Windows 10: Microphone disabled when not accessed by application

Hello

I have noticed the following phenomenon in my computer:

When I open an application that requests use of the microphone like Zoom or Skype, the microphone does not pick up any sound for between 20 and 50 seconds, and after that, the microphone works fine. When I close an application that was requesting use of the microphone, the microphone still picks up sound for between 10 and 20 seconds which can be seen in Sound Settings, and then no more sound is detected. This is a problem, because I would like my microphone to detect sound all the time, as it always has done up to this point.


My computer is an Alienware 15 R2, and it runs Windows 10. My microphone is called Microphone Array Sound Blaster Recon3Di. I have tried many things, but none of them have been successful in letting the microphone work normally. I have tried:

- Muting the microphone

- Unmuting the microphone

- Disabling application access to the microphone

- Reenabling application access to the microphone

- Changing the input device to "What You Hear" and then back to the internal microphone

- Updating the microphone's driver

- Doing a system restore to a time before the problem first occurred

- Updating the microphone's driver after doing the system restore

- Running the troubleshoot tool

- Restarting the computer

- Changing the microphone input volume

- Disabling the microphone in Sound Settings

- Reenabling the microphone in Sound Settings

- Disabling the microphone in Device Manager

- Reenabling the microphone in Device Manager


Any help with this issue would be appreciated.

Thank you.

:)

 

Easy enable/disable microphone?

My bro just got a microphone and I was wondering if there's an easy way to enable or disable it. I know you can right click on the volume icon, click on select recording devices then select the microphone, then click properties, then click on levels, and mute it - but that's just way too many steps, I'm looking for a more obvious and much easier way to do it.

 

Disabling a specific program from accessing my microphone

1. Open the settings app
2. Go to Privacy - Microphone.
3. On the right, disable the toggle switch under Allows apps to access your microphone. When access is allowed for the operating system as described above, all apps get access permissions by default.
   4. In the list below, you can control microphone access for certain apps individually. Every listed app has its own toggle option which you can enable or disable.

 

Built in microphone not working

Hi,



Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

I understand your concern and will assist you to resolve this issue.

I suggest you to follow the steps below and check if it helps

Method 1: I suggest you to set microphone as default device and check.

• 
  Right click on the volume icon in the system tray and then click "Recording devices"
  
• 
  Right click on the blank space in the popped up window and then select "Show Disabled Devices" and "Show Disconnected Devices".
  
• 
  Right click on Microphone and then click "Enable".
  
• 
  Highlight the microphone and then choose "Set as Default Device".
  
• 
  Click Apply and OK.
  

Step 2: Make sure that the Microphone is not disabled.

• 
  Make sure that the Microphone is not disabled. Follow the steps given to check that:
  
• 
  Right click on the volume icon and select “Recording devices”.
  
• 
  Now, Right Click on an empty space and select, “Show disconnected devices” and “Show disabled devices”.
  
• 
  Make sure that the Microphone is not disabled.
  

And also update the audio drivers from the manufacturer web site and install.

Hope this helps. If the issue remains unresolved, please get back to us and we would be happy to help