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Top 25 Zoom Questions Answered (Beginner Level)

zoom-q&aWith more and more… and more! people working from home nowadays, one of the communications apps that has seen tremendous growth is Zoom.

Zoom primarily gained traction as a video conferencing software program that enables anyone (with an Internet connection) to e-interact with workmates when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible. However, Zoom has also proven itself great for organizing social events and even for day-to-day personal use.

As a cloud-based audio and video conferencing service, it was not surprising that many people found a need to update their audio drivers and video drivers too.

Remember, many did not have suitable – let alone ‘high-tech’ or updated – office set-ups at home. So when people started downloading Zoom and setting it up on their home laptops and computers, audio and video issues came to the fore.

Many used our software – DriverFinder (I know, shameless plug!) – to update their audio and video drivers. But A LOT of non-driver related inquiries landed on our Customer Support team as well :)

So we’ve decided to sort of group these common ‘Beginner Level’ questions people have about Zoom and put them together here!

Resources:
You can download Zoom here.
You can download DriverFinder here.
Quick read: How to Effectively Work from Home During COVID

Top 25 Zoom Questions Asked… and Answered

Download and Install Zoom For Windows

  1. Go to Zoom’s download page – https://zoom.us/download
  2. Under Zoom Client for Meetings, click Download.zoom-download
  3. Navigate to where you want to save the Zoom installer on your PC, and then click Save.
  4. Go to where you saved the installer (exe), and then double-click it.
  5. Click Run and wait for the installation to finish.

Sign Up For a Free Zoom Account

  1. Go to Zoom’s official website – https://zoom.us/ – and then click SIGN UP, IT’S FREE
  2. Provide your birth date details, and then click Continue.
  3. Type your work email address in the space provided, and then click Sign Up.
  4. A prompt will show asking for your permission for Zoom to send you tips on how to use the software, click Confirm.Tip: If you don’t want Zoom to send you messages, click Set Preferences. Select Unsubscribe me entirely, and then click Submit.
  5. Check your messages for the Zoom verification email. Click the confirmation link inside that email to activate your Zoom.
  6. Clicking the email confirmation link will send you to a Zoom web page asking you to complete your registration by providing your name and a password to use Zoom.
  7. Click Continue.
  8. You can invite colleagues at this stage and click Invite, or you can click Skip this step.
  9. Click Start Meeting Now.
  10. Click Open Zoom Meetings to start this test meeting.
  11. Click End when done testing.

Schedule a Zoom Meeting Over the Web

  1. Log into your Zoom account online.
  2. Click Schedule a Meeting.
  3. Type a Topic for your meeting.
  4. Type a Description for your meeting (optional).
  5. Select a date and time for your meeting.how-to-sched-meeting
  6. Click Save.

Schedule a Zoom Meeting via the Desktop App

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click Meetings at the top.
  3. On the left pane, click the plus sign, and then click Schedule Meeting.
  4. Enter the details of your meeting and then click Schedule.

Invite Participants to a Meeting via the Web Portal

  1. Sign into your Zoom account online.
  2. Under Personal, click Meetings.
  3. Click the meeting for which you want to invite participants.
  4. Scroll down to Invite Link, and then click Copy Invitation.
  5. Click Copy Meeting Invitation and close that window.
  6. Open your email client (e.g., Outlook, Mail, etc.), paste the Zoom Meeting Invitation into the body of your email, and then send the email to your intended recipients.

Invite Participants to a Meeting via the Desktop App

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click Meetings at the top.
  3. Click the meeting for which you want to invite participants.
  4. Click Copy Invitation.
  5. Open your email client (e.g., Outlook, Mail, etc.), paste the Zoom Meeting Invitation into the body of your email, and then send the email to your intended recipients.

Add a Meeting to Your Google Calendar via the Web Portal

  1. Sign into your Zoom account online.
  2. Under Personal, click Meetings.
  3. Double-click the meeting you want to add to your Google calendar.
  4. Under Time, click Google Calendar. add-zoom-to-google-calendar
  5. Sign-in to your Google account.

