Microphone for game only works WHEN Skype is running

[SecondFifth]

OK, this one is truly weird. A friend with Windows 7, 64-bit is trying to use voice in an on-line game (Second Life), but it only works if a Skype session is also open, even if the Skype mikes are muted on both ends. (Second Life uses the Vivox Voice plugin.)

Clearly the hardware and network works, as we can voice and video chat in Skype just fine. We've tried this both with a plug-in headset (non-USB) and with just the built in mike, with the exact same behavior.

The configuration settings in Second Life are fine, and don't need to be touched to make things work --- provided SKYPE is running. As soon as we close the Skype Session, the microphone in Second Life goes stone dead. (The audio in Second Life, listening to voice, works all the time, whether Skype is on or not, headset or built-in speakers, both work fine.)

So, somehow, instead of MUTING everything else when voice is used in Skype, the computer is ENABLING something else when voice is used in Skype.

By the way, nothing is shown as muted in the control panel. Everything looks fine. Skype voice works fine. Headset works fine. It's maddening.

Any ideas, short of my posting pictures of every setting or reinstalling everything?

Regardless, I find the number of different microphone settings in Windows 7 to be surprising and confusing. I also have a W7-sp1-64-bit dell computer. Can anyone recommend a really good book, article, or video on what all these different mike channels are about? Is there some way to guarantee they are all always on?

 

[TrainableMan]

I wonder if your problem is the same as THIS? The solution there was to update to the latest sound drivers.

You might also try the Microsoft Fix-it for sound.

 

[louisgarcia1]

This problem occur once in my PC too. At that time I have uninstalled my sound driver & install it again after a reboot & My problem was solved. Implement this technique once, may be yours problem get solved too.