Why does my microphone disable itself every time I change its status to allow for windows and apps?

Question

I'm having this exact same problem https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/why-does-my-microphone-disable-itself-every-time-i/7014c791-8024-4ae9-a678-3f1f978f4b33?correlationid=4c185431-c57c-4a37-876a-cc3d4c9f8480&from=ContactUsWebBCQR

I tried every single one of the fixes and nothing has worked so far

Answer 1

Hi Alvaro,

Just in case, have you already checked your Privacy Settings? After some Windows updates, these settings can reset themselves, so it’s worth double-checking:

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone

• Make sure both of these options are turned ON:
  • Microphone access
  • Let apps access your microphone

If that doesn’t help, here are some advanced troubleshooting steps:

1. Disable Exclusive Mode:

Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar > Sounds

Go to the Recording tab, select your microphone, then click Properties

Under the Advanced tab, uncheck:

“Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device”

“Give exclusive mode applications priority”

Click Apply and OK

2. Check Device Manager for Conflicts:

Open Device Manager

Expand Audio inputs and outputs

Right-click your microphone > Uninstall device

Restart your PC — Windows will automatically reinstall the driver

Also check under Sound, video and game controllers for any duplicate or hidden devices

3. Run the Recording Audio Troubleshooter:

Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters

Run the Recording Audio troubleshooter.

This might help detect hidden conflicts or misconfigurations caused by other apps.

Hopefully one of these steps helps get your microphone working properly again.