Susan C, Author at Drivers.com

PS4 headset with mic not working

By Susan C on August 27, 2018

PS4 is a popular gaming console. Besides offering a wonderful gaming experience, it also offers gamers the option to voice chat while playing online games. Sometimes the hardware does not work as expected and your gamer friend can’t hear, although you can hear him/her clearly.

In this post, we have provided a solution to PS4 mic problem that many users face. Though we have presented 4-5 solutions to resolve the PS4 mic issue, you need not try every solution. You can start with the first solution and if it does not resolve the issue, you need to move to the next solution and so on. Let’s get started.

Solution One – Check PS4 headset thoroughly

If you are able to hear other gamers clearly in voice chat but other gamers are not able to hear you, follow troubleshooting steps given below.

Examine your headset

Check the connection of the headset and ensure you have plugged in the headset cables in right ports. Also, if the pins of the headset are not inserted in the ports properly, it would prevent the headset from working properly. Look for the headset or the cable for any damage. Make sure the port on PS4 console is clear and there is no dust or any obstacle preventing connection.

Check Mic Boom

First thing you need to do is ensure there is no problem with mic boom of your headset. Follow the troubleshooting steps given below

Make sure the mic boom is not loosely attached. Detach the mic boom from the headset.
Plug the mic boom again in its connection slot and ensure it is seated firmly and try using the mic for party chat. If the issue is not resolved, go to next step
Try connecting the PS4 headset with mic with another device. Does it work effortlessly or you face a similar problem? If the PS4 headset is working fine with another device, move to Solution Two.
If the PS4 headset with mic is not working on another device as well, you can draw a conclusion there is some problem with mic boom in the PS4 headset and you need to get a new mic boom.

However, before you get a new mic boom, try this hack and see if it works for you.

Plug in the PS4 headset with a mic into the PS4 controller
Now unplug the PS4 headset halfway from the PS4 controller then plug it back again. Repeat this for 3-4 times and see if the mic problem is solved.

Solution Two – Update Sound Drivers

You can get this problem if your sound drivers are outdated or corrupt or missing. How can you fix the error in such a case? Well, all you need is the latest sound drivers and these can be updated manually or you can use an automatic driver update tool.

Updating Drivers Automatically

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

You can update device drivers automatically
The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

Start Download

Solution Three – Check PS4 settings

If above troubleshooting steps have confirmed that there is nothing wrong with a PS4 headset with mic, wrong PS4 settings could be the culprit. Here are the steps you need to follow to resolve the mic problem.

Go to PS4 Settings
In Settings menu, select Devices

Choose Audio Devices

Select the Input Device then choose Headset connected to the controller

Now select Output Device then choose Headset connected to the controller

Select Volume Control(Headphones)

Set the Volume level to maximum
Select Output to headphones

Choose All Audio
Check the Adjust Microphone Level screen and see if the PS4 headset with mic is detected.

If you can see your headset, check whether the headset and mic are working as intended.

If the PS4 mic problem is still not resolved, move to next solution

Solution Four – Verify sound settings on your computer

Before performing troubleshooting steps in the solution, you need to ensure there is no problem with a mic in the PS4 headset. There is a simple way to check mic: Plug the PS4 headset with mic to another computer and check whether it works as intended.

If the mic does not work as intended, you need to get a new mic boom. However, if the mic in the PS4 headset works fine on another computer, proceed to troubleshooting steps given below.

Step One- Check default mic settings

Plug the mic in the microphone jack on your computer
go to desktop and the go to system tray on the right-hand bottom left corner of the screen.
Right-click on the Speaker icon in the system tray
Select Recording devices from the list

In the Sound dialog box, click Recording tab
Check whether the microphone is the default recording device. A green check sign on the mic icon is an indication that microphone is already set as default recording device. In that case, proceed to Step Two.

If the microphone is not set as default recording device, select microphone and then click set as default button below

(Note- the microphone name in the Sound dialog box may be different than what is shown in the image above. You should look for the microphone icon and follow steps accordingly)

Step Two – Check Microphone levels

If the microphone sound levels are set too low, other gamers may not be able to hear you. Here are the windows sound settings you need to check and make changes wherever necessary.

Open the Sound dialog box ( you can use steps given above as reference)
click Recording tab and then click Properties
In the next window, go to Levels tab

Move the microphone slider towards maximum level. You can set the level between medium to high
Next, move the Microphone boost slider to the maximum You can set the level between medium to high
Click Apply and then click OK
Close all windows

Now check if the PS4 mic problem is resolved. In most cases, other users should be able to hear you in party chat that indicates the mic is resolved successfully.

If you are looking to play your Playstation 4 on a Mac or PC then view our article here.

The User Profile Service failed the logon error

By Susan C on August 25, 2018

Are your getting an error message “The User Profile Service failed the logon” while trying to log in Windows?

If yes, this post is for you.