Note: If this is the first time you’re adding a Zoom event, a prompt will appear asking you to give Zoom permission to access events on your calendar. Click Allow if you want to proceed to adding the Zoom meeting to your Google Calendar. (You may need to re-confirm this action by clicking Allow again on the next prompt.)

  1. You will now see details of the meeting on your Google Calendar, click Save.

Add a Meeting to Your Outlook Calendar via the Web Portal

  1. Sign into your Zoom account online.
  2. Under Personal, click Meetings.
  3. Double-click the meeting you want to add to your Outlook calendar.
  4. Under Time, click Outlook Calendar.add-zoom-meeting-to-outlook
  5. Save the file on your PC.
  6. Open the Outlook email client on your PC.
  7. From the File menu, click Open.
  8. Click Open Calendar.
  9. Locate and select the Zoom calendar file you downloaded.
  10. Click Save and close.

Add a Meeting to Your Yahoo Calendar via the Web Portal

  1. Sign into your Zoom account online.
  2. Under Personal, click Meetings.
  3. Double-click the meeting you want to add to your Yahoo calendar.add-zoom-to-yahoo-calendar
  4. Under Time, click Yahoo Calendar .
  5. Sign-in to your Yahoo
  6. The Zoom meeting details will appear, click Save.zoom-meeting-for-yahoo

Add a Meeting to Your Google Calendar via the Desktop App

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click Meetings at the top.
  3. Click the meeting you want to add to your Google Calendar.
  4. On the right-side pane, click Edit.
  5. Under Calendar, click Google Calendar.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Sign-in to your Google account.

Note: If this is the first time you’re adding a Zoom event, a prompt will appear asking you to give Zoom permission to access events on your calendar. Click Allow if you want to proceed to adding the Zoom meeting to your Google Calendar. (You may need to re-confirm this action by clicking Allow again on the next prompt.)allow-zoom

  1. You will now see details of the meeting on your Google Calendar, click Save.

Add a Meeting to Your Outlook Calendar via the Desktop App

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click Meetings at the top.
  3. Click the meeting you want to add to your Outlook Calendar.
  4. On the right-side pane, click Edit.
  5. Under Calendar, click Outlook.
  6. Click Save. This will open the Outlook email client on your PC, showing the meeting event.
  7. Click Copy to My Calendar. zoom-to-outlook
  8. In the Outlook prompt that appears, click Accept the meeting.
  9. Click OK, and then click Yes.

Test Your Microphone Before a Zoom Meeting

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click the Settings gear icon on the top right .
  3. In the Audio section, click Test Mic. test-microphone
  4. Say something to your microphone.
  5. Zoom will play back what you said if your mic is working properly. If not, select a different microphone until you find the one that works.
  6. Close the Settings window to save your selection.
FIX IT -> Zoom Mic Not Working in Windows 10 (With Pics!)

Test Your Speakers Before a Zoom Meeting

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click the Settings gear icon on the top right .
  3. In the Audio section, click Test Speaker.test-speaker-for-zoom
  4. Zoom will play a test audio clip, if you hear this click Stop. If you don’t hear the audio clip, select a different speaker until you find the one that works.
  5. Close the Settings window to save your selection.
FIX IT -> Still having audio problems in Zoom? Click here to update your audio drivers.

Begin a Meeting

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click Meetings at the top.
  3. Under the Upcoming tab, select the meeting you want to start.
  4. Click Start.

Join a Meeting without Signing Into the Desktop App

  1. Open or launch the Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click Join a Meeting.join-zoom-meeting
  3. Type the Meeting ID number for the meeting and your display name.
  4. Choose if you want to turn on audio and/or video on your end for the meeting and then click Join.

