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Microphone

Jere Forrest 0 Reputation points
2026-02-12T19:45:15.84+00:00

My built in (default) mic suddenly stopped working and I have tried all of the troubleshooting steps I can find but it is still not working. When I try to test it in the settings, it is not recognizing my voice or any audio. Any ideas?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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  1. Ferdinand Nanalig 28,005 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-02-12T20:18:12.1533333+00:00

    Hi! Let me help you with this issue.

    Please follow the steps below to fix this problem.

    Please hover your mouse over the sound icon at the lower right-hand corner, then right-click it and click Troubleshoot Sound. Let the troubleshooter finish its task, then this should either resolve the problem or display an error message.

    If that doesn't work, we need to remove the Audio driver from the Device Manager and restart the PC to reinstall it.

    Here are the steps to completely remove a Device from your computer.

    Step 1. Use shortcut keys Windows key + X.

    Step 2. Select Device Manager.

    Step 3. Expand the entry Sound, Video, and Game Controllers. Right-click the problematic device, which is either Realtek Audio, or AMD High-definition Audio, or High-Definition Audio, depending on the audio device installed in your PC, and select Uninstall device.

    Step 4. You need to check the option Delete the driver software for this device and then click the Uninstall button.

    Step 5. Reboot the computer.

    After the reboot, please see if the problem is fixed.

    If that still does not work, please visit the support website of your laptop or desktop and then download and install the latest Audio driver then restart the PC.

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  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-02-12T19:45:26.2266667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    If your microphone is not recognizing your voice or any audio, there are several troubleshooting steps you can try:

    1. Check Microphone Connection: Ensure that your microphone is properly connected to your device. If it's a USB microphone, try unplugging it and plugging it back in.
    2. Check Device Settings: Go to Settings > System > Sound and ensure that the correct microphone is selected as the input device. You can also check the volume levels here to ensure they are set appropriately.
    3. Test with Another Application: Sometimes, the issue may be with the application you are using. Try testing the microphone with a different application to see if it works there.
    4. Update Drivers: Make sure your audio drivers are up to date. You can check for updates in the Device Manager under Sound, video and game controllers.
    5. Check for Hardware Mute: Some microphones have a physical mute button. Ensure that it is not muted.
    6. Check Privacy Settings: Ensure that your microphone permissions are correctly set. Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and make sure that apps are allowed to access your microphone.
    7. Restart Your Device: Sometimes a simple restart can resolve audio issues.

    If none of these steps work, you may want to consider testing the microphone on another device to rule out hardware failure.

    References:

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