Laptop Microphone Not Working
Summary
Non-working microphones could affect applications such as 8x8 when trying to talk in meetings or any other application that requires the use of the laptop's built-in microphone. All applications by default will utilize the Windows microphone. External microphones will involve a driver that will install that could consequently change microphone settings. When this happens, it could cause applications not to see the microphone. Also, most laptops will have a hotkey that is preprogrammed to turn things on and off like the microphone, F4 key, you'll see a microphone icon. It will toggle the mute.
Instructions
Start by rebooting the computer. If rebooting doesn't fix the issue, try each step below until it works. If none of the steps don't work, please let IT know.
1. The first thing to check for is the hotkey. Most Dell laptops will have the F4 key (top row of the keyboard) as the MIC key. It will have an icon of a microphone. Pressing it should illuminate it. When it's illuminated, the MIC MUTE is on. To turn it off, just press the F4 key again and it should turn it off.
2. Check the Sound settings. Navigate to the search bar or magnifying glass in the lower-left corner of the screen and type the word "Sound". You will land on the Sound Settings page. Look for Input. Check to see if it's pointing to the correct device. Most users will have Realtek Microphone as the input. Some people may optionally have a headset.
3. If your MIC is on, you should see a blue bar moving around when you make a sound. If not, then it's possible the MIC has been disabled. If everything seems to appear correct, look at the privacy settings. Go to the search bar or magnifying glass in the lower-left corner screen and search for "Privacy". Click on "Privacy Settings". You will see options on the left side of the screen. Choose Microphone.
4. You will see several options for apps having access to the microphone. Ensure the app you are using is turned on.
There is a master toggle switch under Microphone called "Allow apps to access your microphone." If this is off, it will turn off all apps accessing the mic. Ensure this is on.
5. If the app you are using is on, then it's most likely the app that is causing the issue. You will need to open the app and look for a settings icon. Most will look like this.
6. Click on the icon to view the app settings. There will more than likely be a setting for the microphone. Look at the setting and make sure it's pointing to the MIC you are using. If it's the laptop MIC, it will most likely be Realtek.
If you confirmed in step 3 that the MIC is not working, then it's most likely the MIC has been disabled. It will need to be enabled.
1. Type "Sound" in search bar.
2. Click on "Manage sound devices".
3. You'll be on the "Manage sound devices" window. Look for "Input devices", and check for Microphone Array. Ensure it's not disabled.
4. If the above steps did not work, including driver updates, and application updates, it's most likely a corrupt driver. IT will need to uninstall and reinstall the audio driver from the computer.