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Dell's Realtek audio driver is broken, need a fix
Inspiron 7737 comes with Realtek audio. The volume on microphones is not properly set in the driver, with the result that using Skype and the like is not workable. The Realtek driver supplied on Realtek's site fixes this problem perfectly. So why am I posting?
The Dell-supplied Realtek driver includes the software that drives a pop-up dialogue. The dialogue allows you to specify what it is that has been plugged into the audio input socket. This is necessary because the audio socket in this case is a 4 pin single plug. Audio out is on by default but audio in (external microphone) is off by default. Unless you have the pop-up dialogue box working, it is not possible to use a external microphone.
I need to use an external microphone. The solution is simple. Find out from Dell how to have that pop-up box functioning (if it comes through an external program). Or, and this is what I suspect, the modification of the appropriate registry key probably does it.
So this is really a message for a Dell tech. Please provide a way to activate that dialogue box or a similar method, such as modifying registry keys, etc.
jphughan
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December 1st, 2017 14:00
I'm not familiar with the Inspiron 7737 specifically, but if it uses the Dell Audio app when the Dell-provided Realtek drivers are installed, launch that and go to Advanced > Jack information, which is where you'll find the checkbox to enable the pop-up dialog whenever a new device is connected.
TonyDuff
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December 2nd, 2017 04:00
This did not help at all. The whole point is that the Dell driver is broken. I need a manual fix to modify the audio setting using the non-Dell driver.
jphughan
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December 2nd, 2017 06:00
You said the solution was to make the pop-up box function and asked for a way to “activate” it. I told you how to enable it. If you’re saying you want Dell to provide a mechanism to control a non-Dell driver, that is highly unlikely to happen. The Dell Audio application is part of the Dell driver package, and in fact there’s a very good chance that the application is actually built by Realtek and just branded with the Dell logo.
There’s no way to control mic volume within Skype? There used to be. There’s also a way to do so within the Dell Audio application in the Dell-supplied drivers. Are you saying that with the Dell driver both of those controls are missing, non-functional, or what?
Saltgrass
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December 2nd, 2017 08:00
I agree the headphone microphone seems to be locked out. I only have an iPhone headset and it would not show a microphone connected. But it happens on both the Dell driver and Realtek (8186). This condition may be related to Cortana and steps they have taken to make it work.
Installing an Audio driver can be problematic. I ended up having to uninstall the prior device and all drivers before the Realtek one worked correctly.
The microphone on my Bluetooth headset works fine since it does not use the Waves audio. If you think about it, while using a wired headset, you will always be close enough to the system to use the built in surround microphones.
All of this was checked on my XPS 13 9365....