Join a Meeting via the Desktop App

  1. Open or launch the Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click Sign In to log into your Zoom
  3. Type your Zoom email and password, and then click Sign In.
  4. Click Join.
  5. Type the Meeting ID number for the meeting and your display name.
  6. Choose if you want to turn on audio and/or video on your end for the meeting and then click Join.

Join a Meeting Using Google Chrome

  1. Open Google Chrome.
  2. On the address bar, go to zoom.us
  3. Enter the meeting ID as provided by the meeting organizer.
  4. Click Join.join-zoom-meeting

Note: If this is your first time to join a meeting via Google Chrome, you will be asked to open the Zoom meeting client. Click Open Zoom Meetings.

Join a Meeting Using Mozilla Firefox

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. On the address bar, go to zoom.us
  3. Enter the meeting ID as provided by the meeting organizer.
  4. Click Join.

join-zoom-first-time
Note: If this is your first time joining via the Firefox web browser, you may be asked to open Zoom or the Zoom installer package. Click Open Link.

Join a Meeting Using Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer

  1. Open Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer.
  2. On the address bar, go to zoom.us
  3. Enter the meeting ID as provided by the meeting organizer.
  4. Click Join.

Join a Meeting Using the Meeting Invitation Link You Received via Email

  1. Open your default email client (e.g., Mail, Outlook, etc.)
  2. Locate and select the Zoom meeting invitation you received.
  3. Click the Join Zoom Meeting link you received.join-zoom-meeting-from-email-link

Note: Depending on your default web browser, you may be asked to open Zoom to join the meeting. Click Allow if you want to proceed with joining the meeting.

Turn Off Video When Joining a Zoom Meeting

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click your profile picture, and then click Settings.
  3. On the left pane, click Video.
  4. On the right pane, under Meetings, click Turn off my video when joining a meeting.

Share Only a Portion of Your Active Screen During Zoom Meetings

  1. On the Zoom call control panel, click the Share Screen.share-zoom-screen
  2. Click Advanced.
  3. Click Portion of screen and then click Share.

Note: A ‘share window frame’ will appear. Use your mouse to drag this frame to only the portion of the screen you want to share.zoom-screen-frame

  1. Click Stop Share (at the top of your screen) when you no longer want to share your screen.

Set Up Your Zoom Status to ‘Do Not Disturb’

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click your Profile
  3. Click Do not disturb, and then click for how long this status should last.zoom-dnd

Always Get a Reminder Before a Zoom Meeting Starts

  1. Sign into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click the Settings gear icon on the top right .
  3. In the General section, click the Remind me drop-down arrow and then select to be reminded 5, 10 or 15 minutes before a meeting starts.meeting-reminder

Share Your Screen During a Zoom Call

  1. On the Zoom call control panel, click the Share screen.share-zoom-screen
  2. Select the screen window or application that you want to share with others and then click Share.
  3. Click Stop Share (at the top of your screen) when you no longer want to share your screen.stop-screen-sharing

I hope you enjoyed this article!
If you have any other Zoom questions, just comment below and I’ll personally respond to them.😉

[Easy Fixes] Zoom Mic Not Working in Windows 10 – Updated 2022 Guide

Everything is set. It’s time. You click the link to join a Zoom meeting. You hear everyone. But no one can hear you. That sucks!

Let’s get right to it then. Following are some easy, step-by-step fixes you can do to get that mic working for Zoom in Windows 10.

Note: Why focus on Zoom for this article? Zoom downloads increased from just less than five million to 26.9 million in March 2020, so chances are this is your video chat app of choice for your online meetings.

Fix #1 – Check That Your Mic is Correctly Plugged to Your PC

This fix assumes that you have an external device you’re using as your microphone for your Zoom meetings. If that’s not the case, feel free to move on to the next recommended fix.

  1. Unplug your microphone and plug it back in to ensure that it’s not just loosely connected.
    Plug Zoom microphone
  2. If you’re using a USB audio device, then try plugging it into a different usb port.
    usb-port
    Note: If you’re using a USB hub or USB extension cable, try plugging the device directly into your computer’s USB port.
  3. For Bluetooth headsets, or microphones, make sure to PAIR the device with your Windows computer.

Fix #2 – Check that your Microphone Device is Not Muted

  1. On the Windows Taskbar, right-click the speaker icon and then click Open Sound Settings.
  2. Under Input, click the Choose your input device down arrow and select the microphone device you want to use.
  3. If you’re using an audio headset, check that its Mute switch – if it has one – is not turned on.

headset-mute-button This is my Jabra headset and where the Mute button is on my device.

Fix #3 – Check that Zoom is Allowed to Use Your Microphone

  1. Use the Windows search box, type microphone privacy settings and select this option when it appears.
  2. Under Microphone, switch the Allow apps to access your microphone toggle to On.
  3. Scroll down further till you find Allow desktop apps to access your microphone, and then toggle that to On too.

Note: Ensure that Zoom Meetings is one of the desktop apps listed as allowed to use the microphone.

microphone-access-for-zoom

Tip: Is the Zoom app not listed under Microphone Privacy Settings?

  • Uninstall Zoom.
  • Restart your PC.
  • Re-install Zoom.

Fix #4 – Ensure that Zoom is Using the Default Microphone

  1. Log into your Zoom desktop app.
  2. On the right side of the Zoom pane, under your profile icon, click the Settings icon settings-icon.
  3. On the left pane, click Audio.
  4. Under Microphone, ensure that audio device selected is the same device you chose under Fix #2 above. If not, click the down arrow and then select Same as System.
    zoom-mic-same-as-system
  5. While you’re in there, perform a mic test.
    • Under Microphone, click Test Mic.
    • Say something into your microphone.
    • Whatever you say should be played back to you.
  6. While you’re in there, check that the microphone is not automatically set to mute when you join a meeting.
    Ensure that the setting Mute my microphone when joining meeting is off.

zoom-mute-setting

Note: By the way, the Meeting Host can mute meeting participants so be sure this is not the case.

Fix #5 – Update Your Audio Drivers

If you’re microphone is still not working with Zoom even after going through the Windows and Zoom solutions above, then you may need to update your device drivers.

Audio drivers ensure that Windows can recognize and operate your audio devices, including your microphone. In the same way, USB ports and Bluetooth also need device drivers to function.

Hardware manufactures release new device drivers all the time. This is their way of releasing new product features or new functionality for their devices, as well as fixing any bugs that may have been detected by consumers over use.

How to Update Drivers Manually

Normally, for sound problems you should go your PC manufacturer’s website and install the latest Windows 10 sound drivers available for your laptop or desktop PC. However, if you have a custom PC, or if you built your PC yourself (impressive!), you should probably head to your motherboard manufacturer’s website and download audio drivers from them.

If, like me, you’re using a USB microphone, try to download and install the recent release of USB controller drivers from the manufacturer’s website.

How to Update Drivers Automatically

If you don’t have time or the know-how to properly select, download and install the drivers you need, you can do this process automatically with DriverFinder. (Shameless plug!)

DriverFinder does exactly what its name suggests… instantly find the RIGHT device drivers you need. Once you install DriverFinder, it will automatically recognize your system info and details, as well as all the devices installed or connected to your PC.

It will then compare the drivers installed on your system against our DAILY UPDATED and ever-growing driver database. From here, just download and install the latest audio driver found for your device.

  1. Click here to download and install DriverFinder.
  2. Click Activate to register your copy of DriverFinder.
  3. Click Start Scan to check for new drivers.
    df-driver-scan
  4. Download and install the latest device drivers recommended for your audio/microphone device.
    download-audio-drivers

Fix # 6 – Quit Other Chat & Teleconferencing Software

You may not realize this but perhaps other apps are on/open and are ‘locking’ the use of your microphone. So if you have Skype, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc. installed on your PC, ensure that all of them are completely closed.

