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Headset Microphone issue with Latitude E5430
I've been searching the net for some time now just to realize there are so many people with the same problem.
Still, I haven't come across anyone with Latitude 5430.
I have bought A4Tech G500 headset which comes with 4-pole jack (combo). When I plug it in, I can hear sound perfectly fine, but my in-built microphone keeps picking up sound instead of the microphone in the headset.
My Dell is running Win 10, upgraded from Win7. I have no experience with Win7 since I got this laptop as a gift already upgraded to Win10.
When I go to Recording devices, I see that Windows recognizes the mike, it switches from the first High Definition Audio Device to the second one. When I unplug the headset, it highlights the first one instead . So it recognizes it just physically. But it picks up no sound.
I have to say that I'm desperate for the solution since my job is highlydependent on the quality of the sound. If I hadn't received the complaint about the sound quality from my customer, I would continue living under the impression that my external mike works just fine.
How can I solve this?
Please help! Many thanks is advance!
Jim Coates
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February 8th, 2017 04:00
"High Definition Audio Device" is the name that Windows gives to its native audio driver. The native driver does not support the external mic port, in most cases. The solution is usually to install the manufacturer's audio driver. The manufacturer of the audio chip on the motherboard was IDT.
Unfortunately Dell does not support Win10 on that model, so some functions might not work like they would with Win7. The workaround is to attempt to install the IDT version 1.0.6491.0 (for Win7, 8, & 8.1) into the Win10 operating system, using compatibility mode. I see that you found the instructions in another thread, but I will repeat them here.
1. Download and save the audio driver to your desktop or any convenient location on the hard drive. [There are two "formats" on the driver's page. Scroll down to the 2nd one, named "Hard Drive" format, and download that one, not the 1st one named "Windows Update Package".]
2. Double click on the new folder to extract (unzip) the driver files.
3. The extractor wizard will create a new folder for the driver files. It will be at "c:\dell\drivers\xxxxxx". Write down the exact location that the wizard creates.
4. If the driver begins to install automatically, halt (cancel) the installation.
5. Browse to the driver files on the hard drive (the location you wrote down).
6. Find the "setup.exe" file.
7. Right click on setup.exe to open the context menu.
8. Select the Properties.
9. Select the Compatibility tab.
10. Check the box "run this program in compatibility mode for"... Win8. [In my original instructions I had said to use Win7 compatibility, but the other poster found that using Win8 worked better.]
According to Karel, in the other thread, the success might depend on the particular build of Win10. If you still have trouble, consider getting a usb mic. It would be worth the cost if your job depends on it. Usb audio devices have their own "soundcard" built in, so do not rely on the IDT audio system or its drivers. Usb audio does depend on a usb audio driver that is native to Windows, but it is a different driver than the regular native audio driver that you are currently having trouble with.
Anchie
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February 8th, 2017 08:00
Jimco, thanks a bunch for heads up! :)
I appreciate your quick reply, it means a lot to me.
I've been to the tech-store today and I took my Dell and the headset with me to try an USB Sound Adapter just like this one: http://www.jakovsistem.com/product_images/207/47/52969/snd0072a00000_2_650_21720.jpg
And it worked like a charm! The only thing is that the settings options for this USB sound are limited... :emotion-42:
I would like to install the IDT update package as you suggested, but I'll have to restart my Dell afterwards. I avoid restarting it because it messes with my camera which is also important for my work. :emotion-7: And I posted the camera related question in DELL Video forum yesterday.
And now that you wrote that Latitude E5430 doesn't support Win 10, I'm thinking about downgrading....
What do you think about giving up on Win 10 and getting back to Win 7?
Jim Coates
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February 10th, 2017 06:00
Sorry that this reply was not as fast. The forum is supposed to send me e-mail notifications of posts & replies on this board but usually fails to do so, and that is the case here.
That's sort of confusing. That type of adapter is for a headset with 2 plugs -- one for the headphones and one for the mic. In your earlier post you said you had a headset with a combo plug, and I would not expect it to work with the adapter in the picture. That was why I suggested you get a usb mic, and didn't suggest a usb jack like that one.
I have a Latitude E5420 with Windows 7 64-bit, and IDT audio, so what I see in my settings is probably the same thing you would see if you install the IDT driver, and the only setting I have for the combo jack mic is the levels, so I don't know if the combo jack would have any advantage over a usb mic, as far as settings.
If you don't want to restart the laptop then maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to install a different operating system, but here are a few thoughts about doing it.
When the laptop originally left the factory, it had a way to get back to the original factory configuration, called Factory Image Restore, which included the Windows 7 operating system, the factory-installed drivers, and whatever special software Dell installed, such as Webcam Central. The ideal thing would be to perform a system recovery (revert to the factory configuration), if it is still possible. The reason that would be ideal is because it is very fast, and it is the perfect hardware diagnostic. Anything that fails to work immediately after a system recovery (e.g. before Windows Update is allowed to mess with the configuration) has suffered hardware failure. So if you were to perform a system recovery and the webcam still did not work right, then you would know that it needs to be replaced, or has a loose connection. The drawback is that Win7 will be the same version from years ago, and will need a lot of downloading to catch up. Also, some or all of the drivers will be older versions and you might want to update those, but if so I would turn off Windows Update and just get any newer versions directly from Dell. I would still use Windows Update to update Windows itself, and to get security patches.
