Microphone not working in Windows
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Symptom
Section titled “Symptom”Applications cannot find the microphone: it is missing from the list of input devices, sound is recorded very quietly, and people on calls cannot hear you. The level indicator in the sound settings does not react to your voice. The problem appears in all programs at once, not in just one.
Typical causes
Section titled “Typical causes”- Most often, a service involved in microphone operation (camsvc) is disabled — by an “optimizer” or manually — or microphone access is blocked in Windows privacy settings.
- Less often, the cause is the audio device driver after an update, the wrong default input device being selected, or the microphone itself.
Fix in BoosterX
Section titled “Fix in BoosterX”Open BoosterX, in the left menu select the “Fixes” section, type “Microphone” in the search, open the “Microphone” card and click “Fix”. Then restart Windows. The fix returns the camsvc service to its default startup type if it was disabled; microphone access in privacy settings should be checked separately. BoosterX can be downloaded from the official website boosterx.org.
How to check
Section titled “How to check”Open “Settings” → “Privacy” (in Windows 11 — “Privacy & security”) → “Microphone” and make sure access is allowed for you and for apps. Then record sound in the “Sound Recorder” app or talk on a call: the level indicator should move and the other person should hear your voice.
Manual alternative without BoosterX
Section titled “Manual alternative without BoosterX”Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter. Add the “Service name” column: right-click on the column headers → “Add/remove columns”, find the camsvc service. Right-click → “Properties” → “Startup type” → “Automatic” → “Apply”, then restart Windows. After that, check access: “Settings” → “Privacy” → “Microphone” — access must be enabled.
If it did not help
Section titled “If it did not help”The cause may be the audio device driver or the microphone itself; errors that coincide in time with the problem can be viewed in EventX. The self-diagnosis procedure is described in the “Troubleshooting” section. If the microphone still does not work, write to support.
Last checked: 2026-09-20. Full catalog of fixes.