A common issue with microphones is that they start picking up the sounds coming from the headset. If you come across this situation, there’s no need to replace your headset or microphone right away. While that is a reliable fix, you can save money if you’re willing to try a few things first, such as the methods below.
Why Does Your Microphone Pick Up Your Headset’s Audio?
One reason is that the microphone isn’t set up properly. For instance, there may be a problem with the way you plugged your headset or microphone in. You can easily fix this by plugging your headset or microphone in again. Another reason may be that there are multiple microphones enabled at the same time, so always make sure that only one mic is active. Sometimes there are other internal issues with your computer that can cause this to happen. Let’s take a look at some of the fixes for these scenarios.
How to Fix the Issue
The methods described below aren’t guaranteed to work on all headsets. With each headset and computer, there are different factors that can cause problems. If none of these methods work for you, it may be time to replace your headset or get a separate microphone. Note: for this tutorial we used a Windows 11 computer. If you’re using an older version of Windows or a different operating system entirely, the interface might be slightly different.
1. Run Windows Troubleshooter
Before you go dig deeper into your computer’s settings, try using your operating system’s built-in troubleshooting tool first. Follow the directions below to use Windows Troubleshooter to fix the headset microphone issue:
2. Tweak Your PC’s Sound Settings
Having more than one microphone plugged in and enabled at the same time may cause them to pick up audio from your computer. Checking your computer’s sound settings and disabling other microphones that your computer is using may help to resolve this issue. Follow the steps below:
3. Maintain Your Audio Drivers
Updating your audio driver may be the solution to your woes since it will install the latest suitable driver for your computer. Additionally, driver updates help to maintain the sound quality that your audio device produces, and an outdated audio driver can be one reason your microphone is picking up your headset’s audio. Moreover, disabling and enabling your audio driver is not something to be worried about, as it will only refresh the driver you’re working with. Note: Uninstalling or disabling your audio drivers while your audio devices are in use is quite risky, as it can cause issues with how the devices work. However, Windows will reinstall selected drivers as needed when you reboot. If no re-installation occurred on your end, you can download audio drivers from your motherboard or computer’s product page.
Update Audio Drivers
Even if your Windows PC automatically pulls updates in from sources, there are times that it fails to fully download and install new updates due to connection issues and other factors, so sometimes you’ll need to manually update your audio drivers.
Disable and Enable Audio Drivers
Disabling your audio drivers doesn’t get rid of them and only stops them from running and supporting relevant devices. Enabling them should get them back to working normally. Disabling and enabling your audio driver sometimes doesn’t fix your microphone picking up headset audio. If the problem persists, proceed to the third method, uninstalling and reinstalling your audio driver.
Uninstalling and Reinstalling Audio Driver
Uninstalling your audio driver fully removes the software support for your audio devices. If you can’t find the drivers when it’s time to reinstall, simply restart your computer, as audio drivers usually automatically reinstall themselves if not detected upon boot up. Note: if the audio drivers in your system didn’t automatically reinstall, you can manually download and reinstall them from your motherboard or computer’s product page. Image credit: Pixabay All screenshots by Natalie dela Vega
