Microphone Problem under Windows 7 and Vista

January 14, 2009 amida168 MacBook, Windows 98

After I installed the Realtek audio driver on my MacBook under Windows 7 Beta, I could hear music just fine. However, I found that I could not record anything through the microphone. I checked my other MacBook under Vista, and the microphone didn’t work, either. I checked another laptop with Windows 7 Beta, and still, the microphone did not work. I then realized that none of the built-in microphones under Vista and Windows 7 Beta worked.

Some tweaking about the microphone properties got it to work. Here are the steps:

  1. Click on Start (the Windows icon) and type sound.
    w7-sound
  2. Click on Sound under Control Panel.
  3. Click on Recording tab. Select Microphone and click on Properties.
    w7-sound-2
  4. Click on Levels tab. The default Microphone Boost is set to 0. Increase it.
    w7-sound-3

Close all the dialog boxes, and the microphone will be ready for use.

[Note: Not all drivers have this settings. I have tested this on Realtek and Sigmatel drivers]

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  • Fuck this game.

    Ok this thing is fucking pissing me off, i have the right drivers everything for my sound card, tried realtek, tried rolling back to microsoft drivers, wtf is going on why the FUCK wont my mic work, RAGE RAGE RAGE, its so annoying.
    I have tried all the drivers in this thread. Everything
    running it on a dg965ss board. someone atleast shed me some light been trying to fix this for like 2 weeks now its starting to really piss me off. i goto the set up a mic feature and my comp wont hear me either, and in the settings that you have i only have like digital audio (s/pdif)
    thast the only thing thats showing in my volume control options, it picks up my headphones etc plays music n everything else fine thru them but cant talk etc record or anything,

    • amida168

      The dg965ss has SigmaTel STAC9227 sound card. It’s not supported on Windows 7. You could try Vista’s driver though.

      Since this is a desktop, you could just buy a cheap sound card which is supported by Windows 7.

      • Fuck this game.

        i tried the sig drivers and everyhing they said they were not compatiable with this system the only one i got to work was the some IDT sound board, but i got my mic working, but still i can bearly hear my own voice it keeps going BEEP BEEP and all static then i hear very quietly in the background what i just said as if to repeat myself etc, any other solutions for fixing this? iv tried boosting the mic etc cant think of anything else.

  • Suman

    Thanks a lot. It woked for me

  • jenny

    thank you very much! worked for me too

  • Kiko

    Yea, in windows xp anyone who had more than 3 gb of ram, microphone wouldn’t work. Microsoft never took care of the problem. Not sure if that’s the case in win7..

  • Fahad

    It worked!!! Horraay = D, Thaaanx ALOT really appreciate it!

  • R

    YEAH – IT DOES SUCK – FIRST THEY NUKE OUR COMPUTERS-
    THEN FORCE US TO BUY NEW COMPUTERS THAT DO NOT EVEN WORK!
    YOU ARE NOT ALONE PEOPLE!!!! –
    STAY AWAY FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE!

    THINGS THAT DO NOT SUCK FOUNDATION

    (NOT JUST A MEMBER – I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT)_

  • Despina

    thanks for your helpful information .
    however when i open the sound and then recording no micro phone appears to me only the line in what can i do then?

    • amida168

      Your microphone might not be installed correctly. You’ll have to find the right driver and install it.

      • Huzaifa

        How to install microphone drivers

  • alpesh

    but it gives some unknown sound as well… and that’s really too much…so what should i do??

  • Unhappy

    Microsoft Windows 7 sucks at microphone updates

  • box

    The same problem with the microphone – it dosn’t work at wall, and I was expert in XP, but it sucks me a lot in w7… It’s for a half year now as I hav w7, and I stil not hav my mic working………….. VERY ANNOING!!!

  • Realtek

    I solved the problem!
    Go to realtek web site, then driver/utilities and download drivers for win7. After installing these drivers, mic will work!

    http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

  • Surinder Singh

    i did same …. i m able 2 use mic.. in system … in recrding but not able 2 use in yahoo ,skypee and and msn …. dont knwo wt’s going on ?

  • Ken

    I could give you all the convential ways of trying to fix it from an external mixer to a new pci slot sound card. But no matter what you do most likely its in the design of the motherboard and you have an onboard soundcard. I can probably help walk you through the shortest routes to getting or testing to see if your pc has the capability to record. There are virtual soundcards. Software that promises to repair and install the correct drivers. Botton line is if your on Windows Vista or 7. Click your sound speaker to bring up mixer. Right click on mixer panel then check the box to show all disabled devices. Enable stereo mix but do not make it the default sound device until nothing left to try. Click properties on microphone and set levels as high as they will go. Then try recording with the mic. If this fails your motherboard, onboard soundcard setup etc are out of sync and screwed up from the manufacture. Most likely you have a reburbished pc.

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