Integrated Microphone Array Driver not reinstalling

[outis84]

Laptop encountered audio issues, so Device Manager reviewed and existing drivers uninstalled from "Audio Inputs and Outputs," "Audio Processing Objects (APOs)," and "Sound, video and game controllers" sections. After reboot, all drivers re-installed automatically/successfully except Integrated Microphone Array. As a result, System > Sound > Input continues to reflect "No input devices found" and microphone is unresponsive (audio-out works fine as all other drivers re-install each time attempted). Also attempted full laptop factory reset and windows re-install, issue persists. Review of HP driver downloads does not provide the option to download Integrated Microphone Array only, so how can this be resolved?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @outis84,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding !

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Try these steps:

Manual Driver Installation:

• Visit the HP Support website to find and download the latest audio driver specific to your laptop model.
• Install the driver manually by running the downloaded .exe file and following on-screen instructions.

Windows Update:

• Sometimes, Windows Update can find necessary drivers. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and run a check for updates.

Device Manager Manual Install:

• Open Device Manager.
• Right-click on "Audio Inputs and Outputs" and select "Add legacy hardware" from the "Action" menu. Follow the wizard to search and install the microphone driver.

Check for Hidden Devices:

• In Device Manager, click on "View" and select "Show hidden devices." This will show devices not currently connected but might reveal the microphone.
• If the Integrated Microphone Array appears, right-click and update or enable the driver.

Reset Audio Services:

• Open "Services" from the Start menu search.
• Find "Windows Audio" and "Windows Audio Endpoint Builder."
• Right-click each service and select "Restart."

BIOS Update:

• Check if there's a BIOS update available on the HP Support site. A BIOS update can sometimes resolve hardware recognition issues.

Test Microphone Settings:

• Go to Settings > System > Sound and ensure the microphone is not muted or volume is turned down.
• Try using Windows Troubleshooter for audio problems by clicking "Troubleshoot" under 'Sound' settings.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[outis84]

Posting this for anyone experiencing the same issue, but all of these suggested troubleshooting tips did not work. The only way I was able to resolve the issue and restore the microphone array was via BIOS boot from flash drive of factory default system restore (created when laptop came stock with Windows 10). If you did not create a system restore, unfortunately I'm not sure how you can resolve unless working further with a professional, potentially at-cost.

Not an IT professional myself, but I spent a combined 5-7 hours troubleshooting this issue (mostly out of curiosity). Most of the suggested resolutions were already known to me, I also found a few other manual tricks from similar reports. Quite frankly this should have been a relatively easy fix.

I believe the root cause of the issue is the upgrade from Windows 10 to 11, or a Windows update rolled out after that transition. If you manually delete your microphone array post W11 transition, there appears to be some form of conflict. Nature of the issue is compounded by none of the necessary drivers containing the microphone array being properly identified when using either the Intel or HP driver scan/install wizards, or further documented in the manufacturer specs. Windows Troubleshooter and updated BIOS/UEFI also appear to bundle all audio components together, so if your audio-out is working, but not audio-in, you'll never get to properly test/identify it.

If the HP team has any further insight or I'm dead wrong, feel free to post something more concrete. Wish I could provide a more technical answer for the street, but if learning anything from this experience (and prior), always create a system restore immediately with new hardware and always invest in an external hard drive for all of your core files. Good luck.