External Mic Not Working

Hello. What is the full model name of the laptop, the operating system, the model of the headset?

Okay. Open the Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc into the search box) and expand Sound...Controllers. If you do not see "Sigmatel" then you are using the native Windows audio driver which does not recognize external mics.  If that is the case then install the Sigmatel audio driver. There was not one for 7 so you have to use the Vista version.

Download Sigmatel R171788 and extract the files (unzip or unpack and make a note of the name of the folder that is created) but cancel the installation process. Go to the folder on the hard drive to which you unpacked the driver files
c:\Dell\Drivers\Rxxxxxx  

Find the setup.exe file and right click on it. Select the Properties. Find the compatibility tab and select Vista.

After the driver is installed, go to the Control Panel and click on Sigmatel. Check the option to allow popups if it is not already checked. When you plug in your mic you should get a popup configuration window. Select mic, not line-in. (If you don't check "allow popups" then the jack configuration defaults to either mic or line-in. If it is line-in then the mic won't have enough boost to work.)

Note that the Vista version is most compatible with 7, but you ought to be able to use the same method above to install the XP version, Sigmatel R171789. That driver has stereo mix, which the Vista version lacks.

It's a Dell Latitude D630, operating system: Windows 7 Professional 32-bit (6.1, build 7601)

and the headset : Sades SA-708 

Can you please make a video for this please? Because I did get it a bit. I installed Sigmatel, made it compatible with windows vista. Now all I'm stuck on is the control panel bit. I can't find the sigmatel thing on the control panel. Thanks - Grimm

I would need to have a D630 with Windows 7 to make a video of it, but I can put in some screen shots that I have..

After you have a Sigmatel driver installed, if you open the Recording tab of the Sound properties it should look more or less like this (but yours won't have "microphone array" because that was not a feature available at the time the D630 was released):

You should make "mic/line-in" the default device. If you don't see mic/line-in, right click on a blank spot in the box to open the context menu and select to show disabled devices.

When you open the Control Panel, in the upper right corner where it says "View by", you can choose Category, Large Icons or Small Icons. Choose either of the Icons, just not Category.

I don't have a screen shot of Sigmatel in the Control Panel but it should be there with the S's. The list is alphabetical but from left to right instead of the usual top to bottom.

I'm really sorry for wasting your time. I can't find sigmatel on the control panel. :(

But I am saving up to make a gaming pc, so that should work :)

Again, sorry for wasting your time on me. You've been a real help! :emotion-21:

Thank you. I hope you don't feel like your questions are an imposition. I do this as a hobby and need questions to attempt to answer and puzzles to try to solve.

So your Sigmatel audio driver does seem to be installed -- you see the word "Sigmatel" on the Recording and Playback tabs of the Sound properties?

and do you see "Microphone/Line In -- Sigmatel High Definition Audio Codec" on the Recording tab?

If the Sigmatel driver is installed, you might be able to go to the control panel by typing Sigmatel into the Start>search box. That works on the laptop models with IDT audio but I don't know for sure it works on models with Sigmatel.