Microphone don't go

[slofox]

Trying to connect a microphone to the home computer - for the first time.

Puter has a Realtek sound card.

Tried two separate headset mics without success. Tried the mic in the webcam. Dead. Tested one of the headset mics on the work computer where it works fine - also into a Realtek card. So the mic itself is OK. Oh and I did have it plugged into the correct socket. Card control panel sees the mic but I can't get any sound through it.

Maybe the sound card is phooked but maybet I just dunno what I am doing.

Any ideas please oh Great KB Geek Brigade?

T'anx.

[Maha]

Clamp the top of your nose with your thumb and pointer finger and talk louder..:niceone:






you just clamped your nose didn't ya?

[slofox]

Clamp the top of your nose with your thumb and pointer finger and talk louder..:niceone:






you just clamped your nose didn't ya?

I tried yelling at it last night. Got a sore throat this morning...:headbang:

[SMOKEU]

The easiest way to find out the fault is to run a live Linux Mint or Ubuntu disc. You don't have to install it, just run it off the DVD. If that works, then you probably have a driver issue. If it doesn't work, then it's a hardware issue.

Otherwise uninstall the driver and remove it completely with CCleaner, then reinstall the driver and see if that works.

[Gremlin]

Operating System? Drivers is possible, you'll also need to set up the OS or software to use that Microphone as the recording device.

[slofox]

OS is Vista - that great leap sideways...

Might have a play with the driver and see if that works. Hard to think of these things in the middle of the night. (I was tempted to apply "percussive maintenance" at one stage 264282)

[Akzle]

windows is poo. (mind, python is pretty invasive too)
what you'll probably find, if you go into whatever passes for a control panel in vista
open sound properties/volume control
go to option, check all the boxes, includig "mic in" "line in" etc
then on the vol control panel you'll probably find the mic is automatically muted (windows knows best), unmute it, away you go.

get rid of vista. it's five kinds of shit. wipe and go back to XP (rollbacks not allowed ><) or upgrade to 7.

[slofox]

windows is poo. Yep, already know that.(mind, python is pretty invasive too)
what you'll probably find, if you go into whatever passes for a control panel in vista
open sound properties/volume control
go to option, check all the boxes, includig "mic in" "line in" etc
then on the vol control panel you'll probably find the mic is automatically muted (windows knows best), unmute it, away you go. Already unmuted it - still didn't go.

get rid of vista. it's five kinds of shit. wipe and go back to XP (rollbacks not allowed ><) or upgrade to 7.

I have an XP disc and was tempted to uninstall vista and install XP. Easy to do?

Thing is, I mostly use the work computer and rarely use the one at home. But circumstances are about to change and I will have more time on the home machine from now on so I'm trying to sort it out.

[pzkpfw]

Vista is fine, not worth the effort to install XP just because haters' be hatin'.

Some setting somewhere is wrong, and finding settings to change can be awkward in any OS.

[Akzle]

I have an XP disc and was tempted to uninstall vista and install XP. Easy to do?

Thing is, I mostly use the work computer and rarely use the one at home. But circumstances are about to change and I will have more time on the home machine from now on so I'm trying to sort it out.
oh. ok. usually it's simple things in windows.

the secod part of your post: yes it's easy to do, you will have to have patience though, and get yourself a UBCD to format the drive and write it back to zeros.

step one - back up FILES, do not use backup software, especially windows, do not copy *.* from your C:/, go through my docs etc and copy INDIVIUAL FILES OR FOLDERS to a backup (portable HD)
stick UBCD in drive +reboot
pick "harddisk management" form it's menu
pick something that sounds like "write drive back to zeros"
go make lunch
when it's done take UBCD out, replace with XP install, reboot
go through windows setup.
if it's a cracked version, tell the setup not to auto check for updates and disable your network hardware.
once it's all installed go through MS live or whatever and dld the service packs, but not the security updates (they only ever replace old f*ckups with new ones, anyway)

[Akzle]

Vista is fine, not worth the effort to install XP just because haters' be hatin'.

