Continuous Background Noise

Question

Continuous Background Noise

Aravinth M 0

I am experiencing an issue with Microsoft Teams.

When I join a meeting through the web version of Microsoft Teams,Microsoft Teams desktop application and enable my microphone, other participants hear a continuous helicopter/fan-like rotating background noise, even when I am completely silent.

I have already performed the following troubleshooting steps:

Tested with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Incognito/InPrivate mode.
Reset browser permissions and settings.
Disabled audio enhancements.
Set Microphone Boost to 0 dB.
Windows Sound Recorder (Voice Recorder) also records the same helicopter/fan-like background noise.
Disabled Exclusive Mode.
Updated/reinstalled the Realtek audio driver.
Tested with multiple 3.5 mm headsets.
Verified that the correct microphone (Realtek Audio) is selected.
Tested on mictests.com, where the same noise occurs.

System Information:

Windows 11 Pro (Build 26200)
Lenovo IdeaCentre 3-07IMB05
Realtek Audio Driver

Since the issue occurs only with browser-based microphone capture and not with the Teams desktop application, could you please advise:

Is this a known issue with Microsoft Teams Web or WebRTC?
Are there any browser-specific settings or compatibility fixes?
Are there any recommended updates or configuration changes to resolve this issue?

Thank you for your assistance.

Best regards

[Moderator note: duplication removed]

Moved from <Microsoft Edge | Audio and video playback | Windows 11>

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1 answer

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Answer 1

Lychee-Ng 23,195 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Aravinth M,

I understand how frustrating it is when your microphone produces a continuous fan‑like noise in Teams Web, especially during work or class sessions. Since the Teams desktop app sounds normal, it’s reasonable to wonder if the issue lies with the web version. That said, I need to clarify a few points so expectations are clear:

First of all, Microsoft Q&A is a user‑to‑user support forum, with no access to internal or backend documentations. Contributors here do not have the ability to confirm whether this is a known issue, as there are currently no Microsoft or other official articles mentioning this exact problem.

Secondly, one important detail from your testing is that the same noise occurs on mictests.com. This means the issue is more likely to go beyond Teams, relating to how the browser captures microphone audio or how the browser interacts with your local audio driver or device. Here are a few more checks you can try to narrow down the cause:

Turn off browser graphics acceleration (unlikely but sometimes this can affect audio stream):
- On Edge > enter to address bar: edge://settings/system/manageSystem
- Toggle off Use graphics acceleration when available (or on if it's already off)
- Test the mic sound again and if nothing improves, you can revert this change.
Test with another browser (e.g. Firefox), since Edge and Chrome are both Chromium‑based.
Try another meeting app and its web version, such as Zoom, to see if the behavior repeats.
Use a USB headset / separate microphone (3.5mm jack is not favoured on newer devices)
Check for audio software (Realtek Console, Lenovo, Waves...) > disable / uninstall to test.
Change the microphone format:
- On your Taskbar tray, right-click sound icon > open Sound settings > Input section
- Choose your microphone > Input settings > Format > try another available format
- Test the microphone again in Teams Web / mictests.com with each format option.

Teams Web and the desktop app don’t always use the same audio path or processing. The desktop app may be suppressing or filtering the noise, while browser‑based capture still picks it up.

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Aravinth M 0 Reputation points

2026-07-03T14:23:11.65+00:00
Hello @Lychee-Ng ,

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I would like to correct my previous information.

I have performed additional testing, and the issue is now confirmed to occur in all scenarios, not only in Microsoft Teams Web.

The same continuous fan/helicopter-like background noise is present in:

Windows Sound Recorder

Microsoft Teams Desktop application

Microsoft Teams Web

Google Meet

mictests.com

Windows Safe Mode (tested using Windows Sound Recorder)

I have also performed the following troubleshooting steps:

Tested with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Incognito/InPrivate mode.

Reset browser permissions and settings.

Disabled audio enhancements.

Set Microphone Boost to 0 dB.

Disabled Exclusive Mode.

Updated/reinstalled the Realtek audio driver.

Changed multiple 3.5 mm headsets.

Also tested with a USB headset and different audio connectors/ports.

Verified that the correct microphone (Realtek(R) Audio) is selected.

Tested on mictests.com, where the same fan/helicopter-like noise is present.

Since the problem also occurs in Windows Sound Recorder and even in Windows Safe Mode, I believe this issue is no longer related to Microsoft Teams or the browser.

Could you please advise if there are any additional Windows diagnostics or Microsoft troubleshooting steps that I can perform to identify the root cause?

Thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,
Aravinth M
Lychee-Ng 23,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-06T08:16:52.0366667+00:00
Hi Aravinth M,

Thank you for the clarification and the additional testing. Since the same fan/helicopter-like noise is present in literally everything, even during Safe Mode testing, I agree that this no longer appears to be a Microsoft Teams or browser-specific issue.

Unfortunately, from a Windows troubleshooting perspective, you have already completed most of the standard software and driver checks. At this point, to be realistic with you here, there's not much I can think of to do from the user-side. I normally would do the same things.

I can suggest a few other possible fixes, but since we couldn't narrow down the causes from the testing, the solutions really depend. There are 2 scenarios here: it's either software, or hardware. For software, I think you can check if any third-party components involved with Clean Boot:

Follow this guide on How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

Press Windows + R > type msconfig > press Enter

Go to Services tab > Check Hide all Microsoft services > Disable all

Go to Startup > it will open Task Manager > Disable all items > Restart your PC.

If the problem is gone, it's likely that one of the disabled was the cause. You may need to manually enable them half-by-half to identify the offender, then consider removing or disabling it.

Disclaimer: A "clean boot" starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. They might look complicated at first glance but can help you get back on track. To avoid any trouble, please follow them in order and step-by-step.

For identify if this is related to hardware, the diagnostic step would be to boot from external media, such as a Linux USB environment, and test microphone recording there:

If the same noise is not present outside Windows, then that would point toward a Windows-specific software, driver, or firmware issue.

If the noise persists, that strongly suggests a hardware-related issue involving the audio subsystem, ports, motherboard circuitry, ... rather than Windows.

Another possible software fix is a repair reinstallation. Both the options below allow you to keep your files and apps so they are closest to clean install while still keeping your system the same (still, it's worth noting that since everything are kept, sometimes the cause of issue might stay too):

Use built-in repair option

Open Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update

Click Reinstall now > follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall Windows.

If that fails, perform an in-place upgrade:

Refer to Reinstall Windows with the installation media - Microsoft Support

Navigate to the bottom of the page and expand In-place Upgrade > follow the instructions.

You can also check out the guidance from one of the Moderators here: How to run In-place upgrade in Windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A

Disclaimer: Both Windows reinstallation and in-place upgrade will refresh your Windows files and operating system without removing files or applications. That being said, we always recommend that if you have important data, you should back it up first before making large system changes.

Beyond that, because the issue occurs across multiple applications, devices, and even Safe Mode, I don't think there are additional audio troubleshooting steps that I would recommend.