The following device (Conexant Cx20549 @ nVIDIA nForce 430 (MCP51) - High Definition Audio Controller [PCI]) is functioning well, however, whenever I plug in my headphones, the headphones AND the laptop speakers work at the same time. I tried to install the drivers given to me on HP.com but the following message appears during the installation: "Driver Installation Failed: Could not find the MODEM/MEDIA device for this driver."
My laptop is an HP Pavilion dv2315nr that originally came with Vista Home Premium. I formatted my hard drive and put on XP.

Thank you....

Support Information:
Device Type: Sound Card
Manufacturer: Conexant
Model: Cx20549
Interface: PCI / ISA
Operating System: Windows XP Professional
Age of Device: < 2 years old
FCCID:

Find it on DriverGuide (http://members.driverguide.com/index.php?action=srch&sm=b&aax=&qa6=247&qa5=19&qa7=1500&dp=2&qm0=Cx20549&jmd=and&fzz=d) | Find it with Google (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Conexant+Sound+Card++Cx20549+Windows+XP+Professi onal+) | Research manufacturer Conexant (http://members.driverguide.com/index.php?action=getinfo&companyid=247)

Why are trying to install a driver for an audio system that "is functioning well" as you say? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Speakers and headphones both work at the same time because that's the way HP designed/built the machine. Changing driver will not alter how the headphones and speakers work.

I agree with you. However, my tech experiences tell me that this is usually due to faulty drivers that don't perfectly work with the hardware. What I did in order to get the sound to work was to forcefully install the drivers. Plus, I have family, and there is some audio that they are annoyed of so they tell me to put on the headphones....which is now not an option.

Have you tried turning the speaker volume down with the volume settings? That should allow you to hear the headphones without having sound come from the speakers.

Yep...I tried lowering the volume but it only lowers the volume through the headphones. The speakers are unaffected.

If you can just let me know how to mute the speakers instead of the headphones, I'd greatly appreciate that....

Software settings are the only control for Speaker volume, unless the speakers themselves have hardware volume control. If you are unable to control the speaker volume independent of software settings, I doubt there is anything that can be done to get what you want. I take it your speakers do not have a hardware volume control?

Nope. It has no hardware control of any kind. That sucks...I'll see if I can do anything possible to get this thing fixed. If it worked well with Vista, it most definitely must work with XP.....just gotta find the right tool I guess.