how to fix a microphone which fails the sound test

Question

MY mic will not send sound, even though it is not muted. This is not a connection issue, since the mic is on the same hardware device as the camera which is functioning normally. All troubleshooting attempts have failed. Please tell me what to do.

Tom Holloway

Answer 1

Hi,

Is it an internal microphone?

What is the laptop model?

Thanks

Answer 2

Try these steps in order on Windows 11:

1. Confirm the correct microphone is selected and working in Windows
   1. Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
   2. Under Input, in Choose a device for speaking or recording, select the microphone that is built into the camera device.
   3. Select the > button next to that device to open its properties.
   4. Under Input settings, select Start test, speak normally, then select Stop test and Play the recorded sample.
   5. If the recording is too quiet or silent, move the Input volume slider to the right and test again.
2. Check that apps are allowed to use the microphone
   1. Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
   2. Under Allow access to the microphone on this device, select Change and make sure the toggle is On.
   3. Make sure Allow apps to access your microphone is On.
   4. In the list under Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your microphone, turn On access for the app being used (for example, Teams, Skype, etc.).
   5. Ensure Allow desktop apps to access your microphone is also On if using a desktop app.
3. Make sure the microphone is the default input and not muted on the device
   1. In Settings > System > Sound, confirm the correct mic is selected under Input.
   2. If the camera/mic device has any physical mute switch or button, or a gain/volume knob, make sure it is turned on and turned up.
   3. If using a headset or external device, confirm its own mute button is not active.
4. Turn off audio enhancements and retest
   1. In Settings > System > Sound, select the microphone device, then look for Audio enhancements.
   2. Turn off any special enhancements, then run Start test again and listen to the sample.
5. Run the Recording Audio troubleshooter
   1. Go to Settings > System > Sound.
   2. Scroll down to Advanced and choose Input devices under Troubleshoot common sound problems.
   3. Follow the wizard’s recommendations.
6. Reinstall the audio drivers if the mic still fails tests
   1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
   2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
   3. Right-click the audio device associated with the camera/mic and select Uninstall device. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device (or Delete the driver software for this device) and select Uninstall. Repeat for any duplicate audio devices if needed.
   4. Restart the PC. Windows will attempt to reinstall audio devices and drivers automatically.
   5. If they do not reinstall, open Device Manager again, right-click Sound, video and game controllers, and select Scan for hardware changes.
   6. Once the driver is back, right-click it and select Update driver.
7. If using a Surface device
   1. Open Sound settings (or use the Open Sound settings link). Under Input > Choose a device for speaking or recording, select the correct input device.
   2. Ensure "Allow apps and Windows to use this device for audio" is allowed.
   3. Adjust Input volume and test the mic.
   4. If issues persist with a built-in mic, manually update or reinstall Surface audio drivers using the guidance in Download drivers and firmware for Surface.

If the microphone still fails the Windows sound test after these steps, the issue is likely with the microphone hardware on the device, and repair or replacement of the mic/camera unit may be required.

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References:

• Fix microphone problems
• Troubleshoot Surface sound and audio accessories
• I’m having sound problems in my audio or video call
• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
• Mic stopped working about a month ago - Microsoft Q&A
• Internal Microphone not detected - Microsoft Q&A
• Camera fails in Teams - Microsoft Q&A
• How to fix this. no audio device is installed - Microsoft Q&A
• My audio inputs and outputs suddenly disappeared, how do i fix this? - Microsoft Q&A