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I have trouble using the mic input of my Dell Inspiron 3542 laptop, which is out of warranty (so no Dell support).

When I use any application requiring a mic, there is no input from the built-in microphone. I have also plugged in two different headsets with a 3.5mm jack but neither one worked.

I have gone through all of the steps mentioned on troubleshooting websites (e.g. this one and this). I am so desperate that I even tried Microsoft help.

Also, I noticed that if I put my finger on the tiny hole, above the monitor where mic is installed, an echoing sound starts to come. If I tap my finger on it, it does recognize some tap sound.

I also uninstalled the mic from Device Manager, updated the driver, ran Windows update and have updated BIOS and other drivers using Dell Support.

So at this point, I am completely out of ideas of troubleshooting.

However, I did notice that when I plug in a headset through USB, the headset mic records audio fine.

I have already checked these questions:

K7AAY
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Farhan
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  • @K7AAY Out of warranty and do not want to give $100 to Dell. – Farhan Apr 14 '20 at 23:26
  • 1) Can you use a Bluetooth audio source, such as a Bluetooth headset, and test recording audio from it? 2) Does it work if you make a Linux LiveUSB and test with a different OS? 3) Can you get a very small light source (like a single LED on a battery or bore scope light) , put it up to the audio jack, and see if there's a foreign object in there? https://www.amazon.com/Scope-Flexible-Light-Chamber-Inspection/dp/B00DE7M2YS or https://www.wish.com/product/5d63a3925f4d531cba172e59? – K7AAY Apr 14 '20 at 23:49
  • Linux LiveUSB: Download MATE or Xubuntu from https://ubuntu.com/download/flavours . Check for download errors by following https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/tutorial-how-to-verify-ubuntu#0 . Make a LiveUSB following these instructions on your Windows PC https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/tutorial-create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#0 then reboot and choose the USB Flash Drive to boot from. – K7AAY Apr 14 '20 at 23:51

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