Microphone not working, input volume at 0

Question

I didn't notice the issue until I tried to use Zoom. I have been trying to fix this for hours and I've tried all the fixes suggested online, including checking that drivers are updated. I disable and reenabled the intel smart sound tech for my microphone, uninstalled and reinstalled realtek audio. I'm not terribly computer savvy but I'm trying my best.

Whenever I try to change the input volume for my mic, it instantly resets to 0. Not sure what else to try at this point. I'm running Windows 11 24H2 if that matters. I'd really love to be able to stop using my phone for Zoom meetings.

Answer 1

Hi Samantha,

Thank you for reaching out, and I’m really sorry you’ve been stuck with this for hours. I’m Adrian, an independent advisor, and I’ll help you get your microphone working again.

Before we proceed, I'd like to ask a few questions to better understand what’s happening

1. What’s the exact model of your PC or laptop?
2. Is your microphone built-in or external (USB, headset, etc.)?
3. Does the mic work in other apps like Voice Recorder or Teams?
4. Have you recently installed any audio or privacy-related apps like Nahimic, Waves MaxxAudio, antivirus, etc.?
5. Are you signed in with an administrator account on the PC?

While waiting for your answers, here are the steps that you can try for now.

Step 1: Right-click the speaker icon on your taskbar and choose Sounds (or go to Settings > System > Sound, then scroll to More sound settings).

Click the Recording tab.
Right-click your microphone, select Properties.
Go to the Advanced tab.
Uncheck both boxes under Exclusive Mode.
Click Apply, then OK.

This prevents apps from taking full control of your mic and overriding volume settings.

Step 2: Run the Microphone Troubleshooter
Press Windows + I to open Settings.
Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
Find Recording Audio and click Run.
Let it scan and apply any fixes.

Step 3: Reset Microphone Permissions
Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
Make sure Microphone access is turned ON.
Also turn ON access for apps like Zoom.
Scroll down and disable access for apps you don’t use that might interfere.

Step 4: Check for Conflicting Audio Software
Some systems come with audio management software (like Waves MaxxAudio, Realtek Console, Intel Smart Sound, Nahimic).
Open your Apps list and uninstall or disable these apps temporarily.
Restart your computer after uninstalling or disabling them.

Step 5: Try a new test user Account (to isolate the problem)
Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users.
Click Add account > “I don’t have this person’s sign-in info” > “Add a user without a Microsoft account”.
Create a test user and log into that account.
Test the mic volume again. If it works, your main profile might have a corrupted audio config.

Let me know how far you get with these steps and what happens when you try to adjust the mic volume after Step 1 or Step 3. We’ll keep going until it’s fully resolved.

Best regards,
Adrian A

Answer 2

I apologize for the delay in answering. I went camping. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

1. What’s the exact model of your PC or laptop?

HP ENVY x360 Convertible 15m-es1xxx

2. Is your microphone built-in or external (USB, headset, etc.)?

It is built in. I have never added an external mic.

3. Does the mic work in other apps like Voice Recorder or Teams?

I just checked and it's not working on any other apps.

4. Have you recently installed any audio or privacy-related apps like Nahimic, Waves MaxxAudio, antivirus, etc.?

I did install CCleaner

5. Are you signed in with an administrator account on the PC?

I believe so? It's mine and I'm the only user.

I will follow up with your recommendations and report back.

Answer 3

Thanks so much for the update, Samantha. And no worries at all and I hope you had a relaxing time camping!

Yes please let me know if those steps help. If not, I will provide other helpful steps to fix it.

I’ll stick with you until it’s resolved.

Answer 4

Thanks for the detailed follow-up, Samantha, you’re doing everything right, and your testing gives me very useful clues.

It looks like your audio input driver stack is corrupted. At this point, I would recommend performing an in-place upgrade.

In-place upgrade is a process wherein it will upgrade the device to the latest version and repair many issues without deleting any files. Usually, it is used to repair corrupted system files, apps, and even incompatible drivers on the system.

Here's how.

Go to the official Microsoft page:

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/win...

Under "Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)," select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO) > click Download.

After downloading:

Right-click the ISO file > click Mount.

Open the new virtual drive that appears > run setup.exe.

On the installer screen

Choose “Keep personal files and apps” when prompted.

Follow the on-screen steps to complete the installation.

This process can take up to 1 hour and may include multiple restarts. After it completes, Windows will be refreshed while keeping all your data intact.

Let me know if you run into anything during the upgrade.

It's a great move at this point and has a very high chance of fixing this without wiping your files.

Answer 5

Okay, here's where I got after each of the steps:

Step 1: There was no advanced tab after I clicked properties on the mic (I promise I followed all the other steps perfectly). There was general, listen, and levels (which was a blank tab...weird). 

Step 2: There wasn’t a Recording Audio option under other troubleshooters. There was audio, I ran it… didn’t help. The other listed ones are network and internet, printer, windows update, background intelligent transfer service, Bluetooth, camera, program compatibility troubleshooter, video playback, and windows media player.

Step 3: I had done this before just to double check. Made no difference.

Step 4: I am a little confused on this one. I don’t have any of the other listed apps, but the info on the mic is as follows (and I have clicked that driver updates link and it says it's up to date):

![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/e50cee2f-bd49-4c06-bead-b7a6889ab037?platform=QnA