Microphone works fine, then fails

[Brett1]

I have a problem running a zoom meeting.  The meeting starts perfectly with the selected microphone and speakers all 100% functional.  I am using a Windows 10 (now 11) desktop with 32GB RAM 3TB SSD and ethernet link to my WLAN-Router.  During the meeting at intermittent frequencies, my microphone becomes unavailable within Zoom.  Nothing has changed, no other app has been initiated, no other app is running in the background.  Zoom advises in a comment in the bottom left hand corner of my screen above the Audio section shown with a microphone image:

"Your microphone is not working. Please check your connection or use a different mic."

What I do to solve this problem is to click on the dropdown list of the Audio to the right of the microphone image, select the mic I was using and and then functionality is restored for a while, duration variable.

This happens whether I use the microphone on my Logitech Streamcam or a DUAL conference mic wired into the microphone slot at the back of my unit. This is definately a software problem, the microphones are all correctly plugged in and authorised to Zoom usage.

Please advise.  I am about to purchase a full licence for meetings with 3 or more people, and I don't know if it will be worth it!

[Brett1 · Accepted solution]

This is an update for anyone else who might get this problem.

Based on the advise of an engineer at the supplier of this machine, I performed a Windows system reset.

Problem solved.

Brett 😊

[8675309]

Thx for the advice!  I’ll try this to do windows reset- hope that goes ok cause I have no idea what that entails!  My kids zoom

classes work 50% of the time with sound microphone.  Wish zoom just came out and warned the community about this.  Middle schoolers need to use their voice! 

[8675309]

Also… does windows just mean windows restart?  Of does this mean windows factory reset?  

[Brett1]

This means a factory Windows reset.

Here is a guide: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/factory-reset-windows-10

[8675309]

Thx Brett, we restarted windows and that worked.  I’m not sure about factory reset.  I don’t know how to back up files etc… 

[8675309]

If it acts up again, I appreciate this link you shared to refer to-.  

[Mari476]

sorry to hear that we will try to fix the problem quickly as possible

[VA]

@Brett1 I'm so sorry your original post didn't have a reply yet, but thank you very much for taking the time to come back to the Zoom Community and share the solution that worked for you! This is sure to help other Community members and we really appreciate it! 😊

[MoForager]

I have a similar problem but with brand-new otherwise Bose headphones connected via Bluetooth to a MacBook Pro running MacOS Monterey 12.1. Zoom audio settings are correct and the sound checks are perfect. After 15-20 minutes the other Zoom participants hear a crackle from my mic, this gradually gets worse and worse until I leave the meeting. I log straight back in again, the sound is then immediately clear, but only for 15-20 minutes. Zoom seems to 'get tired'! This is hugely frustrating. Would it help if I cable them together? From the above comments it sounds as if it won't. My current workaround is to try using the Bose headphone only as Speakers and the Built-in Internal Microphone as the Microphone. But it shouldn't have to be this way. Any help welcome.

[Jojojo]

Waiting for this answer, bose qc 45 macbook air m1 2020.. microphobebin headset works poorly

[parkdalejimn]

I'm running Mac Sonoma 14.6.1 on a Mac Mini & I'm losing my microphone every 10 min. or so....I pull out the USB microphone connection & plug it in to a different one & that seems to work for a while.  Although this is very annoying as I'm chairing a couple of meetings, I'm glad to learn that others have this problem, so maybe the ZOOM team can fix this.....for the poor sods on Windows, doing a factory reset is a bit extreme, maybe plugging & unplugging like I'm doing will provide a temporary fix...

[whermymicat]

zoom over here building an "AI companion" ... but us users are scouring the forums just trying to figure out why our mic works in the test but fails when joining a call.