You’ve been looking forward to your big day. You’ve prepared your best business clothes, got a great haircut, and have practiced your spiel for days on end. It’s time to finally nail that important meeting with your IT boss once and for all. Just then, you hear from your boss. They’re asking you if you wouldn’t mind holding the job interview over the internet instead because they have some things to attend to that are preventing them from making it to the office on time. You tell them you don’t mind, and so you head over to your computer and start setting up your video software, when something awful dawns on you… your audio and video output is not working correctly! Before you let the panic set in completely, it would do you good to learn how to troubleshoot your equipment and software. Read on to find out how you can fix basic problems hours before that crucial moment of your professional career.
Make Sure That Your Video Camera and/or Microphone Are Plugged In
This may sound like very advice, but it is surprising just how many people forget to do this very simple first step. Check your camera and microphone and see if they are connected to the power outlet (if they require one), and then check if they are actually plugged into your computer, too. If they’re plugged in but are not working, try plugging it into a different outlet or computer, if you have another one to spare. You can try borrowing a friend’s PC, too, if you have any time left. If it does work on another system, then chances are the ports on your own computer are busted, and you will need to get your computer repaired.
Check Your Computer’s Default Settings for Any Clues
Is your microphone on mute? You can check this by pressing the mute/unmute key on most laptop keyboards, or in the Sound Manager program on a majority of operating systems. You can fiddle around with it until it works. Some computers come with built-in audio troubleshooters, according to MakeUseOf. You might also have a mute button on your actual microphone or video camera, so make sure to check your device for any buttons you might have accidentally pressed. Once you have determined that nothing has been set to mute, test your devices again with different programs. If the problem persists, then you may want to move on to the next step.
Download and Install the Latest Drivers for Your Devices
If everything is plugged in and receiving power just fine, then there is a small chance that the problem has to do with your devices. But before you chuck them into the trash, make sure that you have the latest drivers for your video camera and microphone first. You can usually do this by doing a quick Google search for your product’s model number. If not, you can try going straight to your manufacturer’s official website and find the necessary drivers under the “Support” or “Download” sections. After installing the drivers, test your software again. Is your audio and video working now, but not in the program that you want to use? If you still are not having any luck, then it is time to try out the next step.
Install the Latest Version of Your Video Software
If you have just recently installed a new operating system or applied an update to it, chances are it is causing all sorts of havoc on your webcam. Microsoft Windows 10 was reported to have made customer’s web cameras unusable due to conflicts in its code, according to The Telegraph. If you can still afford to downgrade your operation system, then do so. If you do not have that option, though, then make sure that you have downloaded and installed the latest version of your chosen software. If your program has not had any updates in at least a year, then you may want to consider switching to a more reliable one. Try researching for some reliable and paid solutions, such as BlueJeans video meeting software for IT teams. It may be more than what you were looking to pay for a communication solution, but the price in the long run is well worth smoother interactive meetings.
A big meeting with the big boss could make or break your career, so make sure that everything goes smoothly once it’s time for you to face your superior. Do all of the checks we have mentioned in this article well in advance so that you have enough time to get anything repaired or replaced, if absolutely necessary. We hope that this guide has helped you solve any issues you have been having with your devices
This post reminds us to pay attention in everything we do. Having a technical failure for a big meeting video conference would be a drag, and making sure that doesn’t happen is an example of going the extra mile. Thanks for this informative post.