After the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meetings and conferences have become quite popular among people for a good reason – convenience. Even after a huge decline in COVID-19 cases, people are still sticking to virtual meetings and conferences. It has become a big part of people’s daily routine as well as professional lives.
The days when people have to depend on headsets for a microphone are long gone. Nowadays, modern laptops have a built-in microphone that offers the best performance. However, many people wonder where the built-in microphone is located in the laptop?
If you are short on time, most laptops have built-in microphones embedded in the case, and they are definitely not easy to locate. However, with HP laptops, the microphone is located on the side of the camera.
After buying new laptops, many people often struggle to locate and set up their built-in microphones. If you fall in a similar category, read this article to find answers to all your microphone queries.
Where to find a microphone on your laptop?
When referring to laptop or desktop microphones, there are usually two varieties – external and internal. An external microphone is usually located outside of your computer or comes as a part of the headset. If these devices are not attached to your USB port or sound card, you do not have any external mic.
However, as suggested by the name, internal microphones are usually built into the body of a laptop or the bezel of the laptop/desktop screen. Therefore, to find them physically, you will have to examine the hardware thoroughly and look for small holes close to one another.
If you are unable to find the built-in microphone of your laptop physically, there are a few methods you should try to find out whether your laptop has any built-in microphone or not. Not sure where to begin? Just select your operating system from the list below and follow the steps.
Windows 7,8,10, and 11
If you have a windows-based laptop, follow these steps to check whether your laptop has a built-in microphone or not.
- Press the Windows key, type in Control Panel in the search box, and press Enter.
- After reaching Control Panel, look for Hardware and Sound option. You will find it in the navigation menu in the left corner. Click on it and select Manage Audio Devices for a window to appear.
- You will find a Recording tab at the top of the window. After you click on it, it will display your laptop’s external and internal microphone in the middle section, if any.
macOS
If you have a laptop running on a Macintosh operating system, follow these steps to check whether your laptop has a built-in microphone or not.
- You will find an Apple icon in the menu bar to open the Apple menu. Once you have opened the menu, a list of different options will appear on the screen. Choose System Preferences from the list.
- Click on the Sound icon in the window of System Preferences.
- You will find an Input tab at the top of the Sound window. Click on it. After you click on it, it will display your laptop’s external and internal microphones in the middle section, if any.
Why do laptop microphones stop working?
Have you ever faced a situation in the past where you have to present your ideas in a virtual meeting, and your microphone suddenly stops working? Many people have experienced this and often wonder what makes their laptop microphone stop working.
Here are a few most common issues that make your laptop microphone stop working:
Microphone settings and configurations
Often simple issues like a muted microphone or improperly configured microphone can make people think that their laptop’s microphone is permanently damaged. As a result, they rush to a nearby repair shop for a replacement. However, these simple issues can be fixed easily without any professional help.
Corrupted microphone drivers
The purpose of installing the drivers is to make the system work smoothly and efficiently. However, what would happen if the driver is corrupted? It will result in a device failure. Therefore, if your microphone has stopped working, make sure to update the driver.
Faulty hardware
Often behind a not working microphone is faulty hardware that is not compatible with the system. Therefore, if your laptop’s microphone is not working, there might be a problem with the internal wiring.
3 Ways to fix not working microphone
Several microphone problems can be fixed easily right at home without requiring any special tools or skills. To fix your laptop microphone, try the methods mentioned below:
Method #1: Unmute your microphone
Before moving to other methods, make sure your microphone is unmuted. Often people put their microphone on mute without even realizing it. Also, your microphone can be muted in the sound settings.
To unmute your laptop microphone from the sound settings, follow the steps in this particular sequence: Open control panel >> hardware and sound >> sound >> recording >> right-click your microphone and click properties >> choose levels. If your laptop microphone has crossed out a red circle, click on it to unmute.
Method #2: Update drivers
If your microphone driver is corrupted, it will prevent your microphone from working properly. Therefore, update your driver by right-clicking on the Windows icon and selecting Device Manager. Once you have reached there, choose any driver and click on Update the driver. Then, one by one, update all the drivers to bring back your microphone to working condition.
Method #3: Check hardware
Sometimes the device might not be faulty, but the wire connecting the device to the system is. Therefore, carefully open the laptop case to examine the microphone wiring. If the wires are broken or unplugged from the motherboard, fix them or plug them back to make your laptop microphone start working.
Conclusion:
If the problem still persists after trying out all the methods mentioned above, you will have to take your laptop to a professional. The microphone might have a problem that needs professional expertise or tools to fix it.
