Fix: Conexant HD Audio Microphone Driver not Working on Windows 10
Has your microphone stopped working after you installed the latest Windows 10 build? Well, I can tell you that you are not the only user who is having an issue with the audio drivers on Windows 10.
Follow the lines below and you will be able to fix your audio microphone driver and get going with your normal daily work.
Although your Microphone is showing as a normal default operational device in the Control Panel window, unfortunately, you cannot access Cortana.
The troubleshooting steps described involving using the built-in device troubleshooter to see if there is anything wrong with the device itself, uninstalling the driver and install it back in and removing errors affecting the system.
How to fix Conexant HD audio microphone driver in Windows 10
- Make sure that the microphone is enabled
- Launch Windows Troubleshooter
- Update the audio driver
- Download the latest audio drivers from your hardware manufacturer’s website
- Change the default format of your microphone
- Run a full system scan
- Update your OS
1. Make sure that the microphone is enabled
- Right-click on the speaker icon in the task tray > select Recording devices.
- Select your microphone > Properties.
- Make sure that the microphone is enabled.
2. Launch Windows Troubleshooter
- Go to search box and type troubleshoot > double click on the first result.
- Under Find and fix other problems, click on Hardware and Devices > launch the troubleshooter.
- Once the troubleshooting process completes, reboot your Windows 10 computer.
- Check again if your microphone is now working properly.
3. Update the audio driver
- Go to Start > type ‘device manager’ > double click the first result to launch the Device Manager.
- Locate the audio device driver in the left-hand pane.
- Right-click on it > select Update Driver.
- After you successfully updated the driver, reboot your computer.
- Check again if your microphone is working correctly.
4. Download the latest audio drivers from your hardware manufacturer’s website
Update drivers Manually
- If the update driver feature failed, to go on the manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver from there.
- After you successfully downloaded the driver, go to the directory where you saved it and right click on it.
- From the menu that appears, select Run as Administrator
Note: if you are asked for an administrator account and password please type it in. - Run the installation process normally and reboot your operating system afterward.
- Check again if you still have issues with your microphone.
Update drivers automatically (suggested)
Downloading drivers manually is a process that carries the risk of getting the wrong driver installed, which may lead to serious malfunctions. The safer and easier way to update drivers on a Windows computer is by using an automatic tool such as TweakBit Driver Updater.
Driver Updater automatically identifies each device on your computer and matches it with the latest driver versions from an extensive online database. Drivers can then be updated in batches or one at a time, without requiring the user to make any complex decisions in the process. Here is how it works:
- Download and install TweakBit Driver Updater
Once installed, the program will start scanning your PC for outdated drivers automatically. Driver Updater will check your installed driver versions against its cloud database of the latest versions and recommend proper updates. All you need to do is wait for the scan to complete.
- Upon scan completion, you get a report on all problem drivers found on your PC. Review the list and see if you want to update each driver individually or all at once. To update one driver at a time, click the ‘Update driver’ link next to the driver name. Or simply click the ‘Update all’ button at the bottom to automatically install all recommended updates.
Note: Some drivers need to be installed in multiple steps so you will have to hit the ‘Update’ button several times until all of its components are installed.
Disclaimer: some functions of this tool are not free.
ALSO READ: Fix: Microphone Not Working in Windows 10
5. Change the default format of your microphone
- Right-click the Sound icon in the bottom right of your screen > Recording
- Double click on the microphone to open Properties > click on Advanced
- Under the Default Format, choose any of the 16-bit options.
- Click Apply, then OK.
6. Run a full system scan
Malware may cause your microphone to stop working. Perform a full system scan in order to detect and remove any malware running on your computer. You can use Windows’ built-in antivirus, Windows Defender, or third-party antivirus solutions.
Here’s how to run a full system scan on Windows 10 Creators Update:
- Go to Start > type ‘defender’ > double click Windows Defender to launch the tool.
- In the left-hand pane, select the shield icon.
- In the new window, click the Advanced scan option.
- Check the full scan option to launch a full system malware scan.
7. Update your OS
Make sure that you’re running the latest Windows OS updates on your machine. Microsoft constantly rolls out Windows updates in order to improve the system’s stability and fix various issues, including microphone bugs that may trigger Conexant HD Audio Microphone Driver issues.
To access the Windows Update section, you can simply type “update” in the search box. This method works on all Windows versions. Then go to Windows Update, check for updates and install the available updates.
And there it is, you now have above some easy methods that will get your Conexant HD audio microphone up and running in Windows 10.
Also, if you do run into any more issues along the way drop us a line in the comments section of the page situated below and I will help you further as soon as possible.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been since completely revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
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