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I've been using Microsoft Windows Vista for almost 6 months now, and recently transitioned my Media Center PC to Vista Ultimate. Everything has been working phenomenally and I am really pleased with the operating system! Security is vastly improved, sharing has taken it up to the next level, searching is much better, and it is much more visually appealing. However I have been running into a few annoying issues as of late, and it seems other people are having the same issues, yet no resolution. The main annoyance? Why does my microphone not work? I should re-state this, I mean the microphone itself works, and if I plug it into the microphone port and record, it works great. However, I cannot hear the microphone audio through my speakers... and I also have no option of turning it on through the new audio control panel.
As you can see below, the new design is great, and I love the ability to set audio levels for different applications! What a concept! However, I can’t set my microphone audio levels at all, nor can I un-mute its default state.
The new Volume Mixer in Vista
So I did some more poking around the control panel, and found out that my Microphone is definitely working, however, options have changed in Vista, and it seems I have no way of turning on my microphone to play through my speakers.
Sound Control Panel in Vista
Microphone Properties - Levels
Nothing to exciting in Levels either, all I can do is set it to 100, yet Vista still seems to want to not play anything through my speakers.
So why do I want to get things playing through my speakers from the microphone anyway? Well, on top of Karaoke which is a blast with friends (singshot.com and ksolo.com), I'm trying to learn Guitar and have a few programs that I need to hook up with my Line-In. However Line-In seems to have the same issue, no audio through speakers.
If anyone has a solution to this, please email me or post in our comments below! I'll post the solution to this issue as soon as I find a way to do it!
I just noticied this myself. Mic setup was working fine with Y!Messenger before the Vista installation. Afterwards, the mic level is so low that I can't be heard in voice conversations without yelling into the microphone. What gives Microsoft?
Posted by: Joseph | January 21, 2007 at 02:08 PM
Same problem, driving me nuts, installed new vista realtek ac97 audio drivers...but same problem!! grrrr! Hopefulyl someone will come up witht he fix soon I cant use my mic in game for bf2 :-(
Why wont the line in work??
Posted by: nzjono | February 03, 2007 at 10:47 PM
same problem here. Can't hear the mic through the speakers. and no way for unmuting the mic. Any solution !?
Posted by: Andrea | February 05, 2007 at 06:15 PM
Hey I found it! After about half an hour of desperate button pushing and knob tweaking, I managed to hear my microphone through my speakers. Here's how to do it: Right-click on the sound icon in the system tray and select Playback Devices (or alternatively, go to Control Panel and select Sounds). Once in the Sounds window, double-click the Speakers options, then go to the Levels tab, and there you'll find the available options. Why oh why did they make it so complicated?
Posted by: Adrian | February 05, 2007 at 11:39 PM
Thanks, I've been looking for this for ages. I don't think it's over complicated, just takes some lateral thinking. The option is in speaker levels because you want to either turn on or off the mic sound coming from the speakers, not nessecarily the mic itself :D
Posted by: Chris | February 13, 2007 at 01:39 AM
Andrea, You instructions helped me. Thanks
Posted by: Kaimynas | February 16, 2007 at 09:54 AM
I had the same problem. I am trying to feed TV tuner audio signal to Line In on the Sound Card. However, I didn't found any devices options under Speaker's levels tab except speaker itself. Anyone has any idea about what I should do?
Posted by: brandon | February 17, 2007 at 03:34 AM
same here. i have a dell with the latest SigmaTel drivers. there is no option to enable the line-in to pass through the speakers.
Posted by: Nate | February 24, 2007 at 03:52 AM
OH! Found it.
For everyone else...
Right click on the speaker icon in the tray.
Select "Recording Devices"
In the resulting dialog, make sure you have the "Recording" tab selected and in the middle of the empty area, right click and select "Show Disabled Devices".
Posted by: Colombiano | February 27, 2007 at 09:07 PM
That still didn't fix it for me. Still no audible sound coming through the line in and out the speakers.