Some setting somewhere is wrong, and finding settings to change can be awkward in any OS.(re: some settings) it could be a driver issue aswell, if it has worked before, driver rollback, if you've never tried it, download the MANUFACTURERS' latest drivers as windows' generic ones are written to cover "most tings" but rarely do. (NB, your manufacturer might not have cared enough to release vista drivers, so you may need to configure/ make compatible, drivers for XP)
then if you're really concerned go to work destroying the windows drivers. (rename sys files with .old)

vista is not fine. vista is to 7 what 98 was to 98se, or what 95 was to 98. vista is riddled with problems, not least of which is 64bit processor support. it's memory hungry "visual efects", it's piss-poor (and f*ing anoying) security escalation (Are you really sure?, put in your password, you still sure buddy? microsoft doesn't recommend that you know...) and they've hidden all their user-admin-control shit in .msc places. (which, by the looks, haven't actually changed since NT4.0 and visually resemble 3.1 ><), incompatible drivers (forwards and backwards), massive instability when overclocking,
and the fact that, because of vista, M$ stopped selling XP and removed anything that might resemble useful backwards-compatibility. and when you did HAVE to move to vista with your new hardware purchase you had to spend double to get twice the hardware to run at the same level.
or if you were misinformed enough to "upgrade" all your shit got chucked in a windows.old folder, and you had to re-program the damn thing for your user-preferences/settings rather than them being automatically transferred to the new OS.


but each to their own. some computer "users" dont need to understand the whys and wherefores and if anything goes wrong they're happy to sit on 0900 MICROSOFT calls for days when all they really had to do was reboot the thing...

[scracha]

step one - back up FILES, do not use backup software, especially windows, do not copy *.* from your C:/, go through my docs etc and copy INDIVIUAL FILES OR FOLDERS to a backup (portable HD)
stick UBCD in drive +reboot
pick "harddisk management" form it's menu
pick something that sounds like "write drive back to zeros"
go make lunch
when it's done take UBCD out, replace with XP install, reboot
go through windows setup.
if it's a cracked version, tell the setup not to auto check for updates and disable your network hardware.
once it's all installed go through MS live or whatever and dld the service packs, but not the security updates (they only ever replace old f*ckups with new ones, anyway)

Sorry but that's pretty erm....random advice. Unless you're short of disk space, why in ged's name would anyone format a bloody drive to just install Windoze? Why would anyone have to "zero" a drive when the data on it is their own? And why would you not install the security updates?

Vista aint too bad if it's running SP2, you've turned of User Account Control and disabled most of the speeshal affects.

XP install is a PITA mostly as it struggles to find drivers. Make sure you download your network card drivers PRIOR to installing XP. If you wish, backup your old drive using Macrium Reflect free. Stick in an XP disk in the drive. Proceed with the install but when it goes to install, DO NOT FORMAT the drive. Now all your docs and settings will still be in c:\USERS\your_user_name Just MOVE (much quicker than copying) them across. Your email will likely be in a hidden folder c:\USERS\your_user_name\appdata

No need to run "cracked XP". Everyman and his dog can pop into their nearest skip and find an old shitter with a Windows XP COA sticker on the side.

A better plan is to simply download (google it...there's LEGAL places to download it) and burn a Windows 7 disk. It keeps running even after the 30 days with just a "nag", picks up drivers a lot better and is also much easier to move across user profiles. Installs bloody quick too.



Slofox...back to original problem. Just checking your'e not using something like Skype to testing the microphone sound as it has various input options? Also, try right click on the sound icon in the taskbar and select the one with mixer in the title then change the "recording" device. I think Realtec have some mixer program or something like that that can also interfere.

It's a long shot but you might get away with using the "line" in jack on your soundcard instead of the Microphone....although I've never tried this.

[Akzle]

Sorry but that's pretty erm....random advice. Unless you're short of disk space, why in ged's name would anyone format a bloody drive to just install Windoze? Why would anyone have to "zero" a drive when the data on it is their own? And why would you not install the security updates?

