Four ways to set up a microphone on a laptop

Often laptops come with a built-in microphone and a webcam so that you can make calls, for example, to Skype without an external headset. However, after the purchase or rearrangement of the operating system, the device configuration may change, and it will be necessary to configure everything again. This article will explain how to set up a microphone on a Windows 7/8/10 laptop. But it’s worth saying right away that all examples will be considered on the tenth version of the operating system.

How to set up a microphone on a Windows 10 laptop

Setting up a microphone may seem easy at first glance, but it's not so simple. It should be understood that the device can be of two types: external and built-in. In the second case, everything is much simpler, since it does not carry any additional equipment. If the microphone is external, then any filters can be used with it. Despite this, the article will provide accurate instructions for setting up a microphone on a laptop.

Method 1: Turn On and Off

First, we will deal with the most commonplace problem, when after connecting an external recording device, the built-in microphone continues to work anyway. Often the reason is that the system does not switch to new devices by default, this must be done independently.

1. On the "Taskbar", right-click on the speaker icon.
2. In the menu that appears, select "Recording Devices".
3. A window appears listing all the microphones connected to the computer. Determine the priority and highlight it by clicking once LMB.
4. In the lower part of the window, open the drop-down list next to the "Properties" button.
5. Select the line "Default device".

This is the first way to set up a microphone on a laptop with version 10 of Windows. Recall that the instruction is common to others, only the location of some interface elements and the name of the buttons may differ.

Method 2: Settings in Windows

The operating system has its own utility for troubleshooting connected equipment. If the previous method did not help, then we recommend using it. For this:

1. Open the Run window by pressing Win + R.
2. In the window that appears, type the following command: control (without quotes).
3. Click OK.
4. In the window that appears, click on the "Troubleshooting" link located in the "System and Security" section.
5. In the new menu, click on the "Troubleshoot audio recordings" link.
6. The corresponding window will appear. In it, click "Next."
7. The process of scanning the equipment for errors will start. Wait for completion.
8. Read the detailed report and, if possible, follow the instructions.

Often, the system itself sets the correct parameters for the microphone to start working. If this does not happen, then we recommend moving on to the next method on how to configure the microphone on your laptop.

Method 3: Using Realtek HD

If you have installed an audio driver from the manufacturer Realtek, then the system must have a special program for setting up the microphone. First, open it:

1. Open the Control Panel by pressing the Win + R buttons and typing the control command in the window that appears.
2. Among the entire list of items, find "Realtek HD Manager."
3. Click on its LMB icon.

After that, a window will appear in which you will be prompted to determine the default device. Accordingly, select the type of device connected and click "OK." Next, go to the "Microphone" tab and set all the necessary parameters. This is the third way to configure the microphone on a laptop, but it is only suitable for computers with a Realtek sound card, if you do not have one, go to the next method.

Method 4: Using a third-party program

In addition to the built-in tools of the operating system, there are special programs from third-party developers that allow you to configure the microphone on a laptop and more. Using ViPER4Windows is recommended. This application has a huge list of parameters that allow you to customize the microphone as you want. It even has the “Room Size” parameter, changing which the system will record your voice in different ways. With the right settings, it will be possible to reduce the noise in the recording to its minimum value.

Conclusion

So we have analyzed the most effective ways to configure the microphone on a laptop. It is recommended that they be performed in the sequence presented in the article. You may not have to download the program to your computer and you will get by with system tools.