If you install Windows 7 by some method other than system recovery (e.g. installation cd), then you will have to figure out which drivers are needed and manually install them in the correct order. When done, the laptop will not have the original factory configuration, so if anything does not work you won't know if it is due to hardware failure or some software problem.
It is easy to perform a system recovery if the laptop still has the Dell Factory Image. Instructions. If the Image is missing, then restoration can be performed using the recovery media that the original owner of the laptop could have created when the laptop was brand new. However most people don't create the recovery media, I think.
Whatever method of installing Win7 is used, afterward you will have to re-install any programs that weren't factory-installed, plus all of your data, so the laptop might be immediately unavailable for work.
Anchie
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February 12th, 2017 14:00
I don't mind late replies. I'm happy as long as I get some answers to some questions that really bother me.
As far as the adapter is concerned, I forgot to add that when I purchased the headset, I also got a sort of a splitter that divides this combo jack into mic and speakers separately. But they were of no use to me since my Dell features only a combo input. So, I used that splitter to plug my headset into a USB adapter.
I have some questions, and I'd appreciate answers much:
1. How can I check if I have Dell Factory Image?
2. If I install Win 7 in some other way, how can I learn what drivers I need and in what order I should install them?
3. "If you don't want to restart the laptop then maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to install a different operating system".
I'm not sure I understand how avoiding restarting Win 10 leads to not changing the operating system. As an amateur, I believed it might be the solution....
Thanks a bunch!
Jim Coates
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February 13th, 2017 05:00
Follow the instructions, and if the option to use Dell Factory Image Restore is not available, then the laptop no longer has the image.
I just meant that if I were concerned with restarting the laptop, I would hesitate to take on a big project like installing a different operating system. Restarting can lead to some changes to the laptop's configuration, but a new OS is a massive change in the configuration. Even though it can be a painless procedure, there is never complete certainly of what you might have to deal with on the other side, so it is a bit of a gamble if you can't use the Factory Image. You might want to make an image of your current configuration so that you can re-install it if things get too hairy.
You can find all of the drivers that Dell has released for the Latitude E5430 on Dell's E5430 html page. The operating system that each item is for is in the right hand column. WT = Win10, and WB = Win8.1, but there are not many for those OSes.
Ignore the column labelled Importance. That reflects Dell's suggestions for updating an installed driver. It doesn't tell you anything at all about whether or not to install the driver in the first place. In other words, "optional" does not mean that the driver itself is optional, only that the upgrade is.
Some of the items on html page are baffling. Remember that the Latitudes are business computers, and it was assumed that an IT specialist would be managing these systems, so there is more technical stuff than you would find with the consumer models like Inspiron.
Some of the drivers require that you know what hardware is installed in the laptop. That info would have been on the original invoice, which you might not have. There is a way to discover devices from their device ID's, but that is another topic.
I'll paste some information from a Dell guide for the Latitude E models. The E5430 is a 4th generation model, so I deleted the items that were only for previous generation models.
This is their suggested order of drivers.
o BIOS [Note that if you try to install a BIOS and the attempt fails, that usually bricks the motherboard, and Dell won't fix it if the laptop is not under warranty unless a Dell employee instructed you to update the BIOS. I would just leave it alone unless there are specific issues that a newer BIOS would fix.]
o Intel Chipset - Helps Windows control system board components and controllers.
o Dell Desktop System Software - A compilation of critical Microsoft QFEs updates (If you can't find this, ignore it. Older Dell's had that software but at some point Dell phased it out.)
o Media Memory Card / SmartCard controller - Enables and enhances the Media Memory / SmartCard controller
o Intel Rapid Storage Technology
o Audio - Enables and enhances the audio controller
o Graphics:
o Integrated Wired Network Controller & Intel PROSet Utility / Application - Enables and enhances the network controller
o Networking & Communication
1. Wireless Local Area Network Adapters (WLAN) - Enables and enhances the Wireless LAN network adapter
2. Wireless Personal Area Network Adapter (UWB / WPAN) - Enables and enhances the UWB or Bluetooth Adapter
3. Mobile Broadband Wireless Wide Area Network Adapter (WWAN) - Enables and enhances the Broadband wireless Adapter
o Touch Pad / Track Stick / Pointer - Enhances the pointing device features
o Free Fall Sensor
o Modem - Enables and enhances the modem
o Intel vPro or AMT – Enhances System Manageability
o USB 3.0 (models that have it)
o Touch Screen Digitizer
o Control Vault Driver Update (FingerPrint Reader, Contactless Smart Card reader tied in DDPA package on E-Family 3rd & 4th generation systems)
These are suggested applications:
o Dell Feature Enhance Package (DFEP) - 2nd , 3rd & 4th generations Latitude E-Family & Mobile Precision
o Dell Data Protection | Access - 3rd & 4th generations Latitude E-Family & Mobile Precision
o Dell Data Protection | Encryption - 3rd & 4th generations Latitude E-Family & Mobile Precision
o Intel Responsiveness Technology, 4th generation Latitude E-Family & Mobile Precision
1. Intel® Smart Response Technology
2. Intel® Rapid Start Technology
3. Intel® Smart Connect Technology
I am not a windows expert -- it is outside of my area of interest. The people who could really help you with all of this are on the Operating System boards.