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Question

Microphone still not working!!!!!

Aug 24, 2016 1:49PM PDT

Ok, now I've just about had it with this ******* life and all it's ********, I am literally on the brink...
So the last, in a very long line of "this life sucks and nothing good can ever happen in it", thing is that me and a friend of mine decided we wanna play some online games and use VOIP(probably through skype).

So we fixed up his pc(his motherboard fried), we bought a new motherboard, some more ram, went to a provider and got him internet(and these things took some doing as we are both piss poor), etc. but no matter what I did I couldn't get the freaking microphone to work!!!!....

So here's what we got:

- windows 7 x64(ultimate edition I think);
- windows fully updated(apart from a few updates that failed to install, most having to do with net framework 4.5, still working on those);
- new motherboard is a Asus M4A78-EM(realtek onboard sound cad)
- latest win 7 64 drivers for the motherboard(audio included) from the asus website;
- no problems in device manager, no exclamation point, no question mark, no yellow, nothing;
- tried every possible combination of settings from the realtek sound manager and from windows sound panel;
- tried 2 pairs of headphones with microphone, extremely low chance that both have broken mics(they both behave exactly the same);
- tried the mic jacks both in the front panel of the case and in the back straight into the sound card, nothing. (if I insert the headphone jacks those work, just not the mics);
- literally went through about a dozen google search pages, tried several search phrases, read dozens of forums/posts, etc.;
- in the ******* end spent more money(that we do not have!) and bought a new Logilink usb sound card model UA0053. Nothing, behaves exactly the same as the onboard one.

Results: No matter what I do there are only 2 main results(depending on how I mess with the sample rate, bit depth, noise suppression and volume settings): eighter no sound at all when you speak in the mic, or just an annoying/constant buzzing sound. Once I managed to get rid of the buzzing and reduce the sound to a couple of crackles and pops(maybe from his speaking into it?) but nothing that would even closely resemble a human voice.

I'm really hoping someone can help me get the damn mics to work?!?!(preferably on the onboard sound card so I can return the other one and get our money back)
So please, tell me what the hell else can I do?! Cause I am right there man, right on the ******* edge of the cliff, this life just needs to push me one more time....

Thank you.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
You mention case connections.
Aug 24, 2016 2:11PM PDT

I find that case connections are a royal pain to setup. If anyone tried to wire that up they could have the motherboard jumpered worng (typo intended). Forget case connections and put the motherboard jumpers to stock.

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I'll check again, but I doubt I missed anything.
Aug 24, 2016 2:19PM PDT

I'm the one that handled the installing the hardware part too. And(not that I am a super expert or anything) but everything looked alright to me. I can take another look sure, but I believe I did everything correctly, just like I've done a dozen times before both for my personal pc and for other friends, and all our stuff works fine.

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So these mics work on your PC?
Aug 24, 2016 2:25PM PDT

I didn't read that yet. Also, keep in simple. Pull off the case audio connections, set it to stock until it begins to work.

ALSO, a real stumper like this last year found the back side of the motherboard shorted out. The builder installed too many mounting bolts.

Post was last edited on August 24, 2016 2:29 PM PDT

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That better not be it!....
Aug 24, 2016 2:49PM PDT

Sucks for him.. I stuck with the recommended number of bolts.
I wonder, could a short be THAT specific? Like I said, everything else works fine, he has a 5.1 sound system too(not a very impressive one but still), front speakers work, center/sub work, rear, line in, front panel panel has 2 jack slots 1 for headphones 1 for the mic, the headphone slots work.....

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"new motherboard is a Asus M4A78-EM(realtek onboard sound ca
Aug 24, 2016 3:05PM PDT

"new motherboard is a Asus M4A78-EM(realtek onboard sound cad)"

Forget the front panel. Go back to stock. Use the PINK JACK, check your mounting work and test those MICs.

Also forget Windows for testing. I use a number of Linux OSes to test hardware.

--> " I stuck with the recommended number of bolts. "
That's what the owner/builder said. But they had extras and shorted out the board. Chaching. 100+ dollar labor charge.

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I'll double check.
Aug 24, 2016 3:26PM PDT

I'll recheck all those things tomorrow(it's late at night now) except for the linux part. I'd get no joy if it worked under linux, I need it to work under windows.
Don't get me wrong, if one day someone creates a linux distro with full windows games compatibility I'll be the first one to jump on it, cause I really am sick and tired of windows. But until then... I just can't give up my games...

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You are now a PC tech.
Aug 24, 2016 3:35PM PDT

If this was in fact new, then you are a consumer. At this point you are a tech using the tools to be sure the hardware is good. Rolling back to basics, testing with tools and working it like you do in the shop.

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Still no joy....
Aug 25, 2016 8:32AM PDT

Well, I rechecked everything today and sadly I was right, everything checks out. So **** it, I'm done, I can't take anymore of this....
Thank you for trying to help guys, but no more, Tuesday we're taking the pc to a service shop and let them fix it if they can.... I've spent too much time, energy, money, bad blood on this....

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Clarification Request
Looked up the M4A78-EM and it's from 2009!
Aug 24, 2016 2:31PM PDT

I wonder if you have someone's returned board?

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PS. Mic goes to the pink jack.
Aug 24, 2016 2:33PM PDT

Why I ask for more detail is my son's new headset does not have 2 plugs. His headset would require an adapter for this old board.

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Yeap, mic in pink.
Aug 24, 2016 3:03PM PDT

Yeah both headphones have 2 jacks, 1 for the headphone speakers and one for the mic and they work independently of each other. So no adapter needed.

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Not enough money....
Aug 24, 2016 2:59PM PDT

It's second hand mate. Like I said we ain't rich, far from it, and getting a brand new board would have required more upgrades like a new cpu, going from ddr2 to ddr3, etc. We don't have that kind of money.
I bought it from an authorized shop that deals in SH too. They tested it and installed the latest bios before I got it from them. It also comes with a 6 month warranty, so if worse comes to worst I can send it back and get my money, no problem. But I wanna make sure first. I don't wanna waste more time and probably more money getting another board just to find out in the end that it was a stupid windows bug, or a silly workaround or something....

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Answer
I'd start with testing those mics.
Aug 24, 2016 2:07PM PDT

Do the mics work on any machine found?

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I'll retest them just to make sure.
Aug 24, 2016 2:25PM PDT

Both his headsets are from me. One is older and I gave it to him because one of the speakers was starting to fail, but the mic was working fine at the time. The other one(though I never got a chance to use/test it's mic) is brand new, I gave it to him because I received a better pair as a gift like 1 week after I had bought the ones I gave him.
I'll retest them tomorrow on 2 other pcs. If they work what else can it be?

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Answer
That UA0053
Aug 25, 2016 9:52AM PDT