Microphone troubleshooting

[Heide]

Hello! Earlier in the morning I had to switch some cables around. So I turned off my PC, flipped the switch in the back and disconnected the cable to the socket on the wall and put it in the one right above.

I then hopped on my PC again and several mics didn't work. 

I reinstalled the drivers multiple times, checked all settings that could've caused them not to work. Still nothing. The input bar doesn't even move.

 

I also tried to switch the cables back to the old socket. Still nothing.

 

Any ideas on what it could be?

 

[OddOod]

What mics? How are they connected? Do they show up in Device Manager? Do they show up in the Recording tab of the System Sounds interface? How are you testing?

[Heide]

3 minutes ago, OddOod said:

What mics? How are they connected? Do they show up in Device Manager? Do they show up in the Recording tab of the System Sounds interface? How are you testing?

I have just a headset mic from a Logitech G Pro headset that I've tested and a Fifine K688. They show up in both the Device Manager and Recording tab in the System Sounds interface. I tried testing both on Discord, Windows itself and the Sound Recorder app on Windows as well.

[OddOod]

Try testing with Audacity. Just make a recording.
And I assume you're making sure that you have whatever mic you're testing set as the Default. 

Something to start with would be doing SFC/DISM scans
https://www.howtogeek.com/222532/how-to-repair-corrupted-windows-system-files-with-the-sfc-and-dism-commands/
Also, check event viewer and see if there's any errors in the summary page (click event viewer local in the left pane)

[Heide]

7 minutes ago, OddOod said:

Try testing with Audacity. Just make a recording.
And I assume you're making sure that you have whatever mic you're testing set as the Default. 

Something to start with would be doing SFC/DISM scans
https://www.howtogeek.com/222532/how-to-repair-corrupted-windows-system-files-with-the-sfc-and-dism-commands/
Also, check event viewer and see if there's any errors in the summary page (click event viewer local in the left pane)

All done. The SFC scan said it did not find any integrity violations, and I saw nothing in the even viewer. The Audacity recording came out with no audio either. 

Could it be something in BIOS that got disabled somehow?

[NinJake]

Are you using windows 11? 

Do you have one or multiple monitors? 

Are the monitor(s) plugged in via HDMI?

 

Make sure that windows didn't default to HDMI audio for some reason if so.

 

Can you take some screenshots of your "sounds" menus?

(example photo of the sound settings in windows 11)

Spoiler

 

[Heide]

 

 

I have two monitors. One is plugged in via. display port (main monitor) the other one is using HDMI 

[OddOod]

Wow, okay, this is WEIRD
There is a possibility that you'll need to reinstall windows. I see you did the SFC, did you also do a DISM?
One thing to try would be booting a linux live USB and see if the mics work there. 
Also, if you have access to another device, it couldn't hurt to test the mics with that just to rule out the 1 in a million chance that both your mics died.
 

[NinJake]

Make sure there's no physical mute switch that was accidentally bumped.

 

Try switching to the Logitech Pro X Gaming headset as the default input option. 

 

Do you have any luck after trying this?

 

1 minute ago, OddOod said:

One thing to try would be booting a linux live USB and see if the mics work there. 
Also, if you have access to another device, it couldn't hurt to test the mics with that just to rule out the 1 in a million chance that both your mics died.

These are 2 good and semi-easy recommendations for troubleshooting this. 

 

I highly doubt they both managed to "die" by turning your pc off and on.

[Heide]

1 minute ago, NinJake said:

Make sure there's no physical mute switch that was accidentally bumped.

 

Try switching to the Logitech Pro X Gaming headset as the default input option. 

 

Do you have any luck after trying this?

Nope

[NinJake]

Does your fifine microphone have RGB lights and what not? I'm assuming it's USB based, do the lights light up once plugged in? 

 

On the logitech headset, can you still hear from it but the mic simply isnt working? Is it plugged in via usb or 3.5mm jack?

[Heide]

Just now, NinJake said:

Does your fifine microphone have RGB lights and what not? I'm assuming it's USB based, do the lights light up once plugged in? 

 

On the logitech headset, can you still hear from it but the mic simply isnt working? Is it plugged in via usb or 3.5mm jack?

The Fifine mic itself is turned on. There's green RGB on the mute button.

The logitech is with a 3.5mm jack, and I can still hear from it perfectly

[Heide]

32 minutes ago, NinJake said:

Make sure there's no physical mute switch that was accidentally bumped.

 

Try switching to the Logitech Pro X Gaming headset as the default input option. 

 

Do you have any luck after trying this?

 

These are 2 good and semi-easy recommendations for troubleshooting this. 

 

I highly doubt they both managed to "die" by turning your pc off and on.

Neither of them are working on my Macbook, but idk if that's the best place to test it. There's no way me flipping the switch on a turned off PC and changing a power outlet fried a 3 months old mic. It's literally getting power??? I don't understand shit LMAO It can't be the case that smth happened on the motherboard??

[Heide]

5 hours ago, NinJake said:

Does your fifine microphone have RGB lights and what not? I'm assuming it's USB based, do the lights light up once plugged in? 

 

On the logitech headset, can you still hear from it but the mic simply isnt working? Is it plugged in via usb or 3.5mm jack?

 

5 hours ago, OddOod said:

Wow, okay, this is WEIRD
There is a possibility that you'll need to reinstall windows. I see you did the SFC, did you also do a DISM?
One thing to try would be booting a linux live USB and see if the mics work there. 
Also, if you have access to another device, it couldn't hurt to test the mics with that just to rule out the 1 in a million chance that both your mics died.
 

UPDATE: I reinstalled Windows with a flash drive. Guess what? No luck. 

I suppose it's not a Windows problem then?

There's no way changing an power outlet killed two mics. What even are the chances??

Well, my AirPods are working if I connect it with Bluetooth.

[OddOod]

Oooooof
That *does* sound like a one in a million chance that something broke both of them. That's just wild. 

[Faelas]

I made an account to say i have just had this exact issue, however i hadnt just been changing cables around so, i went to use discord today and couldn't be heard, assuming discords usual problems i looked around and no settings were "wrong", i can hear myself whilst testing on the Logitech app (i have an astro A50) but on nothing else just like OP. I also have a soundbar with a mic and that doesnt pick up input either. this is very strange