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My microphone isn't working! (to do)

If these errors show in the playerlog:

  • Failed to get recording driver capabilities: "Error initializing output device. "
  • Microphone '' failed to start recording.

The solution to this issue is to:

Solution

Steps to Uninstall Microphone & Headset Audio Devices

  • Open Device Manager
    • Press Win + X and select Device Manager from the menu.
    • Alternatively, press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
  • Locate Audio Devices
    • Expand "Audio inputs and outputs".
    • Expand "Sound, video and game controllers".
  • Uninstall Relevant Devices for Microphone/Headset:
  • Right-click each entry related to the headset or microphone (e.g., "Headset Microphone," "Headphones (USB Audio Device)").
  • Select Uninstall device.
  • If prompted, check "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" and click Uninstall.
  • Ignore:
  • System audio devices (e.g., "Speakers (Realtek Audio)") unless they are confirmed to be part of the issue.
  • Restart the PC
    • Restart the computer to allow Windows to reinstall the drivers automatically.

After reboot

  • Set Default Audio Devices
    • Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Open Sound settings.
    • Under Output and Input, select the correct headset/microphone as the default device.
  • Disable Exclusive Control
    • In Sound settings, click More sound settings (right pane).
    • Go to the Recording tab, select the microphone, and click Properties.
    • Navigate to the Advanced tab and uncheck:
    • "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device"
  • Configure Steam Audio Settings

    • Open Steam > Settings > Voice.

    • Under Voice input device, select the correct microphone.

    • Under Voice output device, select the correct headset/speakers.

    • Set Voice Transmission type to Open Microphone

    • Set Voice Transmission Threshold to Off
    • Disable Automatic volume/gain control under advanced settings
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