The microphone is an essential part of the computer for those who spend a lot of time recording media files or using communication apps or unified communications systems. Imagine, therefore, the annoyance caused by an auto-muting microphone without user input. Some Windows 10 users report experiencing the issue with their microphone. Moreover, this issue affects internal and external mics equally.
Some issues are specific to a certain version of Windows, but the auto-muting mic issue isn’t one of them. The microphone can randomly start muting itself.
Suppose your PC’s mic suddenly starts muting itself – what do you do? This guide was created to answer this question for you.
If you’re looking for a way to resolve this malfunction on your PC, the tips we provided here will help you.
What If a Microphone Keeps Muting Itself in Windows 10?
If a microphone keeps going to zero volume levels in Windows 10, it can be incredibly frustrating. Imagine having to stop enjoying that fantastic and immersive conversation because you suddenly went silent.
Naturally, when something like this happens, knowledge of the immediate cause would help. If the microphone keeps resetting itself to zero volume despite your best efforts to fix it at a certain sound level, these are the likely reasons:
1. The system sound settings are incorrect
Most of us don’t need to configure any special settings for sound on Windows 10. We simply use the volume controls to increase or decrease audio per our requirements at any point during the viewing, gaming, streaming, chatting, or recording experience.
If sound keeps being muted, perhaps your system volume has been set to Mute unknowingly.
More likely, either the internal microphone or the external one has been disabled — which would prevent sound from coming through that device.
Other improper sound settings can have a similar effect.
2. The sound drivers are outdated
If you’re getting this sound malfunction on a PC that has seen better days, perhaps the sound drivers haven’t been updated for a long time.
If you have recently upgraded or updated the OS, the current sound drivers might have become incompatible with the firmware. Only compatible device drivers can be used by PC hardware, such as your video, sound and network cards.
Incompatible PC drivers may not work at all. When they do, they usually work incorrectly, leading to all manner of bugs, such as the auto-muting mic issue.
3. Malware infection has corrupted the sound files
There are many system files that play a role in delivering audio input. If these files get targeted by malware, the result will be myriad sound issues, including the mic randomly muting itself.
Now that we’ve explained the potential causes of the random microphone muting issue on Windows 10, let’s go ahead and check out the possible solutions.
How to Fix an Auto-Muting Microphone on Windows 10
If your mic starts behaving erratically and mutes itself at random intervals, you won’t have a pleasant experience on Skype until the behavior returns to normal.
The following fixes have worked for a majority of Windows 10 users with the same issue, and there’s no reason yours won’t be resolved after applying them.
Solution 1: Temporarily disable your antivirus
Some antivirus tools, such as Norton, have been known to cause unintended side effects. They are very aggressive with their anti-malware measures and sometimes end up affecting system functioning.
If your mic keeps going to zero volume at inopportune times and without your manual input, try turning off your antivirus for a time and see what happens.
Whether you’re using Norton, Windows Defender or another popular security software tool, turning off real-time protection is pretty easy.
Once you’ve done that, use your mic for up to an hour and see if the problem happens again.
If it does, consider updating the antivirus software for better performance and fewer bugs.
Use Auslogics Anti-Malware
If no update is available, your best bet might be switching to a highly recommended security tool like Auslogics Anti-Malware.
This tool has been approved by Microsoft for use as a primary or secondary antivirus on Windows 10 systems.
It scrutinizes all parts of your system for potential threats that might be lurking in obscure locations and quarantines or removes them.
Related: Auslogics Anti-Malware: Features and Reviews
Solution 2: Change your microphone settings
From the evidence of the users who have reported this issue in public Windows forums, incorrect sound settings are the prime culprit that causes device mics to self-mute at random intervals.
In that case, you might reasonably expect that introducing the correct sound settings will restore normal audio functioning. This is indeed the case.
Here’s what you need to do:
- There is a speaker icon in the right corner of your taskbar. Right-click it and select Recording Devices.
- The Sound Control window will open.
- Select the Communications tab.
- Under When Windows detects communications activity, select Do nothing.
- Click Apply and then OK.
- Test your microphone for a few minutes. Has the random muting stopped? If the bug still occurs, repeat Step 1.
- Switch to the Recording tab.
- Right-click your sound device and select Properties.
- The Microphone Properties window will open.
- Switch to the Advanced tab.
