Realtek(R) microhone suddenly stopped working

[Canadam]

I logged into a virtual meeting yesterday, and the built-in microphone was not working. 

The last virtual meeting I had was 2 weeks ago, and everything worked perfectly. Now, I can't use the built-in microphone for meetings or recording videos. My external microphone (which I rarely use or even plug in) still works via USB. 

So far, I have: 

1) Updated all the drivers (uninstalled and reinstalled as well)

2) Made sure the microphone is the primary input device

3) Made sure the volume settings are on and up high

4) Tried using headphones in the audio-jack (didn't work either)

5) Tried recording on multiple platforms (didn't work)

6) Tried recording a video with just background noise (didn't work)

OS: Windows 11

Device: HP Pavilion x360 Convertible 15-er1008ca

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Canadam,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

If your Realtek microphone on the HP Pavilion x360 15 Convertible PC (15-er1000) suddenly stopped working and you've already tried updating drivers, setting it as the primary input device, checking volume settings, and other basic troubleshooting steps, here are some additional solutions you can try:

Run the Audio Troubleshooter:

• Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
• Find and run the Recording Audio troubleshooter to identify and fix any common issues.

Check Privacy Settings:

• Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
• Ensure that Microphone access is turned on.
• Make sure apps you’re trying to use (e.g., Zoom, Teams) have permission to access the microphone.

Disable Audio Enhancements:

• Right-click on the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Sounds.
• Go to the Recording tab, select your microphone, and click Properties.
• Under the Enhancements tab, check the box for Disable all sound effects or Disable audio enhancements.
• Click Apply and OK.

Check Microphone Levels and Format:

• Go back to the microphone properties under the Levels tab and ensure the microphone volume is up and not muted.
• Under the Advanced tab, change the Default Format to a different sample rate (e.g., 16-bit, 44100 Hz) and test if the microphone starts working.

Please find the remaining steps in the next post.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Canadam,

Please find the remaining steps below.

Reset Audio Services:

• Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder services.
• Right-click each service and select Restart.

Check Device Manager for Hidden Devices:

• In Device Manager, click View > Show hidden devices.
• Expand Sound, video and game controllers and Audio inputs and outputs.
• If any hidden or disabled microphone devices are listed, right-click and enable them.

Inspect Hardware Connections:

• If possible, check that the internal microphone connection is secure. Sometimes, the microphone connection inside the laptop can become loose.
• If you're comfortable, gently tap around the microphone area on the laptop to see if there's any intermittent response which might indicate a loose connection.

Test in Safe Mode:

• Restart your laptop in Safe Mode with Networking:
  • Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now.
  • After the restart, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  • Press 4 or 5 to enter Safe Mode.
• Test the microphone in Safe Mode to see if it works, which can indicate if a third-party application or service is causing the issue.

BIOS Update:

• Check if there's a BIOS update available for your model on the HP Support website. Sometimes, updating the BIOS can resolve hardware-related issues.

Reinstall Windows:

• As a last resort, if all other steps fail, consider reinstalling Windows. Make sure to back up your data first, as this step will reset your system.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it might be a hardware failure of the internal microphone. In such a case, contact HP Phone Support for repair options. 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.