Posted by: Kyle | March 01, 2007 at 11:38 PM
im having problems with my mic oon msn messenger - no one can hear me bu i know and have douclechecked that the mic is working. what is the problem it works with everything else but messenger . Grrrrrr
Posted by: richard | March 06, 2007 at 05:57 PM
Thank you to all that have replied! When I first tried the things documented here that worked for others, they didn't work for me. Specifically, the documenation about getting to the Levels tab and turning stuff on - I didn't have stuff to turn on. I also didn't have stuff to "Show Disabled Devices." What I wanted to pass on to others is that the driver built into Vista was inadequate. Everybody's specifics will vary, but for me, the onboard audio in the PC I'm getting my first view of Vista on is from RealTek. From the RealTek website I got better drivers and all is well now. I found the same to be true for graphics - until I got better drivers from Intel, the Vista provided drivers for my onboard graphics adapter wouldn't play video files. I had similar issues with XP drivers - MS's were no good and I needed to go to vendors for better suppport. I guess not enough changes in 5 years.
Posted by: NetReamer | March 12, 2007 at 08:24 PM
Hi all! I have a little different problem.I have nforce2 audio.When I use the original Vista driver everything is good and working,but only stereo. And when I use the Realtek AC97 driver (latest) my 5.1 is working so good. But if I try use skype or only click on the recording device my computer is broken. (audiodg.exe task up to 100%) :(
Somebody help me!!!!
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Posted by: transduction | March 26, 2007 at 01:31 PM
Have windows vista mic won't work with voicestick-any idea's anyone? Have tried numerous things and still nothing. Help!!!!
Posted by: Lisa | April 05, 2007 at 02:35 PM
i have same probleme.......how if we use the other program like power mixer for vista?hmmf......
regards,arif(indonesia)
Posted by: arif | April 06, 2007 at 01:58 AM
Guys,for those who have sigmatel ..Can i ask you to go to control panel-sigmatel audio...double clik.....and check on allow reconfiguration pop ups....and after checking reinsert the microphone .....the driver ask for some confirmation....press ok .....it should work now !! I recently resolved my issue with microphone and is happy now...I think most of you will be able to get rid of this issue....Good luck
Posted by: Gopiein | April 15, 2007 at 05:27 AM
Whoever wrote that last comment about checking the configuration popups....thank you very much! I was so frustrated and have been searching the net for a solution, and now I've found it. thanks
Posted by: Jacques | April 18, 2007 at 05:57 AM
The microphone is dead! Windows says it's working but i don't hear anything! I have sigmatel onboard!The "allow reconfiguration pop ups" is on! I reconnected the mic but the driver doesn't show anything! Not a window! Nothing! Sigmatel sucks! I think i will buy a different audio card!
Posted by: philips14c | May 01, 2007 at 07:14 AM
I'm currently using a dell with Sigmatel as well, however, I tried to follow the instruction that you gave, Gopiein, but it still didn't work... the allow reconfiguration pop up was checked and still the same thing happened. I am at a blunt here...
Posted by: ronald | May 11, 2007 at 01:18 PM
My microphone was suddenly not working. I have Vista with SigmaTel. After long search I found that I had disabled configuration popups of SigmaTel. You have to enable it for proper working of microphone. Enable it through Control Panel(Classic View)>SigmaTel Audio>Advanced tab>Check the box "Allow reconfiguration Pop-Ups".
Posted by: Saravanan | May 13, 2007 at 10:38 AM
I too was having similar problems with Vista and Sigmatel on a Dell laptop, working mainly with Dragon Naturally Speaking. The mic suddenly stopped functioning after working fine for two weeks. It might have been triggered by plugging the mic line-in into the headphone socket and the headphone line-out in the mic socket by accident - it's the only thing I did differently that might have caused a problem. Anway, working fine now that I re-enabled the configuration pop-ups. Thanks very much Arif and others.
Posted by: Ali | May 21, 2007 at 11:58 AM
OK! It seems that rear mic is working but the front one doesn't! I don't know who's fault is : Sigmatel, Intel or Microsoft! I use Windows Vista 64 Ultimate! BTW: I stick with my first post: Sigmatel sucks! Their driver support is close to zero!
Posted by: philips14c | May 31, 2007 at 08:16 AM
arif thanks!! i love u
Posted by: Duke | June 09, 2007 at 04:15 PM
Here's how I got it to work:
1. Right click on volume icon in system tray
2. Select "Sounds"
3. Select "Playback" tab
4. Double Click on "Speakers"
5. Select "Levels"
6. Click the "Input Monitor" button to un-mute it.
7. Adjust volume on input device and on speakers.
Done!
Posted by: coreynate | June 12, 2007 at 08:16 AM