Vista aint too bad if it's running SP2, you've turned of User Account Control and disabled most of the speeshal affects.

XP install is a PITA mostly as it struggles to find drivers. Make sure you download your network card drivers PRIOR to installing XP. If you wish, backup your old drive using Macrium Reflect free. Stick in an XP disk in the drive. Proceed with the install but when it goes to install, DO NOT FORMAT the drive. Now all your docs and settings will still be in c:\USERS\your_user_name Just MOVE (much quicker than copying) them across. Your email will likely be in a hidden folder c:\USERS\your_user_name\appdata

No need to run "cracked XP". Everyman and his dog can pop into their nearest skip and find an old shitter with a Windows XP COA sticker on the side.

A better plan is to simply download (google it...there's LEGAL places to download it) and burn a Windows 7 disk. It keeps running even after the 30 days with just a "nag", picks up drivers a lot better and is also much easier to move across user profiles. Installs bloody quick too.



Slofox...back to original problem. Just checking your'e not using something like Skype to testing the microphone sound as it has various input options? Also, try right click on the sound icon in the taskbar and select the one with mixer in the title then change the "recording" device. I think Realtec have some mixer program or something like that that can also interfere.

It's a long shot but you might get away with using the "line" in jack on your soundcard instead of the Microphone....although I've never tried this.
write drive to zeros because you cannot install XP over vista. and doing this removes all traces of windows-disk-fucking-shit.
...keeping old windows files (which you can't do because XP will not install over vista) and filesystem... just. *shudder*

and your files are no longer on that drive because you copied them off in step 1

you don't install the security updates because a) they dont make your computer more secure, it's still windows, and b) some of them contain "fixes" that detect cracks and lock you out of your OS.
most serials/ registration keys are activated online, and once this is done, if you try re-register, M$ will lock you out of your OS, so pulling one from the tip/google/your arse is no good.

everything else you're just disagreeing with me (using backup software - no, getting drivers before install - no) i won't bother repeating myself. but i sure as shit wont be giving you my PC to work on any time soon.

XP has good generic drivers/hardware support (excluding some wireless PCI and Bluetooth) so does 7, vista does not (linux wins) and you're going to install the proprietary ones over it anyway, once your OS is running.

elsewise, a good diagnostic tool is a liux liveCD, reboot with CD in drive, try mic again, if it doesn't work it's a harware (card) fault (unlikely, but possible) if it does work, it's another windows problem.

[scracha]

[COLOR="#139922"]
write drive to zeros because you cannot install XP over vista. and doing this removes all traces of windows-disk-fucking-shit.

Bugger...forgot about that little gem....my apologies....it's been a while since I did a downgrade but I've never been forced to wipe the old data (but sometimes through choice). Boot from XP disc, go to recovery console, rename Windows to WinVista, fixboot, fixmbr. Usually works and saves a lot of time restoring files. Keeping old files doesn't cause issues. DLL's and suchlike aren't registered so wont usually bollox up things. Still...if someone wants "clean" :rolleyes:


[COLOR="#139922"]
you don't install the security updates because a) they dont make your computer more secure, it's still windows, and b) some of them contain "fixes" that detect cracks and lock you out of your OS.
most serials/ registration keys are activated online, and once this is done, if you try re-register, M$ will lock you out of your OS, so pulling one from the tip/google/your arse is no good.

Oh.....my bad for not knowing you were talking about cracked software. Patched is not secure but still more secure than unpatched. Plus 99% of fowks will get shitty with me and ask why they've got 200 updates coming through or why I've turned off Win updates....no brainer for me with a squid proxy. I can assure you that you can re-register your legit MS software many times. Twice in a 6 month period never seems to cause hassle. Pushing the right telephone buttons on the 0800 number ("yes I am re-installing it on the same PC) also works quite well. So whilst one gained online is unlikely to work, one gained from an old shitter in the tip works 99% of the time.


