Laptop Not Recognizing Microphone

Brillyx

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Aug 19, 2014
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I have a Windows 7 HP Laptop with an audio problem.


As the title says, the laptop does not pick up my microphone, even when I plug it in.


There is only one jack on the laptop for microphones or headsets, and it's on the left side of the laptop. When I plug it in, the laptop lets me know that I've, "plugged an audio device into the jack", yet there is no trace of it in the recording options.


I first noticed this problem today, when I was in Audacity. I was recording some bass guitar playing thinking that the microphone was plugged in the whole time, only to find the wire unplugged on the ground. Upon further inspection, I realized that the actual laptop was recording my playing, which explains why the playback was so shoddy.


It seems that the laptop records sound through the two speakers on the bottom of the device, and when the microphone is plugged into the jack, no sound feedback comes out of the speakers.


Both disabled and disconnected devices are showing. There is an icon for a microphone in the left jack, and no matter what I do, that icon always stays in the "unplugged" position.


Can anyone help me out here? Why does the only jack on my whole laptop not work for microphone input? What's even the point of having it there if the laptop is just going to record through the built-in speakers? That makes zero sense.
 

Xtal_

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Oct 18, 2014
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It's either:
A faulty mic,
Your PC has the in built mic enabled rather than the mic you own
or you need to install the latest drivers
 

Brillyx

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It's not a faulty mic, it works with my desktop.


Even if I disable the built in mic, it still does not work.



How do I install the latest drivers?

 

Brillyx

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Update: I checked for sound drivers, and nothing came back. So just out of curiosity I plugged in another one of my mics, and what happened was the microphone icon that was always labeled, "unplugged" flashed as "plugged" for a few brief moments, and then it returned to, "unplugged." Tried replugging the mic in and out, and now it is stationary as unplugged.


What the hell? Is the jack busted or something?
 

Xtal_

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Oct 18, 2014
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Hmm probably busted yeah, consider getting a usb output extension or something
 

Brillyx

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Aug 19, 2014
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Alright well thanks for your help anyways.