You can not be heard! Why is the microphone not working?

Sooner or later in the life of every PC user, hardware problems arise. Whether it’s some kind of board or peripherals, but breakdowns happen. And one of the most unpleasant breakdowns for people leading an active network life is a microphone malfunction. At one point, it “cuts off" the user from communication, limiting him exclusively to text chat. You can forget about Skype and other VoIP chats. And just shouting at a negligent companion in a multiplayer game will no longer work. So why is the microphone not working, how to fix it and how to avoid most breakdowns? We will talk about this.

Why can the microphone "fail" and what to do?

• Most often it breaks at the physical level. The wire is excessively bent – and now there is a break, they caught on and unsuccessfully pulled the microphone out of the socket – and there is no socket or plug. And how often the microphone itself stops working, especially the one built into the headphones – and it’s not worth saying, this is the most common breakdown based on a sloppy attitude. Sometimes sound card drivers fail. Then the device simply stops working at the system level.
• So, your input device is not working. First of all, test it on another computer. If it works there, then the problem is in your sound card. Update the drivers by downloading the latest version from the manufacturer’s website. Now you can check it out. If it still doesn’t work, then it’s the sound card. It’s time to install a separate board (if you have an integrated one) or change an existing one.
• Let’s consider another option. The microphone did not work on another computer either. This suggests that the problem is in the device itself. Make sure the socket on your computer is intact by inserting a known working microphone here. If it doesn’t work either, then you have serious problems – both the board and the device itself failed. Otherwise, we begin "resuscitation". To do this, check all wires for external signs of physical damage. If the wiring is not damaged, you will have to disassemble the microphone. Just be careful not to break the body. It is quite fragile, especially on cheap models. We are interested in "broken" wires. If there are any, then we take a soldering iron and fix it in place. For a more thorough analysis and subsequent repair, certain knowledge will be required, so it is better to trust the professionals … well, or replace it.

Skype microphone not working

There is another unpleasant reason for a microphone malfunction. Problems at the program level. Why is the microphone not working on Skype? If the system is detected normally, but does not work in Skype. Here are two options:

• the microphone does not work at all;
• either works, but with strong noises.

In case Skype does not see your microphone, go to the control panel -> sound -> recording. This window displays all available input devices. Finding an active one is quite simple: next to each device there is a scale showing the signal level, and the microphone that is active shows a certain level, while the rest remain static. Remember the name of the device and go to the Skype settings. We need the "Sound Settings" tab, or rather the "Microphone" item. From the drop-down list, select the device whose name you remembered in the previous paragraph. Check with Echo Sound Test. Still not heard? Then go back to the "Record" item in the control panel, double-click on the active microphone, go to the "Levels" tab and turn up the microphone volume and gain. Repeat until

In this case, we do the opposite – we lower the indicators until we reach the optimal values. This completes the microphone setup in Skype. By the way, you can configure other VoIP clients in the same way, working on a similar principle.

I have a laptop, what should I do?

Most of the inconvenience in diagnosing the state of the microphone is experienced by laptop owners. They cannot test it as easily as desktop users. In order to check the device, you will have to disassemble it and check the board according to the technical documentation for your laptop model. But be careful – putting the laptop back together is not so easy, and the warranty will be lost forever. So you should limit yourself to drivers – check if all the drivers are installed on the sound card, update them to the latest version and try again. Most of the time the problem will be solved. But in extreme cases, you can use an external microphone. The effect is the same, and the risks are minimal.

"Reanimate" headphones with a microphone

This type of microphone is more susceptible to adverse effects than others. Here are the most frequent ones:

• Not connected or connected incorrectly. Check the connection: both plugs must be inserted into the sockets, with the microphone plug inserted into the pink socket.
• Broken wire near plug. It is diagnosed quite simply: move the plug, and if at some point the device is detected by the system, then there is a gap. In this case, replacing the plug will help. The simplest and most linear option is to take a donor device, cut off the plug from it and solder it with a wire from your microphone. If after that the microphone worked, then you did everything right.
• Broken wire in the area of ​​​​the microphone itself. If the plug is working, then you should check the wires near the microphone. We have already described how this is done above.
• Drivers are not installed, or the device is disabled at the hardware level. The most common and easily solved problem. Install the latest drivers, make sure the device is enabled and active in the list of input devices. This is indicated by a checkmark next to the device name.

Preventive measures

And finally, a few tips to extend the life of the microphone.

• do not pull it out of the nest too abruptly;
• try not to pull the wires;
• don’t bend it too hard. Even a protective corrugation may not save from damage;
• avoid exposure to moisture on the microphone;
• keep your drivers up to date.

Stick to these rules and your microphone will serve you for a long time.