I did a health check and restore on Windows but it didn't find anything. OK, so I just hooked up my Microsoft Life Cam to check the mic on that and it's doing the exact same thing. There is just no mic input registering unless 'listen to device' is selected, but I can't use the mic like that all the time. Plugging it back in it shows the mic was plugged in.

If I unplug my mic, it shows the mic was unplugged. I'm starting to wonder if it's not Sound Blaster but a Windows update that got this all screwy. Same mic I've always used, same sound card.

While my mic is mono, and worked perfectly the last time I used it before this issue, Windows Sound settings and Sound Blaster Commander are showing left and right channels for the mic, I'm wondering is the computer is trying to use the wrong channel L/R for mono, but I don't see any way to switch it. I've uninstalled everything, removed the sound card, restarted, shut down, reinstalled the sound card, rebooted, reinstalled the sound drivers, rebooted again, still having the same issue. Once again, I can hear the mic fine during 'listen to device' selected, and the mic meter shows activity, but it's like when it's unselected, windows is not registering any input from the mic. Windows device manager and sound panel are showing 'this device is working properly'. If I go into Voicemeeter Banana it shows and error for the Sound Blaster Z mic input. If I go into audacity, it tells me something is wrong with my hardware. If I try to go into discord and select my mic as the input device, I get no mic audio coming out. When 'listen to device' is selected, and I get the talkback coming through my speaker/headphones, the mic meter in the Windows Sound panel shows activity, but then I uncheck 'listen' to device, all activity on the meter stops, which I don't remember being normal. So my mic works, if I go into windows sound settings or my Sound Blaster Commander software and click 'listen to device', I can hear my voice perfectly.

I did also update my sound card drivers and application though I tried reverting back to an earlier version and still having the same problem. I don't know if there was a Windows update that messed up my mic or what, but this just started happening and I can't figure it out. Latest version of Windows 10 and Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z Series driver, though I've tried reverting to older ones.

Daniel k driver