Latitude E6400 Built-In Microphone Not Working

microphone (which specifications say should be built in)

I might have missed it but the only mic I see in the documentation for that model is in the webcam assembly at the top of the display bezel. The webcam was an optional purchase on that model. Does the webcam itself work? Because if it does not then either it is not there or not working, and in either case the mic would not work. If you have a program named Dell Webcam Central in your list of programs then use that to control the webcam.

Even if the webcam is working the mic could have become defective. You can get a replacement webcam at the parts-people.

You could also check in the BIOS. I don't know about your model but some of the laptops have a mic option in the BIOS.

I have tried checking it is not muted, as well as disabling/enabling it again. It says it is enabled but (in recording devices) there is no movement/green lines rising to show that it is registering my voice. Setting up the microphone through the Control Panel doesn't work either.

Make sure that the levels are turned up.

I have tried installing the Dell Audio Drivers but it comes up with the following message: "The hardware detected is not supported by this IDT software package.

Go to this page and you can see all of the drivers that Dell has released for the E6400.

http://downloads.dell.com/published/pages/latitude-e6400.html

Try all of the Windows 7 IDT audio drivers. If none works then there is some other problem with the laptop and I would suggest performing a system recovery if the seller supplied the recovery media, or if the recovery image is still on the hard drive. If you are able to perform a system recovery and the mic still does not work then it is either missing or has failed.