In this day and age of virtual communication, your computer, headphones, and microphones are practically extensions for your body. They have become your eyes, ears, and mouth. You watch the world through the monitor, you hear through the headphones and you speak to the world with the mic. This is why one of the most difficult and anxiety-inducing situations for most people is having their computer not pick up the mic.
Most models of laptops have an internal microphone built into the device, and so the need to purchase a separate mic is not that high. For people who use desktop computers, however, a separate microphone is a necessity. Now, imagine you are in an extremely important conference call, and your mic will just not pick up. The thought itself is enough to give anyone a panic attack. 9 out of 10 times, the solution to your problem is very simple. In this article, we discussed few steps to guide you, If your computer not pick up the mic.
You can also read: How To Record Audio On PC Without Microphone
1. MAKE SURE THE MICROPHONE IS NOT FAULTY
First, we need to determine if the problem lies within the computer, or if it is just the microphone itself that is faulty. For that, what you are going to do is, connect the mic to another desktop or laptop, preferably one which uses a different version of the operating system as your own. If the microphone is not being picked up by the other computer as well, chances are it is damaged. If you are using a desktop computer, you could also try connecting the mic to the port at the back. The front port might be damaged. However, if your computer is a laptop, you can just skip to the next step.
2. RUN TROUBLESHOOTER ON WINDOWS
Troubleshooting refers to the process of identifying and solving problems within the hardware and software of your computer. It can also come in handy if one is facing connectivity issues. So this is exactly what we want to do.
Windows 10 incorporates a few troubleshooters that are specifically designed to diagnose as well as fix a variety of computer problems on its own. While troubleshooting cannot fix all problems, it is still helpful in identifying what is wrong.
In order to start the process, go to “Settings”. Type “Troubleshoot” and select the “Troubleshoot” option from the search results. Next, you shall find and select the “Recording Audio” option listed under the “Find and Fix Other Problems”. Now, click on “Run the Troubleshooter” and wait. Follow any instruction that appears on the screen. Check to see if the Windows Update Troubleshooter has fixed the external or internal microphone problem. You should also run the “Speech” troubleshooter.
3. ENSURE THAT THE MICROPHONE IS ENABLED IN YOUR DEVICE
It is not improbable for the reason behind your troubles to be something as simple as your computer having disabled the mic.
Make sure your mic is turned on in the Windows 10 operating system. It is likely that the mic is actually switched off, which would explain why it is not working. In order to check, you should go to Settings, find and click on “Privacy” to see if it is enabled in Windows.
Locate and select the “Microphone” option on the left pane of the Privacy settings panel. You should make sure that the toggle next to “Let apps use my microphone” is set to “On.” If you are using your microphone for a specific app, make sure you have given the app permission to use it. Locate the app in the list and double-check that the toggle is set to “On.” Check to see if this fixes the microphone problem.
4. SET THE MICROPHONE AS A DEFAULT DEVICE
Sometimes, a computer may have multiple mics or speakers connected to it and may require you to select a default device. Not selecting appropriate option will cause your computer not pick up the mic. Just because the external microphone is connected to your computer, does not mean it has been added as a default device. This is something you might have to do manually.
In order to do so, right-click on the speaker/volume icon, go to the menu and choose “Recording devices.”
Select the microphone in the Recording tab, then press “Set Default” to make it the default recording device.
If the recording devices list does not include a microphone, right-click on an empty space in the Recording tab window and select “Show Disabled Devices” and “Show Disconnected Devices.” The mic should now appear, and you can set it as the default system by following the steps outlined above.
5. REINSTALL OR UPDATE YOUR MICROPHONE DRIVERS
A device driver is a piece of software that tells the operating system and other software how to communicate with specific hardware. To reinstall microphone drivers, search for “device manager” and select “Device Manager” from the results. Double-click on “Audio Inputs and Outputs and select “Uninstall driver” from the contextual menu when right-clicking the recording system (your microphone). When you restart your device, Windows should automatically reinstall the missing drivers.
Right-click the recording system in Device Manager and pick “Update driver” from the contextual menu whether you want to update your drivers.
You’ll be asked if you want to automatically check for the modified driver software or browse the device for driver software. If you choose the first choice, Windows will look for the most recent driver software for your system on your computer and the Internet. You must manually locate and install drivers if you choose the second choice. This choice requires that drivers have been downloaded to the device or a USB flash drive.
Conclusion
If none of the above mentioned methods help your computer pick up the mic, you should try and seek out professional help from a technician. 9 out of 10 times, however, it does not get to that point.
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