Windows 7 Speakers "unplug" when a microphone is connected

[TheRedComet]

Hey everyone, I'm having a very strange problem that I can not for the life of me seem to figure out. I use my Xbox 360 hooked up to my monitor to play games. And I plug the audio into my computer to play it through there and out the speakers. I have an official microsoft converter that came with the 360's VGA cable. Basically it takes the two left and right audio plugs and you plug them in, and the other end is a microphone plug. You just plug it into your microphone jack and use that. This worked perfect in XP. In Vista, it was a bit tougher and I had to use a 3rd party program to get it to play the microphone. In Windows 7 now, it works for a bit, but then mysteriously stops working.

For some reason, I plug it in just like I said above, with the speakers in the speaker jack and the converter in the microphone jack. I go into the Recording Devices window and click properties for the microphone jack, and check "Listen through this device". Boot up my 360 and the sound plays beautifully. However, after about anywhere between 5-20 minutes later, the sound will randomly stop. I go to check my Playback Devices window and it says that the speakers are not plugged in. The only way to get the speakers to work again is unplug the converter from the microphone jack and restart the computer. If I plug the converter back in, the sound will eventually stop working again, even if I'm not using my 360 or playing any sounds.

Anyone have any ideas? I've tried updating all my sound drivers, but no dice.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you're experiencing an audio issue when using your Xbox 360 with your monitor and computer's speakers on Windows 7. The problem you described might be related to how the system is handling the audio input from the Xbox 360 through the microphone jack. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve this issue: 1. Check Power Management Settings: - Sometimes, power management settings can affect audio devices. Make sure that your computer's power settings are not causing the audio devices to deactivate after a certain period of inactivity. 2. Update Audio Drivers: - Even though you mentioned updating sound drivers, it's worth double-checking that you have the latest driver version installed. Visit the manufacturer's website for your sound card or motherboard and download the most recent drivers compatible with Windows 7. 3. Disable Exclusive Mode: - In the Sound settings, under the Advanced tab for your microphone jack, try unchecking "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device." This can sometimes resolve issues with audio playback. 4. Use a Different USB Port: - If possible, try plugging the Xbox 360 audio adapter into a different USB port on your computer. This might help in case there are any issues with the current port. 5. Update Windows: - Ensure that your Windows 7 operating system is fully updated. Sometimes, Windows updates can include bug fixes that could resolve audio problems. 6. Test with Another Microphone Jack: - If you have another microphone jack on your computer, try using that instead. It's possible that the specific jack you are using is causing the issue. 7. Check Xbox 360 Audio Settings: - Verify that the audio output settings on your Xbox 360 are correctly configured to output audio through the VGA cable and adapter. 8. Troubleshoot Sound Settings: - Run the Windows Sound Troubleshooter to automatically diagnose and fix sound problems. To access this, right-click on the sound icon in the system tray and select "Troubleshoot sound problems." By following these steps, you should be able to narrow down the cause of the issue and hopefully resolve the audio problems you are experiencing with your Xbox 360 setup on Windows 7.