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Windows XP Microphone Settings

Learn how to check if your microphone is correctly configured, fix the settings if it isn’t.

Updated December 7, 2023

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1: Here’s how to set the microphone settings in Windows XP

One important thing to note as we begin this guide is that Microsoft ended support for Windows XP on April 8th, 2014 which means that XP no longer gets software and security updates. So, if possible, we recommend upgrading to a newer Windows version in order to benefit from Microsoft’s full support. However, if you have an issue right now, we're here to help.

Step 1: Click on Control Panel in the Windows start menu.

Step 2: Click on “Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices”.

Step 3: Click on Sounds and Audio Devices.

Step 4: Click on the ‘Audio’ tab.

Step 5: Under Sound recording click on ‘Volume’.

Step 6: Make sure that under ‘Microphone’ ’the checkbox ‘Select’ is checked. (What to do if you don’t see the word ‘Microphone’ in this window).

Step 7: In the same screen, check that the microphone volume is turned up (doesn’t have to be all the way, though it wouldn’t hurt).

2: What to do If you don’t see the word ‘Microphone’ in the Volume menu

Step 1: Click on Options and from the menu that drops down choose Properties.

Step 2: Make sure that the ‘Recording’ option is the one that’s marked.

Step 3: Check (mark) ‘Microphone’.

Click OK and then you will be brought back to the Volume options, where the Microphone options will now be visible.

Take me back to the step I was in.

3: What to do if your problem still isn’t solved

Step 1: Go back to the ‘Sounds and Audio Devices’ window, and to the ‘Audio’ tab in that window. (Repeat steps 1 to 4 in the first explanation to get there).

Step 2: Under the words ‘Default device:’ choose a different option from the menu that drops down (your options will likely be different from the screenshot here).

Step 3 : Click ‘Apply’

Step 4 : Check your microphone again using our microphone test or the Windows sound recorder.’

Step 5: If the microphone still isn’t working, repeat this explanation until all the different ‘Default device’ options are exhausted.

4: What to do if your problem STILL isn’t solved

If the problem still isn’t solved :

  • Check that your microphone isn’t muted (sometimes there’s a mute button on the microphone itself or on its cord),
  • Check that the mic is connected to the socket, and try disconnecting it and connecting it again.
  • Check that you can hear other sounds! Maybe it was the sound playback made you think that the mic isn’t working! You can try our sound test page.

    • If all of that doesn’t work then I’m afraid that your Windows XP microphone settings aren’t the problem, and your microphone is probably faulty (broken).