Have you noticed that your internal microphone in Windows 10 isn’t working properly? You’re not alone, so don’t worry. This is a rather common blunder, and it’s typically not difficult to fix.
We’ve provided three viable solutions that have shown to be beneficial to a large number of consumers. It’s possible that you won’t need to try all of them; simply work your way down the list until you discover one that works for you.
Fix 1: Update your device drivers
Fix 2: Set microphone as default device
Fix 3: Re-enable microphone in Device Manager
Fix 4: Modify privacy settings
Fix 1: Update your device drivers
If your mic stopped working after you installed Windows Updates, it’s conceivable that the drivers you’re using (specifically the sound card driver) are out-of-date, missing, or incompatible with your system. If you’re not sure if all of the drivers are up to date, you should double-check.
You can do this one device at a time in Windows Device Manager. However, this takes a lot of time and patience, and if any of your drivers are out of current, you’ll have to update them manually, which is tough and dangerous. If you don’t have the time, patience, or computer skills to manually update your device drivers, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically detect your system and locate the appropriate drivers. You don’t need to know what operating system your computer uses, you don’t have to worry about downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t have to worry about making a mistake during installation. Everything is taken care of by Driver Easy.
With either the FREE or PRO version of Driver Easy, you can update your drivers automatically. It only takes two clicks with the Pro version (plus you receive full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee):
1) Download Driver Easy and install it.
2) Launch Driver Easy and select Scan Now from the menu. After that, Driver Easy will check your computer for any problematic drivers.
3) Next to all highlighted devices, click the Update button to automatically download the latest version of their driver, which you can then manually install (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or, if you have the Pro version, click Update All to automatically download and install the right version of all missing or out-of-date drivers on your system (you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).
Note: If you have any issues updating your driver with Driver Easy Pro, please contact us at support@drivereasy.com. We are always willing to assist.
Method 2: Set microphone as default device
Because your microphone is unlikely to be selected as the default device, the sound will not be played through it. To make your microphone the default, go through the steps below:
1) In the notification area of your taskbar, click the sound icon. Then select Open Volume Mixer from the drop-down menu.
2) Go to System Sounds and select it.
3) Select the Recording tab, right-click an empty place within the devices’ display list, and then select Show Disabled Devices to ensure that your microphone device appears.
4) Select your microphone by clicking it, then select Set Default > Default Device.
Note: It’s possible that your mic device isn’t labeled as a “Microphone,” and the icon for it doesn’t even look like a microphone. You should be able to identify it on your own.
You may also check if the mic item is disabled by right-clicking it. If it is, choose Enable to activate your microphone.
5) Click once more to highlight your microphone. This time, select Properties from the drop-down menu.
6) Check to check if your microphone is muted in the Levels tab. If this is the case (as indicated in the screenshot), unmute your microphone by clicking on the small speaker icon. When you’re finished, click OK.
7) To save all of your changes, click OK.
Check to ensure if your microphone is in good working order. If it isn’t, please proceed to the next step, which is listed below.
Fix 3: Re-enable microphone in Device Manager
When your internal microphone stops working, this is a quick but effective fix. To disable and then re-enable the microphone device in Windows Device Manager, simply follow the procedures below:
1) To open the Run dialog box, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time on your keyboard. Then, in the Run box, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2) Double-click the Audio inputs and outputs entry in the pop-up window and select your microphone device from the drop-down list.
3) Select Disable device from the right-click menu of your microphone.
4) Hold your breath for a few moments. After that, right-click your microphone once more and select Enable device.
Check to verify if your microphone has returned to its original position.
Fix 4: Modify privacy settings
It’s possible that your microphone privacy settings have been reset as a result of a Windows Update or other system activities. If this is the case, your microphone may be unable to function normally. Here’s how you may verify and change these settings:
1) To open the Settings window, hit the Windows logo key and I at the same moment on your keyboard. Then choose Privacy.
2) In the results pane, click Change on the Microphone tab to see if the toggle for Microphone access for this device is set to Off. If that’s the case, simply turn it on.
Allow apps to access your microphone is another setting located below. If it’s been turned off, turn it back on.
3) Go to Choose which apps can access your microphone and scroll down. Make sure that all of the apps you use have access to the microphone.
In this video, we are gonna show you how to fix Microphone not working on Windows 10:
Hopefully, this information was helpful in resolving your microphone problems. Please leave a comment if you have any further questions or thoughts. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
