Built-in microphone on laptop

I have a built-in microphone in my laptop. When I speak into it, it’s audible through my speakers, but the computer’s recording software will not record anything. I am running Windows Vista. If you need to know anything else to help with this, ask and I shall answer, but it’s quite frustrating and I hope somebody can help.

Did you upgrade to Vista or is it the original OS on the laptop?
Are you using third party software or the windows recording tool?
Have you checked the Control Panel settings for Sounds and Audio Devices, and in particular the microphone source under the …Audio…Sound Recording Volume…Recording Control window? This should be set to Internal Microphone.

  1. Vista is the original OS on the laptop.
  2. Both third party software and the windows sound recorder will not recognize microphone input.
  3. My control panel gives me an icon for ‘Sound’, and no Audio tab inside. The three tabs are ‘Playback’, ‘Recording’, and ‘Sounds’. Recording only shows ‘Line In’ and it is listed as working. ‘Sounds’ is where you go to fiddle with the sounds Windows makes when you screw something up.

I am sorry I don’t have my Vista machine with me on the road to try and help troubleshoot.
Does anything in this thread help at all? http://www.miguelcarrasco.net/miguelcarrasco/2006/12/vista_microphon.html

Sample reply to the issue in the post:

"OH! Found it.

For everyone else…

Right click on the speaker icon in the tray.

Select “Recording Devices”

In the resulting dialog, make sure you have the “Recording” tab selected and in the middle of the empty area, right click and select “Show Disabled Devices”."