[mrip541]

I listen to headphones at work, and a couple times I've accidentally yanked out the headphone plug to have loud metal blasted across my quiet, conservative office. Is there some way to have Windows automatically mute all sound when the headphones are unplugged?

 

[Roseval]

As far as I know, a headphone receptacle acts as a switch.
Insert the jack and the connection to the speakers are broken.
https://electronics.stackexchange.c...phone-detect-if-3-5-mm-jack-circuit-is-closed

A simple option is to use an extension cord.
Tie it to a table leg.
If you pull out the headphone plug, the plug of the extension cord remains in the receptacle of the PC.