- In the Exclusive Mode group, deselect the Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device option.
- Click Apply to save your changes and then click OK to return to the Sound dialog.
Also Read: How to Fix Blue Yeti Microphone Not Detected or Recognized in Windows 10 and 11?
How to Fix an Auto-Muting Microphone on Windows 11
Fix 1: Reinstall or update the sound drivers
The correct sound drivers are required for the best audio experience on a Windows 10 PC.
If the sound driver is corrupted by malware, damaged by manual modification, or has been rendered obsolete after an upgrade, you should update it to restore stable sound functionality.
Otherwise, be prepared to deal with annoying sound bugs, such as the microphone muting itself at random.
If the sound driver is old, an update is required. If the driver is already up to date but is buggy, reinstalling it can fix the issue. You can update your sound card driver or reinstall it using Device Manager.
Let’s show you how:
To reinstall the sound card driver, do the following:
- Press the
Windows key + Xcombination to bring up the Quick Access menu on Windows 10 or Windows 11.
- Select Device Manager.
- In Device Manager, locate “Sound, video and game controllers” and click it to expand its contents.
- Double-click your sound device to open its Properties dialog.
- Switch to the Driver tab.
- Click the Uninstall Device button.
- When you get the warning prompt that you’re about to uninstall your sound device driver from your system, click Uninstall to confirm your action.
- Reboot your computer, and the sound driver will be automatically reinstalled.
Update your sound card driver if it’s old
If the sound card driver is old and requires an update, follow these steps:
- Right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select Device Manager.
- The Device Manager app will open.
- Locate the Sound, video and game controllers option and expand it.
- Right-click your sound device and select Update driver.
- Choose the Search automatically for updated driver software option.
- Windows will attempt to locate and download the latest driver for the device. If it can’t find any, it will inform you that the best drivers for your device are already installed.
Use Auslogics Driver Updater to automatically update drivers
You can simplify the process of updating your sound drivers by using a reputable driver updater like Auslogics Driver Updater.
This tool will scan your PC and present a comprehensive list of devices with obsolete drivers.
You can update an individual driver by clicking the Update button or, if you have a premium license, bring all your device drivers up to date with a single click.
Related: Auslogics Driver Updater: Update Your Drivers in One Click!
Fix 2: Use another format for the microphone
It is possible that the microphone malfunctions because the wrong audio format is in use. You can try other sound formats and stick with the one that stops further self-muting.
If you don’t know how to change the sound format, follow these steps:
- Right-click the icon and select Sound settings then scroll down the Sound window and click the More sound settings link.
- The Sound dialog will open.
- Make sure you’re on the Recording tab.
- Double-click your current sound device to open its Properties dialog.
- Switch to the Advanced tab.
- Click the drop-down arrow under Default format and choose an option different from the one currently in use. The option you choose should be a 16-bit option.
- Click Apply to save your changes and then OK to close the dialog.
Your PC’s mic should be working fine now.
Wrapping Up
When a PC microphone keeps muting itself, it isn’t funny to the affected user. This type of bug interrupts conversations over VoIP software, like Skype, and should be nipped in the bud.
This article presents a few methods to stop the self-muting issue from happening again. It explains how to fix a microphone that keeps turning itself down using the correct steps.
Hopefully, this article has helped you to regain full control of your internal or connected microphone. We’d like to hear about your experience. Hit us up in the comments.
FAQ
Make sure the microphone is at the right volume and that the mute feature is turned off. If the microphone lacks physical mute controls, make sure it’s not muted or turned down by checking the sound settings in your operating system. Mice mute problems on your desktop can also be fixed by updating the audio drivers, looking for software conflicts, and adjusting the system-wide mute settings. To access the Sound settings, simply perform a right-click on the taskbar’s volume icon and choose “Open Sound settings.” Make sure the right microphone device is set as the default recording device by selecting it under the Input tab. Look for any volume or mute settings that might be interfering with the microphone and make the necessary adjustments. To ensure that the microphone works properly, make sure that any system-wide mute settings, such as those found in communication or conference applications, are disabled. Check and make any necessary adjustments to any third-party programs or applications that might be in charge of the microphone settings. If the microphone is muting itself unintentionally, you can try to fix any compatibility issues by updating the audio drivers using Device Manager or the manufacturer’s website.
