[Solved] Dell Microphone Not Working (Here’s 11 Easy Solutions)

Dell is one of the most popular computer brands globally. They sell various hardware such as personal computers (both desktops and laptops), servers, monitors, headphones, speakers, hard drives, network switches, among many others. They are also popular for their gaming computers under the Alienware product range. In January 2021, they were the 3rd largest PC vendor, next to HP and Lenovo.

If you purchased a Dell PC or laptop and have problems with your microphone, check out this guide.

Solution 1 – Restart your laptop/PC

Before anything else, try restarting your computer. Sometimes, the device just needs to be rebooted to reset the communication between the hardware and the software. It is also possible that there’s a pending update that will only install once the computer is rebooted.

Solution 2 – Run SupportAssist

Dell computers have pre-installed software called SupportAssist to assist the consumers troubleshooting their computers.

1. Click the Windows icon and type SupportAssist. Click the first item that will appear.

Note: If SupportAssist does not come up, you may go to SupportAssist for home PCs. Click Download SupportAssist as seen on below screenshot:

2. Click the Start Now button.

3. On the next screen, it will run several tests as you can see in the screenshot below. Wait for a few minutes to complete.

4. Once done, try using your microphone again.

Solution 3 – Check the ports

If you are using an external microphone, you can check the audio ports for dust or damage. Depending on your microphone, it may connect to the 3.5 mm audio jack or to a USB port. You may use a compressed air can to clean these ports. On the other hand, if you see any noticeable damage, bring your computer to a service center for check-up.

Check out this short video on how to use compressed air can correctly: How To Use a Can of Compressed Air Correctly

Solution 4 – Update your BIOS

1. Check first your BIOS version. Click the Windows icon and type System Information. Click the first item that appears.

2. A new window will appear. On the right pane, search for BIOS Version/Date.

3. Next, go to https://dell.com/support.
4. On the website, enter any of the following: Service Tag, Serial Number, Service Request, Model, or Keyword. You may check the Model in the System Information window as well (look for System Model).

5. For example, the computer used in this guide is Dell Latitude 5410. Click on the suggested item.

6. You will be redirected to a new page. Click the Drivers & Downloads tab and then click the down arrow on the Manually find a specific driver for your <model> option.

7. Scroll down a little bit and you will see a list of downloadable items. Look for the BIOS category and click the down arrow on the right-most side.

8. You will see the version on the left side. Compare the version you see on the System Information and the one you see on the website. If it’s the same, you may skip the BIOS update. If the downloadable update’s version is higher, you must download the file and run it.

IMPORTANT: Make sure that your computer is plugged into a power source during installation. If the installation is cut abruptly due to a power outage, your system might be corrupted.

You may check the following official video from Dell on how to update BIOS:

How to Update BIOS Dell (Official Dell Tech Support)

Solution 5 – Check the microphone connection

1. If you’re using an external microphone, make sure that you are connected to the correct port. For example, in the image below, the microphone is in pink/reddish color. While this is the usual color coding for microphones, it does not apply to all brands/models so you must also check for the microphone icon.

2. If you are connected via USB, try using other USB ports on your computer or on your USB hub. Sometimes, USB ports can be faulty due to overuse so you must try all the ports available.

Solution 6 – Set as default device

1. Right-click on the volume icon on the system tray and click Sound Settings.

2. On the new window, scroll down a little bit to get to the Input section. Press the right arrow icon on the microphone device you are trying to use to see more settings.

3. Under the General section, you will see the Set as default sound device. There is drop-down button there with two options: Is default for audio and Also use as default for communications. Choose the latter option if you wish to use your device for calls via conferencing apps like Teams, Zoom, and Skype.

Solution 7 – Check the volume settings

Volume is not only for output but also for input, so you have to configure this separately.

1. Right-click on the volume icon on the system tray and click Sound Settings.

2. On the new window, scroll down a little bit to get to the Input section. You will see the Volume bar.

3. If you see the microphone icon with backslash in the middle, it means it’s muted. Click it to enable. After that, adjust the volume according to your liking. You should see the volume bar responding to noise/sound.

Solution 8 – Run the Windows troubleshooter

Windows has its own troubleshooter that you can use for common problems. Not only will it detect the problems for you, it will also fix the issues automatically when applicable.

1. Right-click on the volume icon on the system tray and click Sound Settings.

2. Scroll down until you see the Advanced section. Click Input devices on Troubleshoot common sound problems.

3. You will see a dialog. Wait for a few seconds while Windows tries to detect problems.

4. After a while, you will see the following screen. Choose the microphone on the list that you want to troubleshoot then click Next.

5. The following screen will vary depending on the findings. In the case, Windows detected that the microphone was muted so it unmuted it automatically.

Solution 9 – Run a hardware diagnostic test

1. Go to https://www.dell.com/support/home/Home/Index/Microphone.
2. You should see the following screens in sequence automatically:

The third screen is not from the web. It’s a dialog window where you can do a simple microphone test.

3. On the Microphone Interactive Test dialog, select an input device and then click the Record button. It will record the surrounding sounds for a few seconds and then you will have the option to play it. If you hear the same thing, it means it’s working so click the Pass button. Otherwise, click Fail.

4. The dialog window will close and you will see the diagnostic result on the web.

Solution 10 – Have your computer repaired or replaced

The last thing you may do is to bring your Dell computer to a service center or repair shop. If your product is still under warranty and is proven that the product is defective from the start, you may not have to pay a single penny. For complete details, you may read the warranty details stipulated on their website:

https://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/uscorp1/terms-conditions/art-limited-hardware-warranties

If you have any questions about the warranty, you may contact Dell support.

Solution 11 – Contact Dell Support

1. Go to https://www.dell.com/. Click on Support from the menu and click Warranty & Contracts.

2. On the next screen, type in your service tag, product ID, or laptop model.

If you’ve gone through Solution 4 above, you should see what you typed earlier just by clicking on the search bar.

3. If you click the suggested item, it will automatically do the search and you will be routed to the Support Services Details screen. You will see the details of your warranty here.

4. Click the Term Contracts under Included Support Services. You will see the expiration dates of your support coverage.

5. If you have a Pro Support Plan, for example, you are eligible for 24×7 technical support either via phone or chat.

6. Scroll down a little bit more and you will see the Need help? section. Click Contact Us and you will be redirected to a new page. On that page you will see the contact number or if you don’t prefer voice support, you can also chat with them or send them an email.

References:

(2021 September 21). How to Troubleshoot Audio or Sound Recording Issues. Dell. https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ph/000179430/how-to-troubleshoot-audio-or-sound-recording-issues