Cortana can’t hear me – Microphone level keeps getting set to zero.

There is a known issue in Windows 10 that may cause the microphone gain to be set to zero.  We are currently investigating a fix and are hoping to release an update soon.

In the meantime, you can use the following troubleshooting steps to work around the issue.  Use these steps in general whenever you are having trouble getting Cortana to hear you on your microphone,

Run the Microphone Setup Wizard

1. Type “Set up Mic” in Cortana’s Search box.

2. Follow the instructions provided to set up your microphone.

Check your microphone’s drivers

1. Type in “Device Manager” in the Search box and select it from the list.

2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers

3. Right-click (or tap and hold) your microphone device and select Update Driver Software.

4. Select Search automatically for updated driver software.  This option will scan the Internet for the correct version of the driver or determine if you already have the most recent driver installed.  You may be prompted to restart your computer to install the driver.

Manually turn up the mic gain

1. Type in “Sound” in the Search box and select Sound (Control Panel) from the list.

2. Select the Recording tab.

3. Right-click (or tap and hold) on the active microphone input device and select Properties.

4. Select the Levels tab.