Intel SST microphone not working on Windows 11

No one can deny the importance of a Microphone and if the Mic fails to work, one will be annoyed. And many users are exasperated because their microphones fail to work. After a bit of probing, they found out that their Intel SST microphone was not working on their Windows computer.

According to them, when they open the Device Manager and go to the Properties of Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(r) SST) OED. The Device status says “This device cannot start. (Code 10)“ or “Failed to load external libraries“.

In this article, we are going to resolve the issue with some very simple solutions that even a tech amateur can execute.

Why is the Intel SST microphone not working on Windows 11/10?

More often than not, you will face this error because of a driver’s issue. If your driver is not working, outdated, or corrupted. The reason the driver will show this peculiar trait is a long list, but it can be fixed easily, and we will see that later in the article.

There can be some compatibility issues as well that you may have encountered after downloading an application. These applications can conflict with your driver and cause the issue.

There are some other reasons and potential solutions that we will see later in this article. So, let us hop into it.

Intel SST microphone not working on Windows 11/10

If the Intel SST microphone is not working on your computer, first try restarting your computer. If that doesn’t work, then try reconnecting all the peripherals. This will work if you have an external microphone that is not working. Also, this time when you are connecting, make sure that all the connections are tight. If that is to no avail, then follow the prescribed solutions to resolve this issue.

Uninstall Intel SST
Use Intel Driver Support Assistant
Run Audio Troubleshooter
Replace the driver with HD Audio Controller

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] Uninstall Intel SST

Sometimes, running away from the problem is not that bad. In this case, if you remove the faulty Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel(r) SST) OED driver, your computer will be forced to use the generic option. So, go ahead, and remove the driver in question, your issue will be resolved.

Follow the given steps to do the same.

Open Device Manager by Win + X > Device Manager.
Expand Sound, video, and game controllers, right-click on the driver and select Uninstall device.
You will be asked to confirm your action, do that, and you will be good to go.

Then restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

2] Use Intel Driver Support Assistant

Intel Driver Support Assistant is a great way to update your Intel drivers. You can easily update all the outdated drivers and which will eventually resolve the issue.

Once, you do that, launch the app and then let it identify all the outdated Drivers. It will ask you to download and install the latest version of those drivers. Do that, and check if the issue persists.

3] Run Audio Troubleshooter

You can also use the in-built Audio troubleshooter of Microsoft to fix audio issues. To do that, follow the given steps.

Open Control Panel.
Go to Troubleshooting > Troubleshoot audio recording.
Then click Next.

Your issue will be detected and resolved.

4] Replace the driver with HD Audio Controller

Many have resolved the issue by switching to the HD Audio Controller. You can easily replace the Intel driver that’s causing trouble for you with the generic driver. Follow the given steps to do the same.