sound doesn't auto switch from headphone to speker

I got a windows 8.1 laptop, and I've been used to a windows 7 one. One thing I noticed is that it doesn't seem able to switch between audio devices without being told to. Is there any way of getting the system to switch to headphones when they're plugged in, and back to speakers when they're removed?

The sound works the same in Windows 8 as it did in Windows 7. If its not switching there is problem.

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Do the headphones work when plugged in, even though the speakers remain on? In some audio chips, such as RealTek there are options for how the speakers/headphones work. e.g. mute the speakers when a headset is plugged in or not mute the speakers.

Also, if you are using USB, its a whole new ball game, as USB does not use the PC's sound chip.