How to Get the Microphone Boost Option in Windows?

Some users have been complaining that they are missing the Microphone Boost option from their Microphone Properties menu. Although this option is available since Windows 7, several Windows 10 users are reporting that they can’t find any Microphone Boost slider inside the Levels tab of Microphone Properties.  Other affected users are reporting that aside from the Microphone Boost slider, the whole Enhancements tab is also missing.

What is the Microphone Boost feature?

Since Windows 7, Windows included a very helpful feature called Microphone Boost.  This feature allows you to boost the microphone levels while using voice-over-IP services such as Skype, Discord. etc. Microphone boost is a Windows setting that will boost the volume in order to recover audio quality.

So if you think your microphone level is too low at times, you can use the Microsoft Boost feature to increase the microphone volume under Windows 10. But this is only available if you have this option unlocked. If not, you’ll need to troubleshoot the issue with the methods below.

What is causing the Microphone Boost option to disappear from Windows 10?

We investigated this particular issue by looking at various user reports and the repair strategies that they deployed in order to get the Microphone Boost option back. As it turns out, this issue is almost always caused by a driver problem.

As it turns out, there are several different common scenarios that will make the Microphone Boost option unavailable in Windows 10:

If you’re struggling to resolve this particular issue, we have a few troubleshooting methods that will help you bring the microphone boost option back into the Levels window. Down below, you’ll find a collection of methods that other users in a similar situation have successfully used to get the issue resolved.

For the best results, follow the methods in the order that they are presented. One of the potential fixes below is bound to solve the issue in your particular scenario.

Method 1: Running the Recording Audio troubleshooter

If your microphone drivers are not correctly or some settings are preventing Windows from controlling your mic levels, you might be able to resolve the issue automatically by running the built-in Recording Audio troubleshooter. This utility will automatically apply a collection of repair strategies that might just end up fixing the problem automatically.

Here’s  a quick guide on running the Recording Audio troubleshooter:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “ms-settings:troubleshoot” to open up the troubleshooting tab of the Settings app.
2. Inside the Troubleshoot tab,  scroll down to the Find and fix other problems tab and click on Recording Audio. Then, click on Run the troubleshooter.
3. Wait until the initial analysis page is over, then select the Microphone that you’re having issues with and hit Next.
4. Wait until the investigation is complete, then click on Apply this fix if a feasible repair strategy is found.
5. Once the procedure is complete, restart your computer and see if the issue has been resolved once the next startup is complete.

Method 2: Changing the port used to connect the Microphone

A wrongly configured Mic port might also make this option unavailable. As it turns out, this option might be unavailable in your case until you make the change to a different port.

Several affected users have reported that the Microphone Boost option started appearing inside the Levels tab after physically unplugging the Mic from the connected port and plugging it into another.

Then, if you’re using a Realtek driver, you’ll get a prompt telling you to identify the device that was plugged in. In this case, check the box associated with Mic In and hit Ok to save the changes.

If this method wasn’t applicable or didn’t allow you to get the Microphone Option boost back, move down to the next method below.

Method 3: Updating all Windows & Sound Drivers

Several users have reported that the issue was resolved after they installed every pending Windows update and then used Device Manager to update the microphone driver. Keep in mind that you might resolve the issue after installing all pending updates if you have a pending update for your recording devices.

Here’s a quick guide on installing all pending Windows updates & updating the sound drivers:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “ms-settings:windowsupdate” and press Enter to open the Windows Update tab of the Update & security settings menu.
    

   

2. Inside the Windows Update screen, click on Check for updates, then follow the on-screen prompts to install every pending Windows update. If you’re prompted to restart before every installation is complete, do so and make sure to return to this menu once the next startup is complete to ensure that every update is installed.

   

3.  If the Microphone Levels option is still not present, continue down with the steps below to update the Microphone driver.
4. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Inside the run box, type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter to open up Device Manager.
   

   

5. Inside Device Manager, expand the drop-down menu associated with Audio inputs and outputs.  Then, right-click on your microphone device and choose Properties.

   

6. Inside the Properties screen of your Microphone, go to the Driver tab and click on Update driver.

   

7. At the next screen, click on Search automatically for updated driver software.
   Note: For this step to work properly, you’ll need a stable internet connection.

   

   Note: If you’re using a dedicated soundcard, we recommend that you download & install the latest driver version from your manufacturer’s website.

8. If a new driver version is found, follow the on-screen prompts to install it on your computer. Once the process is complete, restart your computer and see if the error is resolved.

If you’ve followed this method and the Microphone Boost option is still unavailable inside the Levels section, move down to the next method below.

Method 4: Buying a PCI soundcard

If you’ve followed all the other methods above to no avail, it’s very likely that you’ll need to invest into a new PCI soundcard in order to get the ability to boost your microphone levels.

Whether you have the Microphone Boost option inside the Levels tab is determined by your sound card driver. Windows 10 is now capable of differentiating between sound drivers and exclude certain options if the requirements are not being met.  Most newer integrated audio soundcards have this option, but not all of them.

If you have the means to do it, the quickest way to resolve this issue is to invest in a PCI soundcard. All of them will either include proprietary software or unlock the Microphone boost option in the Windows menu, allowing you to boost your microphone to a higher volume.

How to Increase Microphone Volume in Windows

If you followed the repair methods above in order, we’re going to assume that one of them re-enabled the Microphone Boost option inside the Levels pane. If this scenario is applicable, we’ve created a guide that will help you modify the Microphone Boost level.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “mmsys.cpl” and press Enter to open up the Sound window.
2. Inside the Sound tab, click on the Recording tab, select the microphone that you’re planning to increase the volume of and choose Properties.
3. Inside the Microphone Properties screen, go to the Levels tab and you should be able to adjust the Microphone Boost slider as you want.