USB microphone is detected my windows 11, but it is not picking up any audio whatsoever.

Mateo Zuluaga 0 Reputation points
2026-11-07T01:44:55.4566667+00:00

My Razer Siren Mini (plug-and-play USB mic) is being recognized by windows 11, but it picks up absolutely zero audio.

The Microphone works perfectly fine as I tested it on a remote laptop, and I booted my main PC into an Ubuntu Live USB, and the mic works there as well. This leads me to believe it is strictly a Windows 11 OS/driver issue on my computer.

The mic shows up in Device Manager and Sound Control Panel, but the green volume bar never wants to move. When I go to "mmsys.cpl > Properties > Advanced" and try to change the sample rate to 44100 hz from 48000 hz, Windows gives me this error: "Format not supported by the device."

Here is everything I have tried so far:

-Checked Privacy/Security permissons (Mic access is ON). Disabled exclusive control and audio enhancements. Unplugged all my other peripherals. Tried every single USB port on my computer.

-Disabled USB Selective Suspend. Uninstalled all USB root hubs in Device Manager and then restarted windows to re-install them.

-"sfc/ scannow" and "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" in command prompt were no use.

-Created a brand new local admin account and tested it for profile corruption.

-Updated my bios (I have an MSI PRO B660M-A CEC WIFI DDR4 V2 motherboard)

-I even bought a USB data hub and plugged my mic into that, then into my pc. AND IT STILL DOESN'T DETECT ANY AUDIO!!!!!

Here is some context that could matter in this case:

In mid october of this year, I had to do an in-place repair installation of Windows 11 because my Microsoft store was acting up and I couldn't uninstall any apps at all through my settings. I suspect that the repair install did something to my USB audio class drivers or audio endpoint registry.

Any help would be appreciated cuz I just want my microphone to work :(

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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  1. Clary-N 18,950 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-07T08:15:34.3266667+00:00

    Hi Mateo Zuluaga,

    Thanks for providing such a thorough list of what you’ve already tested. Since the microphone works on another computer and also works on this PC under Ubuntu, the microphone itself and the physical USB connection appear to be fine. This points more toward the Windows audio service, chipset driver or another audio program interfering with the input.

    Could you confirm a few details?

    • What Windows version and OS build are shown when you run winver?
    • Does the built-in Sound Recorder app also record complete silence?
    • Do you have any virtual audio software installed?
    • Did the microphone stop working immediately after the repair installation or did it continue working for some time afterward?

    As an additional check, press Win + R, enter services.msc and restart both Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. Confirm that their startup type is set to Automatic, then test the microphone again in Sound Recorder.

    If it is still silent, I would try a clean boot next to rule out an audio-filter conflict.

    *Disclaimer: A "clean boot" starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. 

    These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by-step so that it will help you get back on track. 

    It would also be worth installing the latest Intel chipset and related motherboard drivers for the exact MSI PRO B660M-A CEC WIFI DDR4 V2 model, since a USB microphone depends on the USB controller rather than the regular analog audio driver.

    Let me know what you find from those checks, especially the winver details and Sound Recorder result.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-07T01:45:15.1366667+00:00

    Since the microphone is detected in Windows 11 but the input meter never moves, focus on Windows microphone settings and the audio driver stack rather than the USB ports. Based on the steps already tried, use this path:

    1. Verify microphone access again in the exact Windows 11 location:
      • Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone
      • Confirm Microphone access is On
      • Confirm Let apps access your microphone is On
      • Confirm Let desktop apps access your microphone is On
    2. Test the mic from Windows Sound settings instead of only mmsys.cpl:
      • Start > Settings > System > Sound
      • Under Input, select the Razer microphone
      • Under Input settings, select Start test, speak normally, then Stop test and Play
      • If the recorded sample is silent and the input meter does not move, continue with driver reinstallation
    3. Reinstall the audio drivers in Device Manager:
      • Right-click Start > Device Manager
      • Expand Sound, video and game controllers
      • Right-click each audio device listed there and select Uninstall device
      • Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device when available
      • Repeat for other audio devices in that section
      • Restart the PC
      • After restart, if devices do not fully return, open Device Manager, right-click Sound, video and game controllers, and select Scan for hardware changes
      • Then right-click the audio driver and select Update driver
    4. If the normal driver path still fails, switch to the generic Windows audio driver:
      • In Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers
      • Right-click the audio device > Update driver
      • Select Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer
      • Select the audio device/driver offered by Windows and complete the install
    5. If this started after Windows changes or updates, roll back the audio driver:
      • In Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers
      • Right-click the audio device > Properties > Driver tab
      • Select Roll Back Driver if available
      • Follow the prompts and restart
    6. Make sure Windows is fully updated and then restart again:
      • Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates
      • Install available updates
      • Restart the PC
    7. If Windows still detects the mic but captures no audio, run the automated audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app. Microsoft specifically recommends this for Windows 11 audio detection problems.
    8. If the issue began after the repair install and none of the driver steps help, use System Restore if a restore point exists from before the problem started. This can undo driver or system changes affecting audio.

    About the “Format not supported by the device” message when changing from 48000 Hz to 44100 Hz: that indicates the device does not support that format in the current Windows driver path. It does not by itself prove the microphone hardware is bad.

    References:

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