Here we will explain the reasons and explore the top effective methods to Fix Microphone Not Working Windows 10 error:
With the advancement in technology and spike in the recent COVID cases, virtual/online meetings and conferences have become a very important part of our routine as well as professional lives.
But have you ever faced a situation when you have to present something on the screen and speak on the Microphone, but the Microphone stops working, and you are stuck in between? If yes, then do not worry, as we assure you, we will help in getting out of such situations efficiently by providing the required fixes.
In this article, we will discuss various ways which can help you fix the Microphone not working Windows 10 error.
What You Will Learn:
What Causes Microphone Not Working Error
There are various reasons which can be responsible for the Microphone not working Windows 10 error. You can find some of these listed below:
- System Compatibility: Various users connect the devices to their system without checking the compatibility of the device to the system. This might sometimes result in the Microphone not working error.
- Corrupted Drivers: Drivers make your system work smooth and efficient, but if the drivers are corrupted or are malfunctioning, then it can lead to device failure.
- Faulty hardware: There are chances that the hardware (earphones/headphones) that you are using are not of good quality, and therefore they do not work well with your system. This can also result in an error.
Test Microphone Windows 10 Settings
You must make sure that your system supports Microphone, and it has relevant settings to manage the Microphone. Follow the steps mentioned below to test Microphone Windows 10 settings in your system:
#1) Click on the ‘’Windows’’ button and then click on “Settings”.
#2) A dialog box will open as shown in the image below, then click on “Privacy“.
#3) Now, click on “Microphone” and then toggle the switch to “On” under the heading “Allow apps to access your microphone”.
Ways To Fix Microphone Not Working Error
There are various ways to fix Windows 10 Microphone not working error. These are explained in this section.
Method 1: Update Drivers
Drivers are very important for your system to make it work smoothly and efficiently as they allow the devices to sync with the system. Sometimes corrupted or outdated drivers can become the cause for various errors. Therefore, you must make sure that your drivers are updated to the latest version.
Follow the steps listed below to update your system’s drivers:
#1) Right-click on the Windows icon and further click on “Device Manager” as presented in the image below.
#2) Now, right-click on all drivers and click on “Update Driver“.
Now turn by turn, update all the drivers on the system.
Method 2: Check Connections
Sometimes the device might be faulty, or the cable connecting the device and the system may be broken. Therefore, make sure that the connection is correct and both the system and device are in good condition.
Method 3: Update Windows
Windows takes feedback as logs of errors from the users and provides updates for the system that contains the fixes to these errors. Therefore, you must first update your system as it can resolve numerous errors. Also, make sure that your Windows is updated to the latest version.
Method 4: Run Windows Troubleshooter
Windows has a feature to not only locate errors on your system, but it also recommends the fixes to these errors. The feature is called Windows troubleshooters. Various programs have various troubleshooters to locate errors in different programs.
Follow the steps listed below to run a Windows troubleshooter for Windows 10 Microphone not working:
#1) Open Settings, click on “Update & Security“.
#2) A window will open as displayed in the image below. Click on “Troubleshoot” and then select “Additional troubleshooters“.
#3) After performing the above steps, a window will open, as shown in the image below. Locate and click on “Speech“.
The troubleshooter will start looking for the errors, and when it finds them, then it will recommend the fixes for the same.
Method 5: Make Sure Hardware Is Compatible
Many times users purchase the most advanced and latest Microphones to connect to their system, but when they try to connect these Microphones to the system, they do not work because of the hardware compatibility issues with the system.
Therefore, you must always figure out what all devices are compatible with your system and then only purchase a specific device. This will ensure that your system’s software is compatible with the device that you have purchased.
Method 6: Uninstall VOIP Apps
Various applications ask for VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) permission, which allows them to prioritize the functions of the application more than the sound permission, and this might lead to Microphone not working in Windows 10.
Uninstall all such applications which ask for VOIP permission.
Method 7: Set Default Recording Device
Windows provides a feature to choose your default recording device on the system. This can be done using the Control Panel.
Follow the steps listed below to set the default recording device on your system:
#1) Press ”Windows +R” from the keyboard and type “Control Panel” and then click on “OK” as you can see in the image below.
#2) A window will open, as depicted in the image below. Click on the “Hardware and Sound” option.
#3) Under the heading Sound, click on “Manage audio devices“.
#4) A dialog box will open, as you can see in the image below. Make sure that your Microphone is tagged as the default device. Then click on “OK“.
Method 8: Disable App-Exclusive Control
There is a feature in a sound setting that allows the applications to take control of the device and hence change the system as per the suitable requirements of the application. This feature is known as exclusive control.
Follow the steps listed below to disable app-exclusive control in Windows 10:
#1) Press Windows +R from the keyboard and type “Control Panel“. Click on “OK” as in the image below.
#2) A window will open. Click on “Hardware and Sound“.
#3) Under the heading Sound, click on “Manage audio devices,” as presented in the below image.
#4) A dialog box will open. Right-click on Microphone and then select the “Properties” button.
#5) Under the heading Exclusive mode, make sure “Allow applicants to take exclusive control of this device” is unchecked. Now, you need to click on “Apply” and then select “OK” as depicted in the image below.
Method 9: Restart Windows Audio Device
Windows allows its users with the features to restart the devices from the system.
Follow the steps listed below to Restart the Microphone on Windows 10:
#1) Make a right-click on the Windows icon and then click on “Device Manager” as you can see in the below image.
#2) Now, right-click on Microphone and then select “Disable Device” as shown below.
After disabling the device, enable the device, and this might fix the error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) How do I fix my Microphone on Windows 10?
Answer: There are various ways to fix the Microphone and some of them are listed below:
- Update drivers
- Manage device in the control panel
- Update Windows
- Check Device
- Disable Exclusive control
Q #2) Why is my Microphone not working?
Answer: There are various reasons which can be responsible for this. Some of these reasons are:
- Corrupted Drivers
- Faulty devices
- Broken connections
Q #3) Why is my computer not picking up my mic?
Answer: There can be various reasons responsible for it, but you can fix this error by following any of the methods listed below:
- Updates drivers
- Check connection
- Restart audio device
- Set Microphone as a default recording device
- Uninstall VOIP applications
Q #4) How do I fix my Microphone on a computer not working?
Answer: There are numerous ways to fix your Windows Microphone. These include:
- Run Troubleshooter.
- Update System
- Set Microphone as default device
- Make sure connections are tight.
- Check the device.
Q #5) How do I unmute my mic on Windows 10?
Answer: Your keyboard has an unmute button, press that button, and your mic will be unmuted. You can also click on the sound option on the right hand of the taskbar and click on it to unmute.
Conclusion
Microphones have become one of the essential devices in our daily devices and have come a long way as earlier they were known as megaphones and were much bigger. As the use of Microphones has increased a lot over the past few years, the chances of getting errors while connecting them with the system have increased drastically.
Therefore, in this article, we have discussed various ways to fix the Microphone not working on Windows 10 error and even learned about how to test Microphone Windows 10.