3. Inspect mic drivers and permissions
- Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Expand the Audio Inputs and Outputs section.
- Right-click on your mic (or mics if you see multiple devices) and choose the Uninstall device option.
- Reboot your PC and get back to Device Manager.
- Drivers should update automatically but you can always do it manually by right-clicking on the mic in the aforementioned section and installing the drivers.
The second important thing we’ll need to inspect before moving to Office-related troubleshooting is the mic driver. Most recording devices will work immediately as Windows Update will deal with drivers.
However, that’s not always the case so you’ll need to install them manually.
Windows Update also tends to breaks drivers, so rolling back is not exactly a bad idea. On the other hand, the best way to make sure is by acquiring drivers from the OEM’s support website.
4. Check microphone permissions
- Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
- Choose Privacy.
- Select Microphone from the left pane.
- Under the Allow apps to access your microphone and Allow desktop apps to access your microphone, toggle on.
Once we’ve dealt with drivers, let’s check permissions. Make sure that Office has permission to access your mic.
5. Repair Office installation
- In the Windows Search bar, type Control and open Control Panel.
- Choose Uninstall a program.
- Right-click on the Office and click Change.
- From the new windows, choose Quick Repair.
If the audio recording device isn’t an actual problem, we can move to Office troubleshooting. The best way to resolve all and every Office issues is by repairing the installation.
This is a common solution and it won’t take too much of your precious time. As many other cases showed, the installation of 365 Office and its predecessors tend to go corrupt.
6. Reinstall Office
Finally, if none of the previous steps helped you address the problem, we suggest performing a clean reinstallation. You can find the setup on the official Office website and download it rather simply.
But, beforehand, let’s uninstall Office from your PC by following steps from the previous solution. Instead of choosing Repair, select Uninstall from the contextual menu.
After that, just run the installer and sign in with your credentials. After that, you should be able to use dictation in Office programs without any further issues.
With that said, we can conclude this article. The above solutions will help you to solve the issue. On the other hand, if you’re still unable to do so, consider contacting the official support and stating your issue.
Just in case you have any alternative solutions or possibly a question or two, don’t forget to post them in the comments section below. We’ll be glad to hear from you.
FAQ: Learn more about Office issues and troubleshoot
- How do I fix missing shortcuts in Windows 10?
If the missing shortcuts are from the Office suite, take a look at our guide including solutions on how to fix missing MS Office shortcuts from the Start menu.
- Why is dictation not working on Word?
With a little research, many users discovered that dictation is not working on Word due to faulty mic drivers and permissions. Follow our quick guide on how to solve the problem with dictation not working on Office.
- How do I fix Microsoft Office installation error?
Depending on the error message, check our guide including easy steps to fix MS Office error 1713 in Windows 10.
This post was written by Aleksandar Ognjanovic and was first posted to WindowsReport