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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77 Comments

  3. If you cannot find the Microphone Boost option and you still have problems with the microphone, you can try to use the Set up a microphone in control panel to try to set it up.

    Reply

    • dear amida168, i have bought recently a e430 working in Win7 but i cannot find the mic. the mic properties show that the mic is “disconnect” and i can’t connect it. can you help me pls? some people tells me that e430 doesn’t have mic.

      Reply

  4. What type of audio driver are you using?
    I cansee it is a realtek audio driver but i need to know is it the one compatible to Vista, Xp or Else

    Reply

  12. Hi, I tried this as I have a hp 1001 and the same thing happened when i installed windows. I can’t seem to find anything to work and fix this prob, the built in cam works fine it’s just the mic won’t work now, and help will be appreciated heaps thanks.

    Reply

  14. hi. Maybe this solution can help me.
    but i have a problem is that i can’t edit the Microphone Boost input table. can you help me? how can i do that?

    Reply

  15. I could see that my computer could here my voice. BUT, when I start using Skype or Yahoo Messenger, the applications won’t detect my voice

    Reply

  19. Ok, I tried this and my Microphone sound properties doesn’t have a Microphone Boost. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

    Regards,
    Mike Kelso

    Reply

    • hey, I don’t know if you got it figured out, but I was getting real pissed off cuz so many solutions said hit the mic boost button and I didn’t have it either. So here’s what I found. Instead of going to the levels tab, go to custom. There, you will find 2 boxes to check. Make sure mic2 select is unchecked. That fixed it for me.

      Reply

      • My Windows 7 does NOT have the CUSTOM tab and no Mic Boost anywhere. I am not a retard, and have used computers for 20 years. I am using Windows 7 Ultimate.

        Reply

  21. This settings really depends on the driver. I have found that not all the drivers have this option. You can try to see if you can find alternative driver for your device.

    Reply

  22. I couldn’t get my headphone mic to work in Windows 7 although it works perfectly on Vista and XP. I tried the above advice, moved the “boost” to 30dB
    but still no joy. However I tried Skype, (called the Test Server) and found it could not hear me (obviously) so I went to the settings (Tools – Options – Audio Settings) go to the Microphone settings and the small triangle on the right. Click it and it will reveal a few options. Mine had 5 options (Microphone – (High Definition Audio Device (2) ) worked for me. Just click any option and talk into the mike. As soon as you see the green bars going up and down, thats it!
    Job Done! Save the settings and enjoy. Hope this helps?

    Reply

    • Hi all,

      I have a DELL XPS 1530 and installed Win7 32 bit. My mic was not working, people couldnt hear me on Skype.
      After reading dozens of blogs are getting really angry, I finally found a blog that made sense.

      Go to control panel, and unistall the driver of the sounds and audio. Then without restarting your PC, go to DELL webpage and select your prior Vista 32 or 64bit model and download the audio drivers. Be carful to select the INTERNET EXPLORER option for download. I got this sigmatel drivers and I had to decrease the mic volume. IT WORKS more than needed!!!! However I called a test call in Skype and I could hear perfectly. Hope this helps.

      cheers
      Afer

      Reply

      • Thanks’ Afer,

        I had the same problem with Skype, I have a Samsung r519 and removed Win 7 audio mic drivers and reinstalled Vista drivers and it worked for me!

        Bec

        Reply

  32. i have a problem with my mic i had jus instaled windows 7 and i can find michrophone boost like i did before i also instaled audio driver but it dosent apears like before can someone help me? i have a soundmax bord

    Reply

  34. I bought a headset, it worked perfectly on windows xp, now that i bought a new laptop with windows 7, both the built-in mic and the headset sounds like a bee in a tin can, Help please. It also cuts in and out. Windows 7, What should i do?

    Context pebble high definition SmartAudio

    Reply

  36. Hi. My microphone works, but i’ve another problem with my microphone. When I say something, i hear my voice – my voise comes later – with 0.5 sec. So I can’t work.. please help – i’m on windows 7

    Reply

  38. I currently have windows 7, ad recently(2 days ago) I was recording with Cool Edit Pro like I have been doing for some time now. My vocals came out fine everything was like it always was. I saved my mix down, went out for a lil bit came back to record again and now all of a sudden im getting skipping when i record. I go to the sound options in the control panel check everything with my mic and it looks fine. I click the recording tab then click the listen tab and when i test my sound its skipping. Like its even skipping when i am not talking into the mic? Can someone help me out??

    Reply

    • If rebooting cannot fix the problem, you can try to reinstall the sound card driver. If reinstallation of the drive does not help, you might have faulty hardware. It’s either bad sound card or mic.

      Reply

  39. I bought a gateway GT5224 about 4 years ago, and I recently updated to Windows 7. The thing is that windows wont recognize my “line in”(the pink jack) and I really need it for recording. On windows xp it used to work perfectly, I don’t know why with windows 7 it wont even recognize it, and yes it’s plunged in correctly, and its not showing up when I right click and check on “show disabled devices” or “show disconnected devices”

    This is the only thing that show up [CHECK LINK]

    http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f301/extrapaxto/soundcard.png

    Please Help me!!!

    Reply

    • @swirl.. thousand thanks for you.. i spent one full day trying to solve the prob.. but with the link you gave.. made just a few clicks.. problem solved.. thanks again..

      Reply

  47. I’ve done this from the beginning only I’m having a bug, as in I have the slider up and it works for a while. At some (a.f.a.i.k. random) point i loose the effect but the slider is still all the way up. To fix it I have to move it (slider) up and down and then i have the effect again. Has anyone heard about this before and (preferably) know a solution?

    Reply

  48. Stop messing with settings. Device Manager, Realtek Audio under Sounds etc. Roll back driver to Microsoft. Do not use Realtek audio driver.

    Reply

  50. I did the following after trying LOADS of options!

    I went to the start menu of WINDOWS 7 on my SONY VAIO and I typed in recording audio

    This brought up a dialog box and i selected troubleshooting.

    This allowed me to select my inbuilt microphone and it detected the settings were not the default settings and asked if I would like to change them to default.

    I did this and placed a skye test call and now it works!!

    YAY!

    Reply

  51. Hi there,

    I’ve tried everything on here, but to no avail. I was wondering whether you knew which driver I needed for the Acer 5051AWXMi I’m having trouble with.

    Symptoms are that the mic is either very very quiet, or if you up the boost to 30db, there’s just a very loud feedback sounding whistle.
    It’s usable on 10db, but there’s enough background noise to annoy, and it’s only audible at 100%.
    As per usual, everything was perfect on XP pre upgrade.

    No worries if not, but you don’t ask, you don’t get and all that!

    Thanks for taking the time to help people for no reason.

    Pete

    Reply

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