Problem using microphone on certain applications

benjaminlee · Aug 11, 2023

Hello, I've been having a problem where my laptop's internal microphone does not work on certain applications. Programs are able to detect my microphone and connect to it but does not receive any inputs from the mic when testing. However, I am able to use the microphone on google chrome for some reason. With discord, the microphone works on the web browser version of discord while not working on the downloaded program itself with identical settings.

I have tried reinstalling the programs that are having this problem, reinstalling my microphone driver, checked access permissions, turned the microphone off and on again from sound settings, and tried windows troubleshooting. I have also tried using an external microphone which does seem to work. I have a feeling that the issue is permissions related since the mic does work for chrome but I have double checked that permissions are granted to applications.

On the web browser version of Discord:

On the desktop application version:

glasskuter · Aug 11, 2023

benjaminlee said:
I have also tried using an external microphone which does seem to work.

Looking at that screenshot, it would appear the external microphone is marked headset microphone and was connected to Realtek (when it was plugged in and working)
Is that correct?
Yet your default device that is not working in all apps is marked Microphone Array and is using Intel Smart Sound. I believe your issue to be with Intel Smart Sound and the apps you are trying to use.
A web search shows many laptop users reporting the same issue, all with Intel Smart Sound.

Read through this thread and I think you'll find some ideas. It relates to sound, but the same sound controller is what is controlling the troublesome microphone as well. The fact that you have no issues when the Realtek controller is controlling a microphone but you do have issues with some apps when Intel Smart sound controller controls the microphone is a flag to me and points to it being Intel Smart Sound related. Intel Smart Sound drivers are included with the Intel graphics Controller drivers.

Redirecting

I would first go to the Intel site. Intel Support
Click on Get Started. It will install the Intel Driver Support Assist tool. Run it and it will list all updates for your Intel devices. Choose to install all of them.
When it updates your graphics, select the "clean installation" box.

benjaminlee · Aug 11, 2023

glasskuter said:
Looking at that screenshot, it would appear the external microphone is marked headset microphone and was connected to Realtek (when it was plugged in and working)
Is that correct?
Yet your default device that is not working in all apps is marked Microphone Array and is using Intel Smart Sound. I believe your issue to be with Intel Smart Sound and the apps you are trying to use.
A web search shows many laptop users reporting the same issue, all with Intel Smart Sound.

Read through this thread and I think you'll find some ideas. It relates to sound, but the same sound controller is what is controlling the troublesome microphone as well. The fact that you have no issues when the Realtek controller is controlling a microphone but you do have issues with some apps when Intel Smart sound controller controls the microphone is a flag to me and points to it being Intel Smart Sound related. Intel Smart Sound drivers are included with the Intel graphics Controller drivers.

Redirecting

I would first go to the Intel site. Intel Support
Click on Get Started. It will install the Intel Driver Support Assist tool. Run it and it will list all updates for your Intel devices. Choose to install all of them.
When it updates your graphics, select the "clean installation" box.

I tried uninstalling everything Intel Smart Sound related in Device Manager and restarting my computer but that did not solve the issue. I already have Intel Driver Support Assist tool installed and everything was already updated so I contacted their live support and got someone to help me do a clean reinstallation of Intel Arc Control but that still did not solve the issue.

benjaminlee · Aug 11, 2023

I just also tried updating my BIOS but that did not seem to do anything either.

glasskuter · Aug 11, 2023

Can you please post what version and build of windows you are running?
(From cmd prompt as admin type winver)

Make sure all windows updates have been installed.

It's a shot in the dark but have you tried to turn off all microphone access, restarted, and then set up microphone access from scratch again?
Make sure external microphone is unplugged leaving only microphone array.
Use this article but instead of turning in On, turn it off. Fix microphone problems - Microsoft Support

After a restart, Use the same article to turn microphone access back on.

Make sure this setting is correct.
-Go to Control Panel>view by small icons>sound>recording tab>
-Right click the Microphone Array and click Enable.
-Right-click it again and select Set as Default Device.
-Right click Microphone and click Properties.
-Click the Levels tab, then drag the volume slider towards the largest value.
-Click OK
-Click Advance Tab
-Uncheck the box to "Allow application to take exclusive control on this device"

benjaminlee · Aug 12, 2023

glasskuter said:
Can you please post what version and build of windows you are running?
(From cmd prompt as admin type winver)

Make sure all windows updates have been installed.

It's a shot in the dark but have you tried to turn off all microphone access, restarted, and then set up microphone access from scratch again?
Make sure external microphone is unplugged leaving only microphone array.
Use this article but instead of turning in On, turn it off. Fix microphone problems - Microsoft Support

After a restart, Use the same article to turn microphone access back on.

Make sure this setting is correct.
-Go to Control Panel>view by small icons>sound>recording tab>
-Right click the Microphone Array and click Enable.
-Right-click it again and select Set as Default Device.
-Right click Microphone and click Properties.
-Click the Levels tab, then drag the volume slider towards the largest value.
-Click OK
-Click Advance Tab
-Uncheck the box to "Allow application to take exclusive control on this device"

I am on Windows 11 Version 22H2 OS Build 22621.2134. I just tried turning off access, restarting, and turning the access back on again but the issue is still there. The Microphone Array driver was already enabled and it did not give me an option to set as Default Device but it was the only device there that was turned on. (Headset Microphone and Stereo Mix both by Realtek was turned off) The level was on 97 so I turned it up to 100. I tried unchecking the exclusive control box before, but it was checked again probably from reinstalling the driver so I unchecked the box. The problem still seems to be here though.

glasskuter · Aug 12, 2023

I had no idea so many folks had microphone troubles with laptops until I looked into this. I truly believe that your issue is driver related.
See this thread over on the HP site. Try the solutions that fixed the issue for some people there. Microphone array won't work with apps or internet

There are many, many more reports from various laptop users with different brand devices. Hundreds will pop up when you do a web search for "microphone array will not work in most apps"

You have not completed your system specs section so I know nothing about the hardware or version of windows you are running.
If you are running release preview and have installed KB5028245 7/25/23 update, it has caused some issues with the microphone array on some devices. If you installed that update you can try uninstalling it..

You can also try replacing the driver with standard HD Audio Controller. Fix Intel SST microphone not working on Windows 11/10

benjaminlee · Aug 12, 2023

I have tried the troubleshooting from the HP site but they do not seem to work. I don't have an application called HP Audio Control installed on my laptop and it seems that my laptop just does not come with the program so I am unable to replicate any fixes using HP Audio Control. I do not believe that I am running release preview, and do not see KB5028245 in my past updates. I tried to replace my driver with HD Audio Controller, but I cannot seem to do so. I can find HD Audio Controller in device manager by clicking on Show hidden devices, but when I try replacing the ISST driver by updating manually, HD Audio Controller does not show up as an option. Another thing that I found was that when I run my laptop through HP Customer Support, it does not show ISST as a driver that can be downloaded. I only see Realtek High-Definition Audio Driver under Driver-Audio. I also tried installing this driver, but it does not seem to change anything and I still see ISST in Device Manager.