One for the computer gurus.

[pelicanpete]

My laptop built-in mic suddenly stopped working when I was on a Skype call and I can't get it to work again. Even my external plug in headset/mic doesn't transmit. I can hear the other party; they can't hear me. Any ideas what's gone wrong, what to do?

HP Pavilion Notebook running Windows XP SP2. Conexant drives the audio.

 

[Stingo]

Click on "Start", "Help and Support" and "Undo changes to your computer with System Restore". Pick a date when your mic worked.

If that doesn't work, ask someone that actually knows what they're doing.

 

[sarabande]

No guru, but try this:

go to Control Panel
Click on "Sounds and Audio devices"
Work your way through all the tas at the top ofthe window till you come to "Voice". Click this tab.
Click on "Test Hardware"

A little imp (sorry, Wizard) will start up, testing your mike and speakers, and ask you to speak into the mike.


If this fails, come back.

 

[Steve Clayton]

[ QUOTE ]
HP Pavilion Notebook running Windows XP SP2. Conexant drives the audio.

[/ QUOTE ]
My voice/audio on my Pavilion is "Avance AC97 audio" Works well

 

[pelicanpete]

Stingo, Thanks. Tried your suggestion. It went bad on 27th April so tried a restore point prior to that. Got message that "your computer cannot be restored this this restore point. Please try another restore point" ...which I did, twice, prior to 27th but still no luck.

 

[pelicanpete]

Sarabande, Thanks. Tried your suggestion and it confirms that the mic isn't working. I'm thinking of reinstalling the audio drivers but not sure if that will do it.

 

[akirk]

pelicanpete, a couple of things...

firstly, if it started going wrong on the 27th of April, you probably will not be able to roll it back - rollback is really a function to allow you an 'undo' function for just after it goes wrong, before you have made other changes...

secondly, is your external headset plugged into the external sound port?
can you get hold of / buy / try a usb mike?

it sounds as though your 'sound card' or the parts thereof on the motherboard have died...

 

[sarabande]

Windows - E key to bring up Explorer.
Right click on My Computer
Select Properties
Click on theHardware tab
Work your way through the list to Sound and Video drivers.

Depending on what you have installed, there are test apps in each driver section.

That should confirm your worst suspicions.

 

[BrendanS]

Before you go that route, try going to control panel, system, hardware, device manager
Open up the + boxes, and see if any yellow exclamation marks etc show up, particularly in sound devices section. You can delve further and see if drivers are functioning, tho this is not foolproof, it does show immediate problems

 

[BrendanS]

Restore points depend on how much space you have allocated on the drive. It's not dependent on recent changes, it will restore back to any date if you have enough space allocated

 

[akirk]

[ QUOTE ]
Restore points depend on how much space you have allocated on the drive. It's not dependent on recent changes, it will restore back to any date if you have enough space allocated

[/ QUOTE ]

yes, but unfortunately Microsoft don't really explain that, default space allocated is usually quite low, and older versions are written over very rapidly - a good system when it works, but, often not usable which is a shame...

good call on looking at the drivers, also worth asking - have you installed anything else recently...?

 

[BrendanS]

MS do explain, but only for geeks that want to know more. It will default to a percentage of drive space, so the more you have available, the longer the history

 

[akirk]

[ QUOTE ]
MS do explain, but only for geeks that want to know more.

[/ QUOTE ]

one day they will explain for everyone, but then they would be Apple /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[BrendanS]

You've no input on a Mac, on user variables? Right. I've owned many Macs and had just as much choice as to how my system performs as the pc's I've owned

 

[akirk]

Sorry - my post was a compliment about Macs - i.e. if MS made it easier for their users they might come up to the standard of the Macs...

Would much rather use one, but until the recent move to intel chips, much software didn't work on them... however, stand by now... little reason for a PC (other than cost they are still cheeper...)

 

[fflakey]

[ QUOTE ]
pelicanpete, a couple of things...
it sounds as though your 'sound card' or the parts thereof on the motherboard have died...

[/ QUOTE ]

You could try downloading and running Skype using a 'live CD' to see if its a hardware or software problem.

Knoppix is a good one for laptop compatibility.

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

 

[pelicanpete]

Thank you all, for taking the time to help me. I'll work on your suggestions, which are a great help. AFAIK I haven't installed anything recently (but I'll check, just to be sure). I will definitely buy a USB mic to see if that'll solve the problem.

May your discs always remain hard!!
/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Thank you. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif