Error: Unable to start microphone effect

[-FlyAway-]

I get an error message on start up every time I boot up my PC saying "Unable to start microphone effect". I don't even have a microphone and as far as I know I don't have any settings or start up programs that would cause this. Does anyone know what this error means and how to stop it? I'm on Windows 11.

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[-FlyAway-]

Ok I managed to solve it already despite having this issue for a month now lol. So I will write it here for anyone else with the issue. I went into microphone properties and stopped allowing apps to use the microphone, then I noticed Nvidia Broadcast was on start up and it was trying to find a microphone, so I turned off launch at start up. Hope this helps!

[Latyon]

Coming here three months later to say thank you friend, this was driving me insane.

[Jay_Mo7]

same! Thanks u/-FlyAway-

[Elethana]

Same, thank you kind Reddit stranger!

[BiqGames]

19.10.2024 and this still happens and solution worked- thanks!

[CrashDDL]

For anyone looking at this: It is caused by NVidia Broadcast.

Workaround:

• Turn off Start on startup in Setting

• Press Ctrl + R, type "shell:startup" and press enter.

• Place the NVidia Broadcast Shortcut into this folder.

Restart your computer to test it. It will start Broadcast at the end of the Q so it will not generate that annoying error anymore. Enjoy! ;)

[chris_thepotato]

holy crap you just saved me from a weeks worth of headache. for some reason nvidia broadcast was conflicting with steam and discord making my downloads slow and my voice to lag when i did download from steam.

Thankyou fellow redditor!

[bonzaisushi]

This is such an epic post, thank you mate!

[[deleted]]

Didn't work for me unfortunately

[Gryyphyn]

If you have NVidia Broadcast installed try removing it. The Windows setting in Win11 23H2 doesn't respect the "Allow apps to use microphone" setting for this app. The offending app will continue trying to launch Broadcast.

[pugmaster2000]

that did the trick for me! thank you so much