my built in microphone is not working

Question

my built in microphone is not working

James Kochick 15

my built in microphone is not working it says its connected if i hit the mic button you can see the wave but it is not hearing my voice

Moved from: Microsoft Copilot | Windows Copilot | Copilot+ PC

Jonkely Cuevas 0 Reputation points

2026-10-11T19:36:38.48+00:00

I need help with mine, it is the mic array and I've asked copilot, seen tutorials and nothing, I've also done the troubleshooter but nothing, and sometimes when i try to do something it just disappears in device manager and only appear in show hidden ones, but it USED to work it just disappear from one day to another and now, i can't speak not in skype, zoom meetings and games. It is really frustrating. My hp model is HP Laptop 17-cp2xxx System SKU: 8D617UA#ABA and yeah, if you need any screenshots or anything to help you I'll be here, and if i don't answer (probably forgot about this place) my email is [Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed] text me if you see that i don't reply. So yeah, hope you can help me Clary-N🤞 And the email is without the spaces.
Jonkely Cuevas 0 Reputation points

2026-10-11T19:40:10.9766667+00:00

can you help with my comment, please?

i would love if you could actually help solve the mystery behind it.
Jonkely Cuevas 0 Reputation points

2026-10-11T19:47:09.9133333+00:00

And in device manager in the general tab it always says code 45
Clary-N 17,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-14T07:55:17.29+00:00

Hi Jonkely,

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

Thanks for adding the Code 45 detail. That actually gives us a much better clue.

If the Microphone Array disappears from Device Manager and only appears under Show hidden devices with Code 45, Windows is currently treating the device as not connected/detected. That would also explain why it isn’t available in Skype, Zoom or your games.

Since you’ve already tried the troubleshooter, I wouldn’t keep repeating that. Instead, could you check whether Device Manager > Action > Scan for hardware changes makes the microphone reappear? Also, please share a screenshot of Audio inputs and outputs and Sound, video and game controllers in Device Manager.

It would also help to know whether this started after any Windows, BIOS or driver update, and whether you’ve already installed the audio/chipset drivers specifically for your HP laptop.

Additionally, I won’t be able to reach you by email, but you can come back and reply here whenever you have a chance. Since the forum is public, I’d also remove your email address from the post.

Hopefully those checks will help us determine whether this is still a driver/detection problem or whether the internal microphone hardware itself needs a closer look.

2 answers

Your answer

Jonkely Cuevas 0 Reputation points

2026-10-11T19:36:38.48+00:00

I need help with mine, it is the mic array and I've asked copilot, seen tutorials and nothing, I've also done the troubleshooter but nothing, and sometimes when i try to do something it just disappears in device manager and only appear in show hidden ones, but it USED to work it just disappear from one day to another and now, i can't speak not in skype, zoom meetings and games. It is really frustrating. My hp model is HP Laptop 17-cp2xxx System SKU: 8D617UA#ABA and yeah, if you need any screenshots or anything to help you I'll be here, and if i don't answer (probably forgot about this place) my email is [Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed] text me if you see that i don't reply. So yeah, hope you can help me Clary-N🤞 And the email is without the spaces.
Jonkely Cuevas 0 Reputation points

2026-10-11T19:40:10.9766667+00:00

can you help with my comment, please?

i would love if you could actually help solve the mystery behind it.
Jonkely Cuevas 0 Reputation points

2026-10-11T19:47:09.9133333+00:00

And in device manager in the general tab it always says code 45
Clary-N 17,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-14T07:55:17.29+00:00

Hi Jonkely,

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

Thanks for adding the Code 45 detail. That actually gives us a much better clue.

If the Microphone Array disappears from Device Manager and only appears under Show hidden devices with Code 45, Windows is currently treating the device as not connected/detected. That would also explain why it isn’t available in Skype, Zoom or your games.

