Gah schoolboy error (Computer related)

*sigh* so about 2 weeks ago my rather expensive Senheisser headset starts to sound "far away" and giving lots of background noise.

A week ago it got so all you could hear were my PC fans (which are whisper quiet but like jet engines on the headset) and background noise.

2 weeks of troubleshooting on and off between work and baby.
* Check sound levels / boost
* Re-install drivers for sound card
* Re-install Codec packs
* Test different ports (2 on board, one sound card)
* Flash the firmware for the motherboard / on board sound
* Check forums
etc etc...

Finally decide to narrow the problem down by testing on the wifes laptop and I'm a little confused when I unplug my headset...but the Mic input is still showing activity....
Turn on loopback and sure enough I can hear the PC fans and the TV int he background...despite holding the mic leads in my hand.....

A bit of investigating turns up a Webcam I plugged in..about 2 weeks ago..when the problems started...that fell off the monitor behind the PC case about..1 week ago...when the sound got REALLY bad..
A quick once over shows it has a cheap built in USB mic...

Sure enough I unplug that and as if by magic my headset kicks in and sounds fine...seems this webcam is somehow disabling my mic while connected and setting itself as default input regardless of what I set in control panel.......

So fixed the mic problem, now to fix my pride >_<

I tried to get an old Dell Optiplex going as a computer for her in the living room. Only thing was, the sound wouldn't work, so I let it do the 'find drivers' thing and it found some.

EVERYTHING was high pitched, from the 'dunk' sound Windows makes to MP3s... it was quite funny having everything sounding like The Chipmunks but I noticed that CD audio played back fine.

Well done Windows, you chose the wrong drivers for the onboard sound.

lol that could of been ammusing.
Yeah I find that "find drivers" is nice to get stuff running but if you want it to work properly, best to crack open that case and check what the device actually is and get the right drivers.

BEst I managed was when I let my buddy borrow my software case in the middle of trashing my old PC saying yeah it's fine I'll download the drivers I need.

One format later and oh...I need network drivers ....which I can't download...because I can't connect to the internet...*sigh*

I would say floppy disk to the rescue for that driver problem but that's just showing my age isn't it?

3 1/4 or the propper FD's (5 1/4 - 8")

Originally Posted by metalangel

I tried to get an old Dell Optiplex going as a computer for her in the living room. Only thing was, the sound wouldn't work, so I let it do the 'find drivers' thing and it found some.

EVERYTHING was high pitched, from the 'dunk' sound Windows makes to MP3s... it was quite funny having everything sounding like The Chipmunks but I noticed that CD audio played back fine.

Well done Windows, you chose the wrong drivers for the onboard sound.

Had a dell mic consume itself too. Exactly the same symptoms

I don't think it was the driver, it's just a cheapo soundcard.