[COLOR="#139922"]
everything else you're just disagreeing with me (using backup software - no, getting drivers before install - no) i won't bother repeating myself. but i sure as shit wont be giving you my PC to work on any time soon.

Actually, apart from wondering about "zeroing" a drive, nothing was aimed at your personally.
a) I'd generally advise anyone changing their OS to at least take the precaution of using "system imaging" software such as Acronis or Macrium. Especially if they've never done it before. Lots of folks just back up their docs and photos and find they had stuff elsewhere (email, contacts, accounting software). Plus a system image means they can easily revert back to old OS if necessary if things don't work.
b) I'd advise anyone installing XP to ensure they had downloaded network drivers prior. Otherwise they possibly won't be able to download them later (cos in a lot of cases they'd have no network access) without a spare PC.


[COLOR="#139922"]
but i sure as shit wont be giving you my PC to work on any time soon

a) why would you? You're an expert!
b) AFAIK, my name, phone number, business and location are not published on this site so please don't infer I do business from this site.
c) S'alright mate...I'm not exactly twiddling my thumbs and taking 2 hour lunches.

[jonbuoy]

write drive to zeros because you cannot install XP over vista. and doing this removes all traces of windows-disk-fucking-shit.
...keeping old windows files (which you can't do because XP will not install over vista) and filesystem... just. *shudder*

and your files are no longer on that drive because you copied them off in step 1

you don't install the security updates because a) they dont make your computer more secure, it's still windows, and b) some of them contain "fixes" that detect cracks and lock you out of your OS.
most serials/ registration keys are activated online, and once this is done, if you try re-register, M$ will lock you out of your OS, so pulling one from the tip/google/your arse is no good.

everything else you're just disagreeing with me (using backup software - no, getting drivers before install - no) i won't bother repeating myself. but i sure as shit wont be giving you my PC to work on any time soon.

XP has good generic drivers/hardware support (excluding some wireless PCI and Bluetooth) so does 7, vista does not (linux wins) and you're going to install the proprietary ones over it anyway, once your OS is running.

elsewise, a good diagnostic tool is a liux liveCD, reboot with CD in drive, try mic again, if it doesn't work it's a harware (card) fault (unlikely, but possible) if it does work, it's another windows problem.


XP doesn´t have good driver support for some SATA drives which could leave him in bigger trouble than he is already ie wiping his hard drive and not being able to install XP without a third party driver disc, Vista does have better driver support out of the box. Your worried about security issues but you use pirated software?? Suggesting he wipe his existing OS without using some of the free mirroring software available to get him back to where he is now is just retarded. Maybe think twice before handing out advice like this unless your prepared to help the guy undo your mistakes.

[Akzle]

I'm not exactly twiddling my thumbs and taking 2 hour lunches.i don't put on pants till after lunch most days....

i'd heard of phoning M$ and re-activating keys but it just seems like such a pain in the arse when you can just delete the activatey part of windows.

there's a good chance he's on webmail, so none of his emails etc are saved, however, point taken.


XP doesn´t have good driver support for some SATA drives which could leave him in bigger trouble than he is already ie wiping his hard drive and not being able to install XP without a third party driver disc, Vista does have better driver support out of the box. Your worried about security issues but you use pirated software?? Suggesting he wipe his existing OS without using some of the free mirroring software available to get him back to where he is now is just retarded. Maybe think twice before handing out advice like this unless your prepared to help the guy undo your mistakes.
oh my bad. if you feel the need to put your HDD back to how it was
insert: get linux, work out your HDDs and do a dd if=srX of=*.iso
but srsly, with all your files backed up aforehand, i wouldn't bother.

i would put it to ya that XP has generic drivers that will get the SATA drive working/readable/installable to (also applies to network hardware), might not be full functionality and support (but ALL windows suffer HDD management problems and have no low-level support) but again, install the proprietary drivers after OS install

i have no issues with security. windows has issues with security. (although less and less as people get dumber)
pirated windows runs as well as/ better than not pirated windows. but the best windows is the one i don't run because i'm too busy playing with my penguin. :msn-wink:

