• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TechLila

Bleeding Edge, Always

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Deals and Offers
Techlila Logo
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
58 Shares
How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint
Up Next

How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

Skype Problem with Recording Device

TechLila Internet

How to Fix the Skype Problem with Recording Device

Avatar of Rimil Dey Rimil Dey
Last updated on: February 20, 2019

A great many people have continuously faced the skype problem with recording device issue. Nothing is more frustrating than error messages popping up on the screen while trying to have a decent conversation. And the problem with recording device seems to be one of the most common issues experienced by users nowadays.

Skype is one of the most popular means of communication and saves users quite a lot of money. It provides some of the best in class services, be it instant messaging, video calling or sharing media. It also has some chat commands that are useful for frequent users. A solution to this might be a welcome sight for many users, who still want to stick to this application rather than seeking out other alternatives. This article will focus on solutions to resolve the error so that you can return to uninterrupted, quality calls with your friends and family. There are a few reasons which contribute to the Skype problem with recording device error. We will list down all the problems one by one and provide the steps to troubleshoot them.

Perform Hardware Checks on your Microphone

Before we dive into more complex troubleshooting procedures, we will perform a few basic checks. If the Skype recording problem occurred because of trivial reasons, then these checks will resolve the issue with minimum efforts.

Step 1 – First and foremost, you must verify that your microphone is working properly. Check if your microphone or inbuilt mic is muted. If you use a wireless microphone, ensure that it has enough batteries. The application will notify you in case it was unable to detect your microphone. Hence this might be a reason why you faced the problem with a recording device in the first place.

Skype Microphone Problem
Step 2 – If you are using a headset, your headset must be the default choice for the microphone in your system. To verify this, do the following

  • Press the Windows key + R combination. In the Run dialog which subsequently opens, enter “mmsys.cpl” to open the Sound and Audio window. mmsys.cpl Command
  • On this window, select the Recording tab and make sure it is the default selection. If it is not the default choice, select the Set Default option and click OK. Microphone Default Sound

Step 3 – Finally, test your microphone by saying something. Check and see if the sound-levels on the right side of your microphone entry is rising. If you see the levels rise, your microphone is working correctly. Else, there is a possibility of a hardware issue with your microphone.

In case you are still experiencing the Skype problem with a recording device and are convinced it is not a hardware issue, go for the methods described next.

Disable Exclusive Control of your Microphone

Most users will experience the problem with recording device sometime after they have upgraded the Windows operating system. A change in setting can lock out Skype from hardware and trigger the “problem on recording device” error. The setting responsible for this issue is a sound priority one, called “Exclusive Control”, which gets overridden by updates performed by the Windows Updater.

Step 1 – Press the Windows key + R combination to bring up the Run dialog once again and enter “mmsys.cpl” to access the Sound and Audio window.mmsys.cpl Command

Step 2 –  Select your microphone and press Properties. Select the microphone of your headset in case you are using one, instead of the inbuilt mic).Select Microphone

Step 3 – In the Microphone Properties, press the Advanced tab, and uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device. Hit Apply to apply the changes and OK to confirm them.Advanced Settings

Step 4 – Also, go to the Levels tab in the same dialog and modify the volume and boost levels. Increase the Microphone volume to 100% and decrease the Microphone boost to 0%. Click Apply and OK again to apply and confirm your changes.Levels Settings

Step 5 –  After this, open Skype and go to Tools > Options > Audio Settings.Skype Audio Settings

Step 6 – From the drop-down menu with names of microphones, select the microphone you previously disabled exclusive control for. Uncheck Automatically adjust Microphone Settings and set the volume to 100%. Once the Skype recording device problem is solved, you can always change back the volume if you find it too loud).Skype Microphone Settings

To verify if modifying the settings resolved the issue, make a free Skype test call. You will be calling a test number called Echo123 and will be required to record a message and hear it back. If you were able to hear your message, the problem is resolved. If your test call fails, proceed to the next procedure to troubleshoot the issue.

See also
Want to Be Amazing at Skype Commands? Here’s How

Reinstall/Update your Sound Card Driver

There is a high chance now that the issue is related to the audio driver of your system. If you face this issue on your laptop, you must check if you have the generic Realtek drivers installed on your system. The Realtek audio drivers conflict with some laptop models which require vendor specific drivers specifically tailored and configured to the laptop model. Reinstalling these vendor-specific audio drivers will help resolve the issue.