Since you’ve already tried the troubleshooter, I wouldn’t keep repeating that. Instead, could you check whether Device Manager > Action > Scan for hardware changes makes the microphone reappear? Also, please share a screenshot of Audio inputs and outputs and Sound, video and game controllers in Device Manager.

It would also help to know whether this started after any Windows, BIOS or driver update, and whether you’ve already installed the audio/chipset drivers specifically for your HP laptop.

Additionally, I won’t be able to reach you by email, but you can come back and reply here whenever you have a chance. Since the forum is public, I’d also remove your email address from the post.

Hopefully those checks will help us determine whether this is still a driver/detection problem or whether the internal microphone hardware itself needs a closer look.

Answer 1

Try this Windows path first:

Check that the mic is selected and actually receiving input.
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Under Input, select the built-in microphone.
- Speak normally and watch the test/input meter.
- If the meter does not react to voice, raise the Input volume.
Make sure microphone access is enabled.
- In Windows 10: go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Microphone.
- Turn on Allow apps to access your microphone.
- Also make sure Allow desktop apps to access your microphone is turned on.
Check that the microphone is not muted and is the default recording device.
- If the device has a mic mute key or headset mute button, make sure it is off.
- In Start > Settings > System > Sound, confirm the built-in mic is the selected input device.
Test outside the app.
- Open Sound Recorder or Voice Recorder and record a short clip.
- If playback has no voice, the issue is system-wide rather than app-specific.
Increase microphone level.
- In Windows 10: Start > Settings > System > Sound > Input > Device Properties.
- On the Levels tab of Microphone Properties, increase Microphone and Microphone Boost.
- Test again and confirm the line under Test your microphone moves when speaking.
Run the audio troubleshooter.
- In Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Recording Audio.
- In Windows 11: Settings > System > Sound, then under troubleshooting options run the sound/input troubleshooter.
If Windows still shows the mic but voice is not captured, reinstall the audio driver.
- Warning: uninstalling drivers can temporarily disable audio devices until Windows reinstalls them.
- Right-click Start > Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
- Right-click the audio device and select Uninstall device.
- Restart the PC.
- If Windows does not reinstall it automatically, return to Device Manager and select Scan for hardware changes, then Update driver.
If using a Surface device, adjust mic levels in the Sound control panel.
- Go to Start > Settings > Sound > Sound control panel > Recording.
- Select the microphone > Properties > Levels.
- Adjust Microphone and, if available, Microphone Boost.

If the input meter moves when tapping the mic but not when speaking, the most relevant checks are Input volume, microphone permissions, and Microphone/Microphone Boost levels.

Answer 2

Hi James Kochick,

Thank you for your post. Before trying anything else, please take a look at the AI Answer and let me know whether any of those suggestions help improve the microphone behavior.

I'd also like to better understand what's happening. You mentioned that Windows shows the built-in microphone is connected and you can see activity when pressing the microphone button, but it doesn't seem to pick up your voice.

Could you let me know:

What is the make and model of your device?
Which version of Windows are you using? You can press Windows + R, type winver and share the version and build number.
Does the issue occur in all apps or only in a specific app?
If you record a test using Voice Recorder, do you hear your voice when playing it back?

I'd also suggest checking whether any microphone enhancements or noise suppression features are affecting input detection:

Press Windows + R, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter.
Open the Recording tab and double-click your built-in microphone.
Under the Advanced or Enhancements tab (if available), temporarily disable any audio enhancements, noise suppression or audio effects.
Apply the changes and test the microphone again.

In addition, please check whether your device has any manufacturer audio software installed, such as Realtek Audio Console, Waves MaxxAudio, Nahimic, DTS Audio or Dolby Audio. These applications can sometimes control the microphone independently of Windows settings and may affect voice pickup even when the microphone appears to be working.

Once you have a chance to check those suggestions and provide the information above, I'll be happy to help you continue troubleshooting.

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Clary-N 17,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-19T07:51:01.2+00:00

Hi James Kochick,

May I know if you have got any chance to check my answer?

I am glad to help if you have any other questions.