Microphone stopped working and showing up as available in settings

[JakeB74]

Hello,

The microphone for my laptop has stopped working. It was working less than a week ago but is no longer accessible. When I checked my settings, it didn't even show up to be turned on. It is like the microphone has been removed from my laptop, somehow.

Jake

[Raj_05 · Accepted solution]

Hi @JakeB74,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like the microphone on your HP laptop might be experiencing hardware or driver issues. Here are some steps you can follow to troubleshoot the problem.

Check Device Manager:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.
2. Look for Audio inputs and outputs and expand the section.
3. See if your microphone is listed. If it is, check if there's a yellow triangle indicating a problem.
4. Right-click on the microphone and select Update driver. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

Enable the Microphone in Privacy Settings:

1. Open Settings by pressing Win + I.
2. Go to Privacy & security and then Microphone.
3. Ensure that Allow apps to access your microphone is turned on.
4. Check the list of apps to make sure the ones you want to use the microphone with have permission.

Check Sound Settings:

1. Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and select Sounds.
2. Go to the Recording tab.
3. If the microphone is listed here but not showing as active, right-click on it and select Enable.

Run the Audio Troubleshooter:

1. Open Settings by pressing Win + I.
2. Go to System and then Troubleshoot.
3. Click on Other troubleshooters.
4. Run the Recording Audio troubleshooter and follow the prompts.

Reinstall Audio Drivers:

1. Open Device Manager as described above.
2. Expand Audio inputs and outputs and right-click your microphone.
3. Select Uninstall device and confirm.
4. Restart your laptop, and Windows should automatically reinstall the drivers.

Check BIOS Settings:

Sometimes, hardware settings can be changed in the BIOS.

1. Restart your laptop and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, F10, or Delete during startup).
2. Check if there are any settings related to the microphone or audio hardware that might be disabled.

Hardware Check:

If none of the above steps work, it could be a hardware issue. Check if the microphone works with an external application or device.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[JakeB74]

Good morning, Alden4.

Thank you for the reply and assistance. Unfortunately, nothing suggested worked. Granted, I couldn't get the F2, F10, or Delete option to open BIOS, and will continue to attempt that. It's almost like the is no longer a microphone in the system, anywhere. The only place where "microphone" is even mentioned is under "Other Devices" and it has "Digital microphone device" but I couldn't find any available drivers to update. I'm dumbfounded.  I may reach out to my company Tech Support since we use Zoom and see if they can help unless you have any other ideas.

Kindly,

JakeB.

[RobA19]

Like JakeB74 this has not fixed my problem. In Device Manager the microphone has a yellow triangle next to it but when i click on update driver I get a message saying no driver available. Could this be clashing with the Realtek drivers that are installed. The microphone stopped working a few weeks ago suspiciously after a Windows 11 update!