Headphones not appearing as an input device (Windows 11) Build (22631.4037)

Hi BlairWB

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, I understand that you can't use the microphone with either Bluetooth headphones or plug-in headphones, and I know exactly how you feel!

You have tried very many solutions and commend you on your problem solving skills and thinking!

(1) May I ask that have you updated Windows recently?

(2) May I ask that that you encounter this problem all of a sudden? Did you encounter this problem all of a sudden, or under what circumstances? How long has the problem been occurring?

I personally have encountered similar problems when using Bluetooth headsets, and I will provide you with some solutions that you have not tried before in my personal situation, and hopefully, I can solve your problem successfully. However, the first reply may not be able to solve your problem successfully, please understand and provide more information in your reply (pictures would be better!) , thank you very much!

Option 1: Since plug-in headphones also experience this problem, it makes me a bit strange. It's a bit strange that plug-in headphones are also experiencing this problem, because normally, plug-in headphones work fine when Bluetooth headphones are experiencing this problem.

Try using the Realtek Control Audio app to check and make the relevant settings.

Because Realtek Control Audio is able to detect Bluetooth connection and plug-in connection type of headphones and manually make the relevant settings. For example, microphone, audio band, etc.

Realtek Control Audio can be downloaded and installed from the Realtek website or Microsoft Store.

Option 2: Try to reset the network settings.

You must be wondering why it involves network related situations.

This is due to the fact that network settings and Bluetooth settings can interact with each other in some cases, and you can minimize the conflict between network settings and Bluetooth settings by resetting the network to clear any possible configuration errors or conflicts.

Click “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Enter “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following commands

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /registerdns

netsh int ip reset

netsh winsock reset

netsh winhttp reset proxy

Option 1 and Option 2 I have personally performed and solved the problem I was experiencing.

Option 3: Try to pass the type of sound card driver, for example in the following case:

(1) The sound card driver provided by the motherboard manufacturer

(2) Sound card branded drivers

(3) Some headset devices require additional driver support, e.g. Razer, Logitech, etc. Since I haven't used a device similar to yours, you can use it as a reference.

Please note: The newer the driver, the better it is, as we normally think that the newer the driver, the more devices it supports and the better the compatibility. However, in some cases, a more stable driver may be more suitable for our environment. You can try some different versions of older ones.

Option 4: Your current version seems to be 22621.4037, you can try updating to 22631.4112 or downgrading to 22621.3958 to see if there is a difference in the system version. Because considering you have a similar problem with your plug-in headset, I think it's possible that some patch conflict could be the cause.

Option 5: Can you please try to safely boot your computer to see if the problem still persists.

For safe boot you can refer to: Windows startup settings - Microsoft Support

Since the system only uses a limited set of drivers and files in Safe Mode, it can effectively avoid third-party applications, driver conflicts that cause problems.

If the problem disappears in Safe Mode, please check the recently installed, updated and frequently used third-party applications, drivers, etc. and uninstall them.

I sincerely hope that the above solution will solve your problem. Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems or still can't solve them. (Photos related to the question would be great!) .

I look forward to hearing back from you. 

Best Regards

Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

(1) May I ask that have you updated Windows recently?

No not anytime recently had this issue as long as I've had my PC only just trying to fix it now.

(2) May I ask that that you encounter this problem all of a sudden? Did you encounter this problem all of a sudden, or under what circumstances? How long has the problem been occurring

Had this issue as long as I've had my PC only just trying to fix it now.

Tried to upload screen snippet of my realtek audio panel but it's failing to upload.

Tried all the recommended actions none seem to be working. Bit more information, when I plug the headphones in through the audio jack it uses the Realtek audio speakers to playback, the recording device is set to Stereo mix (Realtek Audio). Note: No other recording device within sound recording settings can be set as default or connected to. Tried troubleshooting the Hands-free Google Pixel Buds and got the result this device is not plugged in (if that helps at all).

Thank you for your detailed response, with the new information provided!

You were able to allow me to perform some tests based on the new information. I would like to try to reproduce your problem and solve it through my own private computer with a Razer headset with a microphone.

Thank you very much for your understanding!

Here I am, my friend, you've been waiting a long time.

I'll start by recounting the circumstances of my test:

First the equipment used:

(1) My personal Asus laptop (about 4 years since college)

(2) A bluetooth-enabled Razer headset

(3) A very, very old laptop borrowed from my grandfather.

(4) My own personal Airpods

Came up with the following summary:

(1) When connecting via bluetooth and connectivity on different devices, I found.

Connecting via Bluetooth worked fine on my laptop, but not on this laptop of my grandfather's, and it also had microphone problems.

I tried to detect and adjust it by updating the bluetooth driver, Razer Thundercloud, but nothing helped.

At this point I tried connecting via Airpods only to find that both devices work fine.

(2) I then connected the Razer headset to my grandpa's computer via Connect and found that both the microphone and headset were working properly and that Realtek Audio Control recognized them properly. (Although this step does not apply to your headset)

(3) I then tried by permutation, connecting the Airpods Bluetooth to different laptops, and the Razer to different laptops, including new and old drivers, brand supplied apps, and so on. Ultimately some of the following solutions were given!

I hope my efforts, which took a lot of time and effort, will help you!

Option 1: First is the information provided in your reply.

I would personally recommend that you try updating a minor version of Windows to improve overall compatibility.

Option 2: I have found that in the permutations tested by Razer, the current latest version of the ThunderCloud app provided by Razer does not seem to fit well in my environment and causes issues. But grandpa that old laptop installing an older version of ThunderCloud or uninstalling ThunderCloud completely works fine with the headset.

While I don't have a Google pixel related headset to be able to test it, Google should have developed a progressive app for the Pixel: PWA, which corresponds to some of the tweaks you can make to the headset and so on.

I would recommend that you uninstall PWA for now and restart your computer to see if you can use the microphone properly.

Also, when I was looking at your device, I found this quote from Google: “Currently, only Chrome is fully supported by Pixel Buds. Learn more about the operating systems and devices we plan to support in the future”, which makes me wonder if it's an incomplete compatibility or an incomplete compatibility of the PWA app that's causing the problem.

Option 3: If it's easier for you, try using a wired, mic'd headset or an external microphone connected to the headset to see if your computer detects the microphone or microphone device properly.

This will help us narrow it down further.

Option 4: I don't recall you trying to update the Bluetooth driver. (I'm referring to the Bluetooth adapter with the headset connected)

“Windows Logo Key + x” to select ‘Device Manager’ -> double click to expand ‘Bluetooth’.

I recommend you to update all Bluetooth drivers manually and select the Update from My Computer option.

Since connected Bluetooth devices are also shown in the catalog, in addition to Bluetooth adapters, it is recommended to perform a manual update as well. (I have a friend who solved the problem this way)

I sincerely hope that my efforts have helped you successfully!

Have a nice day!