Windows 7: Laptop speakers don't switch off

When I play a game or listen to music, etc I usually use headphones. Now I notice that even though the headphone jack is plugged in my laptop's speakers don't switch off. I attached two screenshots; they show that the game's sound is somehow linked to the speaker's volume and in the other that the headphone's volume is also linked to the system's volume. This means when I turn the volume down for the speakers then the headphones are also automatically turned down.

How do I fix this?

Thanks.

Right click on the volume notification icon and select volume control options. From there you should be able to give your headphones their own volume control. I hope I understood your question correctly.

No that doesn't work. First thing I tried.

That is normal. The line linking the two sliders represents the current maximum volume setting of the master (overall) volume control. You can adjust the application volume from minimum (mute) to this level. If you go above this level, the master volume will increase accordingly, upto the maximum. Likewise, if you reduce the master volume to a level lower than that set for an application, then that level control will also lower.

As regards the speakers not muting, have they always done this, or has it just started?

Well, I just installed Windows 7 on Monday evening...

Something similar happened to me when I installed Skype- when making a call sound would come through the laptop speakers as well as the headphones. I think what I did was to right click the speaker icon>playback devices>and then either right click 'speakers and dual headphones' or 'independant dual headphones' and right click 'disable' on the one you don't want, probably 'speakers and dual headphones'. Then enable when/if you want the laptop speakers back. Kind of a pain in the ass fix when you really just want it to work right, but that's all I can think of.

I prefer the Windows XP volume control options to the ones in Windows 7, the ones with Windows 7 are kind of confusing to me due to no clear heirarchy or 'master panel'; instead everything is kind of down it's own wormhole.

Been experimenting a bit and...

This problem only happens with the game "Brothers In Arms - Hell's Highway". With everything else the speakers are automatically muted when plugging in the headphones. Weird.

Any fix for this?

bump