My speakers continue to work even though I have headphones in.

Question

How do I set them for only one or the other?  i WANT to play through my headphones or my computer speakers.  Not both at once!

Answer 1

I have the same problem, as does everyone with a dm1 prior to the new 4000 series.
Anyone wanting to use regular headphones or earphones with a 3pole connection will have this problem it seems.
When i brought this laptop i needed it especially for private discreet uses with a focus on headphone usage, aka this laptop is useless to me with no headphone function.
Its been driving me crazy!  And only after intense troubleshooting/research i found all this out, that this laptop only works with a 4 pole connection device, i.e. a 4 pole headset, headphones and mic combined.
Which explains the heightened problem when using skype.  
If you play with drivers and settings u can make it work for a short while, to get minutes of correct playback rather than seconds!  Still goes back to  IDT switching between reconising mic/phones.
If you load up the IDT control panel (IDT cant help btw, ive asked them) when the magic is happening you can watch it flick about....internal mic...external mic.....internal mic....external mic.
The best one can achieve with the driver front is to download a 3rd party audio driver, i got total recorder driver (subsequantly from getting the software, for off internet audio recording) and then using the driver as default when the olde switchy happens it give you constant sound in the headphones, so you get the right sound but the people around you will enjoy brief bursts of audio from the speakers.  If you disable or uninstall the IDT audio driver in the hope ATI or a third party driver will take over without tossing about you'll b disappointed.  You'll get no audio whatsoever.
One can find more IDT drivers as a non-solution, where it give you 'independant headphones' as a device, so you think great, sound promising....its grim,  make default, does nothing, get rid of other drivers...silence.
HP offers no solution, barely even reconises the problem, in fact they just produce new dm's without a combi port and with dre audio. (not to mention high specs at a cheaper price (£350 nov 2011)
I took my dm1 abroad and when i get back home they'r gonna get an earful!  My bet is they do {Content Removed: Language Filter Evasion} all about it.
In pursuit of happiness and a solution i'v looked for adaptors on ebay, theres things close to what is needed but not quite.  We need  male 4 pole 3.5mm to 3.5mm 3 pole.  Doesnt exsist.
Theres 4pole to double 4 pole and old school video RCA to 4 pole even.  Also theres mini 2.5mm 4 pole to 3.5 4 pole which is your mobile phone headset connection.  
So i thought maybe one could get a usb to 3 pole and have a pair of headphones connected that way, nope doesnt exsist either.
HP SHOULD HAVE WARNED OR RECALLED THIS PRODUCT.
When i brought the dm1 off amazon it did not say combi jack for headsets only! no standard headphones, only how handy it is theres one one port for mic/phones.
As partridge would say, {Content Removed: Language Filter Evasion}
SO...can anyone pleeeeeeeeease offer a soloution?  Saved 350 quid gone down the drain. 
A driver telling the computer to forget about a microphone all together would be good, or even an adaptor to buy somewhere....PLEASE!