Step 1 – Press the Windows key + R combination to bring up the Run dialog. Type “devmgmt.msc” to bring up the Device Manager.devmgmt Command

Step 2 – In Device Manager, go to Audio Inputs and outputs. Select the required microphone, right-click on it and click Update Driver. Then select Search automatically for updated driver software. If the search determines a new version of the driver, right-click on the microphone and select Uninstall Device. This will uninstall the drivers and Windows will be forced to re-install the latest drivers. You might have to unplug and replug your headset to trigger the reinstall. Else you will have to restart the system, and that will get the reinstall started.

Update Audio Drivers
1. Update Audio Drivers
Search Automatically for Updated Driver
2. Search Automatically for Updated Driver
Driver Updates
3. Driver Updates

Step 3 – Once you restart your machine and have the audio drivers reinstalled, go to Skype and check if you are still experiencing the problem. If you don’t get any error, the problem is resolved. Else, perform the first step and continue with the steps mentioned below.

Step 4 – You should reach Device Manager by following the first step. Scroll down to Sound, video and game controllers. Locate your audio driver, right-click on it and click Uninstall Device.Uninstall Device

Step 5 – Check the box which says, Delete driver software for this device. Click the Uninstall button to complete the uninstallation. (If you use a headset, the drivers for that device must be reinstalled. You need not worry, that gets done when you plug in the device to your system again).Delete the Driver

Step 6 – Now that you have successfully uninstalled your audio drivers, you need to reinstall them. Go to your manufacturer’s website and download them from the Downloads section. If you have trouble finding your device driver, just do an online search for “your device model + audio driver”. Select the official link from the search results, download and install the audio drivers.

(If you could not install your audio drivers from the vendor-provided list, download and install the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver.)

Step 7 – Once the driver is installed, restart your machine and do the Skype test call again. The Skype recording problem should be resolved and you will not be getting any more “problem on recording device” messages.

Conclusion – Fixes to the Skype Problem with Recording Device

Following the troubleshooting procedures mentioned above, you will be able to get rid of the annoying Skype problem with recording device. You will be able to continue calling your friends and family on Skype without annoying error messages floating on your screen.

Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
58 Shares

Disclosure: Content published on TechLila is reader-supported. We may receive a commission for purchases made through our affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Read our Disclaimer page to know more about our funding, editorial policies, and ways to support us.

Sharing is Caring

Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
58 Shares
Avatar of Rimil Dey

Rimil Dey

Rimil is a web developer and an aspiring iOS developer from Bangalore. She loves reading, baking and learning about new things in general, and technology in particular.

Category

  • Internet

Tags

Skype

Reader Interactions

What people are saying

  1. Avatar of EmranEmran

    Very good post. Loved it!

    Reply

Add Your Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Popular

How to Increase Broadband Speed on Windows

10 Best Android Launchers of 2021

Things to Do After Installing Windows 10 – Windows 10 Tips and Tricks

Top 10 Search Engines You Can Use to Search the Web Privately

55 Interesting Computer Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

What to Look for When Buying a Laptop – A Laptop Buying Guide

Fusion Drive Vs SSD – Things Nobody Tells you About Fusion vs SSD Storage

Useful Tools

• Grammarly – Free Grammar Checker
• SEMrush – The Best SEO Tool Trusted by Experts
• Setapp – One-stop subscription for Mac and iOS

Trending Topics

  • Android
  • Internet
  • iPhone
  • Linux
  • Macintosh
  • Security
  • Social Media
  • Technology
  • Windows

Worth Checking

10 Best Sound Equalizer for Windows 10 (2022 Edition!)

14 Best VLC Skins that are Highly Recommended and Free

Footer Logo Footer Text Logo

Footer

About

Hello and welcome to TechLila, the famous technology blog where you can find resourceful articles for mastering the basics and beyond.

At TechLila, our main goal is to provide unique information, such as quality tips and tricks, tutorials, how-to guides on Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Android, iPhone, Security and a few miscellaneous sub-topics such as reviews.

Links

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

Follow

Custom Theme Using Genesis Framework

Cloud hosting by Cloudways

Language

en English
bg Българскиzh-CN 简体中文nl Nederlandsen Englishtl Filipinofr Françaisde Deutschid Bahasa Indonesiait Italianoja 日本語pl Polskipt Portuguêsro Românăru Русскийsr Српски језикes Españolsv Svenskatr Türkçeuk Українськаvi Tiếng Việt

© Copyright  2012–2023 TechLila. All Rights Reserved.