Headset mic not working on exactly one computer

October 10, 2021 4:31 PM

My headset's microphone works perfectly with all computers except the one I use for most of my purposes. Other headsets do not work either. The headphone part works, but the microphone does not. I wasn't able to fix this with any troubleshooting I found online. I bought a new headset and THAT doesn't work either! So it's definitely a configuration problem. What's the issue?

The most common suggestions given by searches:

- Check sound devices to make sure microphone shows up / is enabled:
It doesn't show up. The only option is Microphone Array, which doesn't include audio from the headset.

- Reinstall audio drivers:
I've done this several times now to no avail.

The headset used to work on this computer, and I don't exactly know when it stopped working.

I'm on a Dell Inspiron, running Windows 10, fully updated as far as I can tell.

I don't have any standalone microphones to test, unfortunately.

posted by LSK to Technology (11 answers total)

Are these wired or wireless headsets? If wired, my guess would be that something has happened to the port that is making the headphone contact no longer work. Maybe try cleaning it out with some compressed air, or if it's not too hard to do, open up the computer and see if there's anything visibly wrong with it.
posted by primethyme at 4:33 PM on October 10, 2021

Can you tell us more about your headset(s)? Is it one that connects via a single headphone jack? Two headphone jacks? Or wirelessly over Bluetooth?
posted by Betelgeuse at 4:35 PM on October 10, 2021

Response by poster: It is a single headphone jack.

I don't have any compressed air or the ability to open up the computer but I don't think it's necessarily the port because this computer sits in a fixed location (even though it's a laptop) and I'm not sure how dust/dirt would get into the port.
posted by LSK at 4:37 PM on October 10, 2021

Best answer: You'll need to open the PC and make sure the microphone port's cable header is plugged correctly into the mainboard at the right position.

It's be something like this
posted by kschang at 4:39 PM on October 10, 2021

You don’t even need compressed air, just blow really hard into the port.

Loose material could have been carried in on a plug at some point.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:44 PM on October 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

Alternative solution: use an external audio card that plugs into USB port, and disable the built-in one.
posted by kschang at 4:45 PM on October 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

You could swirl a twisted paper clip / toothpick into the port to see if its plugged with lint as other posters have said .

I'd also lookup which model of Inspiron to see if the headphone port accepts mic models too, I would expect so, but you never know l.
posted by TheAdamist at 4:47 PM on October 10, 2021

Best answer: USB headphones are also a thing. I've got a set from MPOW which basically has its own USB adapter, a 3' cable from USB port to the volume-controller/mute gadget, into which plugs a traditional (though 4-terminal) 1/8" (aka 3.5mm) miniplug. I can remove the USB part and just plug the headphones directly in.

Since it sounds like you already have a lot of head phones, I'd get a USB soundcard; they're cheap and work great.
posted by Sunburnt at 5:52 PM on October 10, 2021 [1 favorite]

I had a gamer headset because it had good headphones and a good mike. Then when the company switched from Windows 7 to Windows 10, I could never get the microphone to put out a good sound. I had to turn the gain way up, which just added distortion.

I used a variation on Sunburnt's USB idea--add a USB to headphone/microphone jack adaptor. This way you avoid the PC sound system entirely and keep your headphone/mike. I used this relatively cheap one and the sound is great on the headphones and the microphone:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1376842-REG/creative_labs_70sb173000000_sound_blaster_play_3.html
posted by eye of newt at 10:54 PM on October 10, 2021 [2 favorites]

One more thing: most modern PCs can dynamically reconfigure the 3 audio input ports (headphone, microphone, line-in). Unplug everything, then plug it back in ONE at a time, in the order headphone, microphone, line-in, and see if the audio config manager comes up to let you reassign the ports properly.
posted by kschang at 11:26 PM on October 10, 2021

I had this problem with my Dell laptop. So have many other people I know. Dell and the internet don’t seem to think it’s a thing that exists. A year ago I fixed this with some combination of RealTek driver magic and settings tinkering. I’ve never been able to fix it again after the Windows update around April I think. I just switched back to Mac because it was bothering me so much.

There are USB headsets out there but note that many of them also require you to plug the audio jack in, even if they don’t say so. Ask me how I know.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:08 AM on October 11, 2021 [1 favorite]