# Control Panel: Recognizing Microphone Input

**What will be covered:**

- How to test if my microphone is working.

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### 1. Open the Start Menu

Press the **Windows** key on your keyboard to bring up the Start Menu.

[![Screenshot 2024-11-26 095624.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/scaled-1680-/2WDtCJ6jFza9AJyx-screenshot-2024-11-26-095624.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/2WDtCJ6jFza9AJyx-screenshot-2024-11-26-095624.png)

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### 2. Search for Control Panel

Type **Control Panel** in the search bar, then press **Enter** to open it.

[![Screenshot 2025-02-10 105149.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/scaled-1680-/yX2WfyahIp1w00l7-screenshot-2025-02-10-105149.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/yX2WfyahIp1w00l7-screenshot-2025-02-10-105149.png)

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### 3. Open Ease of Access Tab

Once Control Panel has opened, Locate the **Ease of access** tab.

[![image.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/scaled-1680-/S6zZ9Cmb6sx9aDhk-image.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/S6zZ9Cmb6sx9aDhk-image.png)

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### 4. Open Speech Recognition

Click "**Speech Recognition"**

[![image.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/scaled-1680-/yCYiv6GMWuvlAnvK-image.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/yCYiv6GMWuvlAnvK-image.png)

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### 5. Set up Microphone

Click **"Set up Microphone"**

[![image.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/scaled-1680-/EGud936oaCWwJH9S-image.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/EGud936oaCWwJH9S-image.png)

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### 6. Microphone Device

Windows will auto-detect the microphone you have connected to the computer. Select the **relevant** Microphone device.

[![image.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/scaled-1680-/jUgzvWaESjYStMg2-image.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/jUgzvWaESjYStMg2-image.png)

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### 7. Test Audio Input

Now test the microphone. the sound level bar should go up and down based on your voice frequency picked up by the microphone. **Red**: Too loud, **Green**: Good Sound Level, **Yellow**: Quite. If you aren't any getting audio input the sound level would stay still at the bottom.

[![image.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/scaled-1680-/Gxs7QsJDIzsNm1BD-image.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/Gxs7QsJDIzsNm1BD-image.png)

[![Screenshot 2025-02-10 105340.png](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/scaled-1680-/78wTU0eMndnUoOI3-screenshot-2025-02-10-105340.png)](https://kb.9.technology/uploads/images/gallery/2025-02/78wTU0eMndnUoOI3-screenshot-2025-02-10-105340.png)