trying to get set up so i can skype. but my computer cannot "hear" my mic.

i have a pc. running windows xp. windows HELP leads me to believe that i do not have something enabled. it tells me i can enable/install using WORD. i don't have WORD. it tells me i can get set up via add/remove programs. but when i go there xp does not show up on my list of programs.

i freely confess to being a complete ignoramus when it comes to tech issues.

can anyone help my dumb *censored*, please?

thanx.

brainslam ....... Is it only skype that the mic isn't working with ?

If you go into control panel .... sound and audio device properties......... click the voice tab..... down at bottom ...find the "test hardware" button and click it ........ tell us what the wizard says.
Btw, do you know that your mic works ?
Where do you have the mic plugged in ?

dl65
i've never used voice on the computer before (this computer or any other). skype was to be my intro.

i did what you said and here's the reult:

the wizard could not complete the test because your voice was not detected.

it then tells me to make sure the mic is connected and turned on (the headset is plugged into the pink and green holes in the back of the computer and there is no on/off switch - also, when i blow into the mic i can hear it in the ear piece)

then the wizard tell me that if my voice is STILL not detected i will be able to hear what others are saying online but they will not hear me

thanx,

b

Search your the settings in your sound control software to see whether there's a microphone boost option. In my system, if I don't have that enabled, the mic is practically unusable. Here's a screen shot:

thank you. BUT... i can't even find that. yes, i'm that much of a techno-feeb.

i SEARCHED my hard drives for files that contain the words "microphone booster" and it turned up nothing.

any other ideas?

thanx,

b Searching the hard drive on the words "microphone booster"will not find this type of thing in your system. The reason is basically that the words "microphone booster", in the image I posted, are PART of the image; they can not be copied from that image as text.

Let's regroup here. I can not say for sure that you have a "microphone booster" feature in your system. This is going depend on the sound chip, sound driver and any sound software that's installed in your system. But, I believe "microphone booster" is a feature on many systems and, in those systems, it MUST be enabled in order for you to use your mic.

If you have a microphone booster option, the panel where you enable it may look quite different from mine. Again, it's going to depend on the specific sound software installed in your system.

Let's see whether we can determine exactly what sound device you have. Open Device Manager; to do this, right click on My Computer, select Properties, select the Hardware tab, and click on Device Manager. Locate "Sound, video and GAME controllers". Expand that item so that you can see the details of components under it. Do you see one item containing the words "PCI Audio Device"? Exactly what is the full title there?

In your system tray, the area in the lower right corner of your computer screen, do you have the standard Windows Sound icon or some other sound icon?