[jonbuoy]

i don't put on pants till after lunch most days....

i'd heard of phoning M$ and re-activating keys but it just seems like such a pain in the arse when you can just delete the activatey part of windows.

there's a good chance he's on webmail, so none of his emails etc are saved, however, point taken.


oh my bad. if you feel the need to put your HDD back to how it was
insert: get linux, work out your HDDs and do a dd if=srX of=*.iso
but srsly, with all your files backed up aforehand, i wouldn't bother.

i would put it to ya that XP has generic drivers that will get the SATA drive working/readable/installable to (also applies to network hardware), might not be full functionality and support (but ALL windows suffer HDD management problems and have no low-level support) but again, install the proprietary drivers after OS install

i have no issues with security. windows has issues with security. (although less and less as people get dumber)
pirated windows runs as well as/ better than not pirated windows. but the best windows is the one i don't run because i'm too busy playing with my penguin. :msn-wink:



Dude your playing with your penguin too much, dont care where you "put it" XP won´t install on a lot of SATA drives without 3rd party drivers which you have to use a floppy for unless you patch the install disc with Nlite or similar , if you´d had practical experience you would have found this out. Stop giving shit advise, blaming an OS without even proving if its a hardware issue or not is ridiculous, as is installing another OS to cure a soundcard issue. And how easy is it for a hacker to write a backdoor route into a hacked version of windows?

Number one thing to do before you start "fixing" someone elses PC is to make a mirror so you can put it back to where it was at the beginning or be able to browse for documents or files that got forgotten. All operating systems have their pluses and minuses, why is it just because you have chosen to run Linux you have to try and convert other people, worse than bloody Jehovas witness MAC fanboys.

[scracha]

I'd heard of phoning M$ and re-activating keys but it just seems like such a pain in the arse when you can just delete the activatey part of windows.

90% of the time there's no need to...as I said.....my seat of pants experience says that as long as it's not activated more than twice in a 6 month period, it activates over the net no problemo. When it doesn't, then nowadays the phone call takes about 5 minutes and involves punching in lots of numbers to the auto attendant....no need to speak to Indira and Srl-Lanka anymore. Do it once...do it right.



Dude your playing with your penguin too much, dont care where you "put it" XP won´t install on a lot of SATA drives without 3rd party drivers which you have to use a floppy for unless you patch the install disc with Nlite or similar ,

I've got a slipstreamed XP Home and Pro for just this purpose....it made my head hurt following the NLite instructions. Non cracked, genuine so it needs a proper license key......if anyone wants the ISO ftp location then just pm me (can't post it publicly for obvious reasons). No...there's no charge.

Anyone tried any of these "black" edition "have a zillion drivers" XP ISO's you find on the torrent sites? I can still see us doing lots of Win XP re-installs for the next 3 or 4 years. DoubleDriver is great but in instances when old drive is borked, it's a PITA having to trawl sites to find drivers.



All operating systems have their pluses and minuses, why is it just because you have chosen to run Linux you have to try and convert other people, worse than bloody Jehovas witness MAC fanboys.
I think anyone working in IT these days has to have at least a working knowledge of all 3 (or 4 if you count BSD). I tried converting a few customers to using Suse Linux for their desktops about 5 years ago.....hell...they were mostly using RDP anyway but gave up after all the whining. That's "real world".

Main barrier to switching home and small business customers to Linux is a program called Microsoft Office (Large businesses with Win Server, ERP or CTI solutions are a completely different ballgame). Without Exchange Server, Outlook is generally a piece of shite so Thunderbird + various add_ons is an easy convert as it's free and pisses all over Outlook . Microsoft would be bonkers to release Word & Excel for Linux. OpenOffice/ApacheOffice/Libraoffice/whateveroffice is OK for "spare machines" in say a workshop but it takes a real effort to run a business that talks to other businesses without MS Office.

