Demetri Kolokotronis is having problems with getting others to
hear him on an internet phone program.

I suggested:

In Control Panel - Multimedia - Audio,  See if box is checked for  Show
Volume Control on Taskbar. While there make sure that you  have selected
the right device for recording in the "Recording" section.

Demetri responded:

Volume Control checkbox is grayed. "(Use any available device)" is selected
in Recording. (Problem is no sound heard by callers through mic, using
speakerphone software, Win98.) I presume Volume Control would only affect
speaker output, which I control with speaker volume control.

Me again:

The Volume control in the systray does only affect the speaker output.  A
right click on the Speaker in the systray will allow you to OPEN VOLUME
CONTROLS to change the "relative"  volume of each of the types of audio
sound that your sound card  can produce (CD, Synth[MIDI], WAV). HOWEVER, if
you go to the  Options Menu in the Volume Controls, and choose Properties,
you can see  what Audio Multimedia device drivers are installed for
both  Playback(output) and Recording(input).  If you choose Recording
bullet, you chose volume controls to display for each of the  installed
devices for audio input (checkboxes at the bottom). Now if  you leave the
Recording bullet highlighted, and click OK, the Volume Control dialog box
shows Master Record volume and settings for all of the Audio Inputs (Synth,
CD or Mic).

If the Volume Control check box is grayed out, this may indicate your
problem.  Generally Windows "gray's out" check boxes that it thinks are
irrelevant  (usually because it doesn't recognize that you have a device
installed).   Remember that the recording (really microphone/audio input)
is a  completely separate device (electronic circuit and drivers)
from  audio out.  You can have a sound card that has proper audio out but
if the AUDIO IN drivers are not installed properly, the recording  portion
will not work.

Where the "(Use any available device)" is selected in Multimedia-Audio
Recording, is there a dropdown arrow with other choices for Recording
devices?   If not, the driver is not properly installed for the AUDIO IN
part  of the sound card. From what you have written, I really suspect that
you do not have the recording driver for your sound card properly
installed.  Are you able to use the mic in ANY software?  Windows Recording
applet is a good simple test program to see if it works at all. Another
possibility is that the Mic is Muted in the Volume Controls.

Let me know what you find.

Doug

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