how do I turn off optical digital-out port?
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)
Just want to report that I too, running 10.6.5 on a MacBook Pro, had the mysterious " Audio Out Stuck On Optical Digital-Out Port" problem whereby I was unable to adjust the volume on my built-in speakers and they were permanently "muted" because the operating system was sending the audio signal to a non-existent device that it falsely thought was plugged in to my unused headphone jack hole. I thought at first the problem must necessarily be software-based because the built-in speakers worked fine when playing the start-up chimes. So I uninstalled something called "Soundflower" which does some mysterious shenanigans with commandeering the internal audio signal so that one can make audio recordings of one's computers' sound effects. But uninstalling Soundflower had no effect. So I uninstalled some other audio-related software, also to no avail. Then I zapped the PRAM, to no avail.
Then I decided to try what some people call "the toothpick trick," i.e. poking around in the headphone jack hole to see if something was stuck in there shortcircuiting it, and initiating the false signal to the OS.
Bingo! Success!
Actually, I did a hyper-sophisticated version of the toothpick trick:
First, I own a home "otoscope," one of those doohickeys that doctors use to look into your ear. One can now buy amateur versions of otoscopes for home use, to looks for kids' ear infections, etc. (They only cost $30 or so.) Anyway, using the smallest attachment designed for babies' ears, I was able to look (with illumination) into the headphone jack hole and yessiree there was a big bunch of dust stuck way deep in there.
So then I took not a toothpick but instead a slender dental prong-pick thingie made of stainless steel, and very delicately was able to snag the clot of dust deep in the hole at the bottom on the first try. Quite a wad!
Then I took one of those rubber ear-bulbs, used for cleaning out your ears, and used it as a micro-vacuum-cleaner: Squeeze the rubber bulb til it is as empty as can be, then place the tip of the bulb at the entrance to the headphone jack hole, then suddenly release my grip: it ***** air out of the tiniest spaces! After doing this a few times, I then did the reverse and blew blasts of air into the hole.
After all this, I looked back into the hole with the otoscope, and it was sparkling clean! Not even the tiniest speck of dust in an area that just three minutes earlier was thick with dust.
I then turned my computer back on and...problem solved! The audio worked again like normal, and it was no longer detecting an imaginary "Optical Digital-Out Port" device. The internal speakers once again worked as normal, and the volume could be adjusted.
I guess the problem for me really was dust causing a short-circuit. It might very well be the same for you -- so try cleaning out the headphone jack hole as I did.
I'm writing this detailed description to help anyone else in the future with a similar problem.
It wasn't Yosemite. It was, as others have pointed out, a flaky digital-out port. Something caused it to unlock, the red light to go out. Now I'm not using that port for anything, not with the cheap Sony headphones I use with my smartphone. I'll stick to high-end plug-ins -- or better, my USB headset. I'm playing it safe!
I tried something a bit nuts, but it worked out!!!
I have this intradental brush at home that I never used. So after reading about toothpicks, headphone jacks and the sort... I decided to insert the intradental brush (a bit like this one: http://www.nakano-ds.com/image5.gif ) a few times in the headphone jack (with the computer turned off of course), and it seemed to do the trick. My speakers are working again!
Shortly after upgrading to OS X El Capitan from Yosemite the internal speakers 'disappeared' leaving 'Optical Digital Output' only. My headphones still worked and when restarting the internal speakers made the usual restarting sound(?) but no sign of the Internal Speakers. I ran iTunes and played a song with headphones plugged in and playing then unplugged the headphones without stopping the song and VoilĂ ! the internal speakers 're-appeared' and sound played through the internal speakers. Restarted and the internal speakers still operating. Thanks sergyfrombellevue 8-)
Well subsequent to my earlier comments I find that the system reverts to no internal speakers and by running iTunes and plugging in headphones, waiting till I hear through them, and then unplugging them the internal speakers re-appear! I guess a patch is imminent.
Hello there
somedays ago my optical output in my Macbook stopped working. Now when I plug an optical cable and then press the keys for turning down or up the volume I have the prohibit symbol on the screen telling me that this action is not allow.
with an analogue audio cable I have no issue.
do you know what’s the problem?
my macbook is a mid 2010 running the latest OS.
thanks in advance for your help.
Regards
Tried (on my iMac) plugging in/unplugging headphones and it didn't work. I just stuck a long toothpick in the headphone jack on my iMac and it fixed it right away. The red light turned off and the sound started again.
Head phone jack works!
1] Open System Preferences
2] Click on 'Sound' then go to 'Output' tab on the top.
3] You will see device list, assuming you see 'Optical Digital-Out port' under 'Type' column.
4] Insert head phone in your device (I used my iPhone headphones)
5] The out put type will change to 'Headphone Port'
6] Play some audio file to check if it is playing. (Mine was playing well)
7] Pull out the jack
8] Now you see (hopefully) "Built In'
9] Thats it!
This worked for me. Hope it works for you as well.
Take this as a stark lesson not to plug your computer into an old set of powered speakers that you find whilst hot desking!
The giveaway that the computer has been tricked into thinking it's connected to an optical port is the red light emanating from the headphone jack. Fortunately the dirt which evidently got embedded by the old and dusty 3.5mm speaker jack was removed after 5 or 6 insert and removals with a (clean) alternative 3.5mm jack from a pair of headphones.
Blowing in the headphone jack port and plugging/unplugging headphones worked for me too. Thanks!
Same problem here with my 27'inch Medio 2011 Intel i5 OSX 10.9.2 (13C64)....so i huffed and i puffed ...and i blowed the hole down...5minut google search 2 strong breaths ..problem fixed
grtz
C.M.
OOOHHH MYY GODD!!! Tuffy Nicolas!!! Thank you so much!!!! It did work!!!! You saved my life!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
muahhhhhhhhh
What and where is AUDIO MIDI?
I got the same problem after installing Security Update 2014-005 on my 15" mid-2012 Macbook Pro. My internal speakers just magically disappeared from sound devices in System Preferencies-Sound.
Thanks body🙂 you save me some money , your advice was accurate.I appreciate.
Blew in the headphone jack worked! I was pretty skeptical at first. Didn't even need a restart.
how do I turn off optical digital-out port?
