Comments on: Fixing Macbook Pro’s internal speaker output device…with a paperclip

By: Marma

Marma — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:59:25 +0000

extend a paperclip. push it to the left lift of the input. Fixed.

By: Jon Karp

Jon Karp — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:08:47 +0000

Whoa! The paper clip worked for me too. It’s as if some ear wax gets clogged in there and needs to be punctured (don’t try sticking a paper clip in your ear though).

By: B-dawg

B-dawg — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:04:22 +0000

Toothpicks are always wiser, being wood and all…not so eager a conductor. Generally, I have always thought sticking metal objects into my computer was a bad idea.

In any event, the toothpick worked great! THANKS ALL!

By: Reid

Reid — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:49:43 +0000

@ Adam – Wow, thanks for the thorough explanation! Hopefully future searchers who stumble upon this post will find your thorough answer in the comment section. I’ll add it to my post as an updated explanation if other reader’s find your explanation as thorough as it looks! I guess for me – I simply stuck the paperclip in and got lucky. I don’t really want to have the problem again to test if your solution works =)

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:24:34 +0000

PS get a Google AdWords account cause you’re going to get some traffic lol

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:22:01 +0000

I fixed mine with a paperclip, but I had absolutely no luck with either paperclip or matchstick previously. Tell you why. Because no one seems to be explaining themselves!

Here’s how to fix it with the paperclip.

When you look inside your headphone jack with the red light on on the inside, you will see a series of little tiny switches everywhere against the walls. What each does is not important, but which one you need to fiddle with is.

Looking inside the headphone jack with the blazing red light on (don’t look directly at it, you will get very sore eyes hehe), against the right hand side there will be two little metal microswitches. The one at the back is the culprit. All you have to do is extend your paperclip so it’s nice and pointy, then press it against the switch a couple of times to unstick it. Again, it is the switch against the right hand wall, and furthest away from the entry.

Mine didn’t need any kind of solvent or anything, but I suspect it may be a bit of rubbing alcohol may fix it for good. Not sure on exactly how to deliver said rubbing alcohol effectively, but if you do try the solvent approach, make sure your laptop is switched off and the battery is removed. Also hold the power button down after you remove the battery for a second just to make sure there’s no residual power.

Happy listening!

By: Reid

Reid — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:29:48 +0000

@Tatsuya – yay!
@Nick – that’s great to hear! it sounds like people have luck with different sized objects

By: Nick

Nick — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:30:36 +0000

I tried the whole paper clip thing and it didn’t do anything for me. I decided to try something bigger, so i took a chop stick and stuck it in the headphone jack. I don’t know what it did but my internal speakers work again. Woot woot!

By: Tatsuya

Tatsuya — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:59:04 +0000

I began having the same symptom today and ended up at this blog, searching for a solution. The paper clip did just the trick for me. Thanks!

By: Evan

Evan — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:37:44 +0000

Yah I had this problem too. The paper clip/toothpick didn’t work for me though.