I have a Dell inspiron mini 10 and the sound doesn't work anymore. I can't hear any sound and I can't record sounds using the microphone too. What can I do to fix the problem? the sound card is a Realtek HD Audio.

Get a wired lapel microphone and plug it into the microphone input on your Dell. The onboard mic is designed to record all ambient sounds. You want a different product to get the result you're looking for.

Click Start/Control Panel and look for Sound or Audio. Look inside it to see if Microphone is check as an Recording Device. If not the other party will never hear you. You can also get to Audio Sound by clicking the megaphone that is located at the bottom right near the time.

Depending on your operating system you can click Start/Program/Accessories/Entertainment/Sound Recorder you can test your microphone by using the sound recorder.

Yes this Dell laptop does have a built-in mic.
If the person cannot hear you then, either your microphonedriver not installed or not working OR the microphone is not configured inSkype.
To test your microphone then click on Start - All Programs - Accessories -Entertainment - Sound recorder. Then record your voice and then play it back.If this is OK then the microphone need to be configured in Skype.
To configure the microphone - Open Skype - Tools - Options -Audio Settings for the Microphone THEN click on Save.

This model Dell has a built-in micphone.
If the person cannot hear you then, either your microphonedriver not installed or not working OR the microphone is not configured inSkype.
To test your microphone then click on Start - All Programs - Accessories -Entertainment - Sound recorder. Then record your voice and then play it back.If this is OK then the microphone need to be configured in Skype.
To configure the microphone - Open Skype - Tools - Options -Audio Settings for the Microphone THEN click on Save.

Make sure your microphone isn't muted. If running XP, double-click your speaker icon in the system tray (lower, right hand portion of your screen, by the clock) and make sure 'mute' isn't checked under the microphone slider. If running Windows 7, right-click the speaker icon in the system tray, then click 'Recording Devices'. In the Sound window, click the Recording tab and check the properties of your microphone to make sure it isn't muted or if an incorrect device is selected to record from, like "Line-in" or something else. To change the default device, click it and click the "Set Default" button. Then click "Apply" to save your changes.

Check if the correct recoding device is selected on sound properties, and verify if mic is mute.Test mic using the sound recording program.
Try to uninstall and reinstall the sound driver.
Perform diagnostic on the audio using the drivers and utility disc. if mic is not working on the diagnostic tool then need to replace the sound card.

I have a Dell 1545 with Dell web cam central & I've had this issue. The problem is that Dell web cam central installs it's own microphone settings onto your laptop called something like Dell web cam Live!. This isn't the built in microphone in my laptop & maybe not yours either. You have to change the settings for your computer system & Dell web cam central. Go to start> control panel> sound> recording .. on mine there is an option for Microphone "High Definition Audio Device" ... that is the built in mic. You want that for your default & apply it. Also .. as a side note .. I disabled the web cam central Live! microphone completely from this window. Then open Dell web cam central & go to the "Record Video's" option. In the middle of this is an orange button with a video camera icon. Next to this on the same button is a little arrow pointing down .. click that. Under microphone .. choose Microphone "High Definition Audio Device" just like the sound option in control panel. I've done this & it's completely fixed. I can record videos with sound & use my built in mic in voice/video chat.

call up dell tech support.. they will help you out for free.. you can find the toll free numbers on dell.com

sorry for the delay in responding:
for Vista system ... use the following picks:
Start ....Control Panel,...... Hardware and Sound, .... Manage audio devices....Recording......Line in ...try the advanced features to control the computers auto adjustment etc.
Hope this helps

If you can hear windows booting up then the sound card is ok..you can double check it in Device Manager. To ensure the device drivers are up to date. Just find the sound card in the list of devices in Device manager and click on the "+" to expand it. Then right click on the sound device and click on update drivers. You can also uninstall the drivers and reboot. Plug and Play will pick up the correct drivers..double-check the cables also...good luck. Let me now if you have any questions