  1. Click the up arrow ^ on the Taskbar notification of Windows to see hidden icons.
  2. If you see any chat or teleconferencing app there, right-click it and then click Quit or Sign Out.

Tip: If you want, you can also uninstall all other chat and teleconferencing apps you have installed on your PC to be sure, apart from Zoom of course. Reboot your PC and then perform a mic test again in Zoom.

Fix # 7 – Disable ‘Audio Enhancement’ Settings

Disable ‘Audio Enhancement’ settings for your output.

  1. On the Windows Taskbar, right-click the speaker icon and then click Open Sound Settings.
  2. Under Output, click Device Properties.
  3. In the Device Properties window, click Additional device properties.
  4. Click the Advanced tab.
  5. Uncheck Allow hardware acceleration of audio with this device and Enable audio enhancements.
  6. Click OK.

Note: If you don’t see the above settings, look at the options under Exclusive Mode and uncheck those options.

enhanced-sound-settings

Disable ‘Audio Enhancement’ settings for your input.

  1. On the Windows Taskbar, right-click the speaker icon and then click Open Sound Settings.
  2. Under Input, click Device Properties.
  3. In the Device Properties window, click Additional device properties.
  4. Click the Advanced tab.
  5. Uncheck Enable audio enhancements.
  6. Click OK.

Note: If you don’t see the above settings, look at the options under Exclusive Mode and uncheck those options.

Fix # 8 – Use Your Phone as Your Microphone

If you’re already in a meeting, we understand you’re in a pinch and just want to use any mic ASAP.  In this case, you may want to use your phone as your microphone.

  1. Download the Zoom app on your Android or iPhone.
  2. On your phone, login into your Zoom account.
  3. Go back to the Zoom desktop app.
  4. Click on the arrow next to Mute, and then click Switch to Phone audio.
  5. You will be given a meeting ID and password. Use it to join the meeting on your phone.

Fix # 9 – Run the Windows 10 Audio Troubleshooter

Windows 10 has a built-in troubleshooters that can help fix common issues. Especially for non-tech-savvy users the Windows troubleshooters are a good choice. Since there is a troubleshooter for Recording Audio, this can used used to troubleshoot and fix microphone problems.

To run the Windows 10 audio troubleshooter follow these steps:

  1. In the Taskbar search box, type “troubleshoot setting”.
    Start Windows 10 Troubleshooter
  2. Click the Troubleshoot Settings icon in the search result.
  3. In the Troubleshoot Settings window, click the Additional troubleshooters option.
    Additional Troubleshooters
  4. Next, scroll down to locate the Recording Audio option and click it.
    Recording Audio Troubleshooter
  5. Finally, click the Run the troubleshooter button that appears.

The troubleshooter will execute and identify any problems with the microphone and related settings. In most cases any available fixes will be applied automatically. Just follow the on-screen instructions in case manual actions are required (like selecting the audio input device to troubleshoot).

Zoom Microphone not working on iOS devices

When using Zoom on an Apple iPhone or iPad, the microphone can also be muted.

The very first step is to allow Zoom to access your microphone. So when you see the message “Zoom” Would Like to Access the Microphone, make sure you click the OK option.

Zoom Microphone Access iOS

In addition the microphone access, the microphone can be muted within the Zoom app itself.

Follow these steps to make sure the microphone is not muted within the Zoom app on iOS.

  1. Open the Zoom App.
  2. Click the Settings icon in the lower-right corner.
    Zoom Settings
  3. Next, click the Meetings
  4. In the Meeting Settings, make sure the option Mute My Microphone is disabled.
    Zoom Meeting Settings

Start your meeting, or join your meeting with the Join with Audio option to make sure the audio (and microphone is enabled).

If you are still facing problems, try closing any other apps that might use the microphone. A last option is to restart the phone or iPad.


I hope this article has helped you with your ‘Zoom mic not working in Windows 10‘ issue. Do let me know below which fix worked for you! If you have any questions, or more suggested fixes please feel free to comment below as well.

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