no input for sound

Question

no input for sound

athena moore 20

Settings 8_6_2026 11_29_09 PM.png 8_7_2026 5_40_30 AM

my audio output works perfectly fine but no matter what the laptops input mic will not work. i have tested it on other apps and sites and even tried with a headset or earbuds that worked before this issue but yet still no audio input.

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Answer accepted by question author

Ivan B 123.5K Independent Advisor

Hi,

Go to Start menu > Settings > System > Sound > Scroll down to More sound settings > Recording tab > Right-click on the white area, check the option "Show disconnected devices" and "Disabled" and see if the microphone driver is enabled and enable it.

If that doesn't work:

Are you referring to the laptop's internal microphone?

In that case, search for msinfo32.exe in the search bar, take a screenshot, and post it here so we can see the correct laptop model or desktop configuration.

Access Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers, take a screenshot and post it here.

Thanks

athena moore 20 Reputation points

2026-08-07T18:07:14.0966667+00:00

thank you! i tried doing this earlier and had issues, i guess i didn't consider disconnected devices. it seem to be working now so hopefully it doesn't act up again later. thank you for the advice

1 additional answer

Your answer

athena moore 20 Reputation points

2026-08-07T18:07:14.0966667+00:00

thank you! i tried doing this earlier and had issues, i guess i didn't consider disconnected devices. it seem to be working now so hopefully it doesn't act up again later. thank you for the advice

Answer 1

Since audio output still works, focus on input device detection and Windows sound settings:

Check that the input device is enabled.
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Under Advanced, select More sound settings.
- Open the Recording tab.
- Select the microphone device, then Properties.
- Next to Device usage, make sure Use this device (enable) is selected.
Check that the microphone is not muted in the mixer.
- Right-click the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
- Select the arrow next to the speaker volume slider.
- Select the settings icon next to the Volume mixer slider.
- Make sure the input device is not muted.
Run the Windows audio troubleshooter.
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- In the Audio section, select Run.
Turn off audio enhancements for the audio device.
- Go to Start > Settings > Sound.
- In Output, select the audio device in use.
- Scroll to Advanced settings.
- Set Audio enhancements to Off.
If using a wired headset mic and the laptop only shows speaker output, check whether the headset mic is being recognized at all.
- In Settings > System > Sound, see whether any input device appears besides the built-in microphone.
- If only a Realtek microphone or Stereo Mix appears, the headset mic may not be getting recognized.
- If Realtek Audio Console is installed, check for Connector Retasking and switch the analog input from Headphone to Headset.
Reinstall or roll back the Realtek audio driver.
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
- Uninstall the Realtek audio driver, then restart.
- Install the latest audio driver from the laptop manufacturer.
- If the newest driver does not help, try an older OEM driver version.
If this is a Surface device, also run the automated audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app and make sure nothing is blocking the microphone openings.

If both the built-in mic and previously working wired headset mics are missing as input devices, that usually points to the audio driver or device detection rather than an app-specific problem.