Windows application is using my microphone for some reason

[AndreiArgeanu]

So, in my taskbar. there was a microphone icon saying "1 app is using your microphone". Now I look down to see what it is and this comes up.

Anyone has any idea why does it need to do that and perhaps how to stop it. Tried to switch it off as there is a button at the top but it still says it is in currently use

[doomsriker]

Cortana I suppose 

[AndreiArgeanu]

2 minutes ago, doomsriker said:

Cortana I suppose 

I used a windows debloater and removed Cortana completely long ago, I can't activate Cortana at all so it can't be that

[doomsriker]

Just now, AndreiArgeanu said:

I used a windows debloater and removed Cortana completely long ago, I can't activate Cortana at all so it can't be that

Well then...... I guess you must have done something to attract the FBI’s attention

[NumLock21]

unplug your mic

[AndreiArgeanu]

2 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

unplug your mic

I have a laptop though, whether it is in or out it doesn't make a huge difference. I decided to disable it from control panel. Now it's fine. I'm still wondering why it was using the mic though

[NumLock21]

8 minutes ago, AndreiArgeanu said:

I have a laptop though, whether it is in or out it doesn't make a huge difference. I decided to disable it from control panel. Now it's fine. I'm still wondering why it was using the mic though

found this fix
 

Quote

 

 

1. hit the win key and type in "Sounds", open the "old" sound panel that way
2. go to the "Recording" tab
3. for all currently enabled devices, double click them, then go to the "Listen" tab and check if "Listen to this device" is enabled
4. if "Listen to this device" is enabled, disable it
5. if you want to be a bit more thorough, disable recording devices which you currently don't use by right clicking them and selecting "Disable" - you can always re-enable them later on

 

 

[Euchre]

18 minutes ago, AndreiArgeanu said:

I used a windows debloater and removed Cortana completely long ago, I can't activate Cortana at all so it can't be that

Cortana was not really designed to be uninstalled, so chances are, the 'debloater' can't stop all components and dependencies on the system without risking problems caused by hard coded behaviors of the OS. This was pretty true of IE back in the day, and why it has taken a while to weed IE out of Windows as a required component. It is very likely this service is running as a legacy of Cortana, and can't be disabled truly, nor is it able to truly listen and deliver output to anything, since the Cortana front end is gone.