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Microphone problems
We have an Inspiron 1520 and recently attempted to use Skype. About 3 years ago I used Skype frequently without problems but this time when testing the microphone the replay is barely heard. I also can hear a type of feedback as if the microphone is open and when I type or touch the computer I can hear sound distortion.
Can anyone tell me how to get this back to running the way it's supposed to? When I looked at the control panel everything seemed to be correctly set.
Jim Coates
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June 2nd, 2014 05:00
Hello. If you still have the original hard drive and if it has never been wiped clean, run the audio tests in Dell 32-bit Diagnostics. It has a mic test. If the mic underperforms during that test then the mic hardware has failed and needs repair to work correctly.
If you no longer have the diagnostic you can try re-installing the drivers. Go to the Inspiron 1520 support page and select your operating system (XP or Vista are the only ones supported). Expand the "Mouse Keyboard Input Devices" category. Download and install the Creative Labs Integrated Webcam driver.
Expand the Applications category. Download and install the Creative Labs Dell Webcam Manager.
The mic at the top of your display screen is a part of the webcam hardware so you need those drivers. It also would not hurt to get a fresh copy of your audio driver. Expand the Audio category and download and install the Sigmatel audio driver.
1. Click Start.
2. Click either All Programs or Programs.
3. Click the Dell Webcam folder, then click the Dell Webcam Manager icon to open it.
4. In the Dell Webcam Manager, click the Dell Webcam Center.
5. In the lower right-hand corner of the Dell Webcam Center window, click the drop-down arrow next to Audio Source and click Digital Mic to enable the microphone. (On some models click Microphone/Line-in>More>Microphone Array Sigmatel.)
Also, if you have Vista, open the recording tab of the Sound properties (right click the audio icon on the taskbar, then click Recording devices. Make sure the internal mic or mic array is set as the default device.
Test the mic using a recording program like Windows sound Recorder (Start>Programs>Accessories). If the mic continues to have problems it could be a hardware failure. If you are comfortable working on computers you can remove the bezel around the display screen and check the connection to the webcam.