet if you're careful my way would work and be a whole lot cheaper... That bit o' advice has just cost ya tweney nicker sir..

[Lorns]

Have ya fixed it yet?

[cwathen]

Nope, it's too tightly in for the bond to be strong enough to pull it out. After the cocktail stick didn't work (and following the useful advice that it wouldn't stick properly to wood), I went for another go at gluing the broken connector back in. It also didn't work.

Would go for the idea of screwing into it, but I don't own a dremmel or any other drill able to carry out such intricate work.

Currently investigating whether I can make use of the wonderful 16 day free rental service which Argos provides to get hold of one.

[Lorns]

You don't own a drill/dremel What kind of bloke are you? I've never met a bloke that didn't like to hammer, drill, bang or grind or just generally make a noise before.

[marksi]

I don't think you'd be able to use anything like a Dremel to get that out, it's too fine. Plus you'd end up getting bits of metal inside the case which is a bad thing. I reckon you need to get it open and push it out from inside.