Integration with PDA's and other devices also a huge hurdle. "Cloud based" services are starting to change this but that comes with its own issues. Lot of customers using Linux on their servers (hosting virtual machines, caching proxies, etc), they just don't know it :msn-wink:.

Microsoft have been savvy enough to realise the challenges from Linux/Apple which is why amongst other things they're a bit more security conscious, throwing in Office Starter and making system backup and recovery a lot easier. Compared to XP (which to be fair is now ancient) and Vista (yes...it was shite), I get very few customers with major Windows 7 issues that are not hardware related. I personally think for the average user running the average PC, Windows 7 running as a "standard user" is a very smooth, stable and productive operating system with good support.

I have an older MacBook but I really cant' see what all the fuss is about with Apple. Mostly use it for the firewire recovery thingie. It's better than XP/Vista but not as good as Win 7. Hopefully next OS-X release will not be so underwhelming but suspect Apple concentrating on marketing phones and tablets as their margins on that are far greater.

[Akzle]

Dude your playing with your penguin too much, dont care where you "put it" XP won´t install on a lot of SATA drives without 3rd party drivers which you have to use a floppy for unless you patch the install disc with Nlite or similar , if you´d had practical experience you would have found this out. Stop giving shit advise, blaming an OS without even proving if its a hardware issue or not is ridiculous, as is installing another OS to cure a soundcard issue. And how easy is it for a hacker to write a backdoor route into a hacked version of windows?

Number one thing to do before you start "fixing" someone elses PC is to make a mirror so you can put it back to where it was at the beginning or be able to browse for documents or files that got forgotten. All operating systems have their pluses and minuses, why is it just because you have chosen to run Linux you have to try and convert other people, worse than bloody Jehovas witness MAC fanboys.
care to answer your own question?
and i don't usually make "mirrors" i make "images".

when did i suggest replacing OS as a solution to this problem? or "blaming an OS" for the problem?
this thread has evolved since the OP and gone beyond a microphone that doesn't work.

have you contributed any solution here yet?

Many older mobos (the ones you're likely to install XP on) run their southbridge with IDE/ATA channel support either auto or emulation and a fantastic thing knows as AUTOMATIC HOST CONTROLLER INTERFACE, so XP will see it as a plain jane drive. as previously stated, you wont get full functionality/throughput but you can suss that after you've installed the OS.
thanks anyway.

i'm sorry if you felt pressured ot "covert" to linux. that wasn't my intention.

a good diagnostic tool is a linux liveCD
i just don't see how that can be misinterpreted. as "windows vista is to blame for your undiagnosed soundcard [sic] fault and you should install linux"

[sil3nt]

I installed XP over Vista (RC). Not a good idea.

[jonbuoy]

care to answer your own question?
and i don't usually make "mirrors" i make "images".

when did i suggest replacing OS as a solution to this problem? or "blaming an OS" for the problem?
this thread has evolved since the OP and gone beyond a microphone that doesn't work.

have you contributed any solution here yet?

Many older mobos (the ones you're likely to install XP on) run their southbridge with IDE/ATA channel support either auto or emulation and a fantastic thing knows as AUTOMATIC HOST CONTROLLER INTERFACE, so XP will see it as a plain jane drive. as previously stated, you wont get full functionality/throughput but you can suss that after you've installed the OS.
thanks anyway.

i'm sorry if you felt pressured ot "covert" to linux. that wasn't my intention.

i just don't see how that can be misinterpreted. as "windows vista is to blame for your undiagnosed soundcard [sic] fault and you should install linux"

OK the answer is its very easy for some people out there to build a back door into a hacked OS and upload it to a torrent site. You dont even know how old his motherboard is, he is running vista at the moment, is it a laptop/desktop? Mirrors/images just a word don´t get all hard about it. If he can´t suss out with unistalling/installing drivers or checking the basics which he has already done I would either get a shop/pro to look at it, or throw a USB sound card adaptor in and see if that works. I don´t feel pressure to convert to linux, I already use linux in some areas.

[slofox]

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