Like other random computer errors, this error, too, can frustrate you. However, there’s not much to worry about as in this post we have provided a simple fix to resolve the issue.

Restart your computer and see if the error vanishes. In many cases, the error is temporary and goes away with a restart.

However, if the error is repeating at every boot, you are required to resolve the problem by starting your computer in Safe Mode.

How to start the computer in Safe Mode?

Immediately after you switch on your computer, press F8 key. You are required to press the F8 key immediately before Windows logo appears on your screen.
If the Window logo appears, you are required to restart your computer again and repeat the step above
On the Advanced boot options screen, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move the cursor and highlight the Safe Mode option you want and press Enter to confirm the selection
You are required to log into a user account with administrator rights to perform the steps given in solution below

Solution – Make changes in the registry

The Safe Mode provided in Windows is useful to perform any troubleshooting steps when Windows fails to boot normally. To resolve the error “The User Profile Service failed the logon” you are required to make some registry changes.

(Note- Making wrong changes in registry can cause severe problems that can further cripple your System or render it completely unusable. Hence you are required to be careful and backup registry before making any changes)

Steps to backup registry

Press Windows logo and R buttons on keyboard together to bring up a Run command box
In the run command dialog box, type regedit
Hit Enter on keyboard
In the Registry editor window, click File -> Export
When the Export Registry File dialog box pops up, type any name for the registry back and click Save

Now that you have backed up Registry, you can go ahead and perform the troubleshooting steps given in the solution below.

In the Registry Editor window, navigate the following path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Under this key, locate sub-key named S-1-5 preceded by a number

Generally, you would find two sub-keys matching the above parameters. The only difference is the name of one key ends with the word .bak while the other ends with a number (no extension)

Steps to follow if you have two sub-keys with S-1-5 name

If the above condition (two sub-keys with S-1-5) is true in your case, follow the steps given below

You are required to click on each S-1-5XXXXX folder and look for ProfileImagePath entry in the right pane. (XXXX stands for number)

Click twice on ProfileImagePath to see the details of the key. You are required to ensure the key belongs to the username which is related to the error. The Value data field mentions the username related to the key.

After you have confirmed the user account, follow the steps given below
Right-click on the S-1-5 folder which does not have .bak extension and then select Rename.
You need to type .ba at the end of the folder name and then hit Enter on the keyboard
<insert-upsfl-rename S-1-5>
Now right-click on S-1-5 XXXXXXX.bak folder where X represents numbers
Click Rename.
Now, remove .bak from the end of the folder name and hit Enter on the keyboard.
<insert-upsfl-rename S-1-5.bak>
Now right-click S-1-5XXXXXXXX.ba folder and then click Rename.
At the end of the folder name, your need to type k and then press Enter on the keyboard. Now the folder should have .bak extension.

Now reboot the computer and check whether you still get the “The User Profile Service failed the logon”.

Steps to follow if you have one sub-key with S-1-5 name

Right-click on the S-1-5 folder which has .bak extension
Select Rename.
Now you are required to remove .bak from the end of the folder name
Press Enter on the keyboard.

With the S-1-5 folder highlighted in the left pane, Click twice on RefCount listed in the right pane
Now, type number zero(0) in Value data box

Click OK
Now click the S-1-5 folder again and locate State key in the right pane and Click twice on it.
Now, type number zero(0) in Value data box

Close Registry editor window and reboot PC

Now reboot the computer and see if you still get the “The User Profile Service failed the logon”. In most cases, the problem should be resolved.

Widevine Content Decryption Module Missing or not updating Issue

By Susan C on August 23, 2018

Are you getting “Widevine Content Decryption Module Missing” error message while trying to watch Netflix in your Chrome browser?

This is a common error reported by many Netflix users. Thankfully, it is not difficult to resolve and you can fix it on your own.

In this post, we have shown you how to fix Widevine Content Decryption Module Missing or not updating Issue.

What is Widevine Content Decryption Module?

The Widevine Content Decryption Module is a plugin in Google Chrome. If you use the Chrome browser to watch Netflix content, your browser is more likely to have a Widevine Content Decryption Module. It is an inbuilt component that gets activated when you try to access DRM content from any video streaming sites.

What is Widevine Content Decryption Module used for?

Without the Widevine Content Decryption Module, you won’t be able to enjoy DRM- encrypted HTML5 video and audio on Google Chrome. You are getting above error message while accessing Netflix because there is some problem with the Widevine Content Decryption Module. To get rid of this issue, you need to update the Widevine Content Decryption Module as shown in the error message.

Solution One – Update Widevine Content Decryption Module

Launch Google Chrome
In the address bar, type chrome: //components/ and look for Widevine Content Decryption Module. Click Check for Update.

If the Widevine Content Decryption Module fails to update, go to Solution Two.
If the Widevine Content Decryption Module is not in the list, follow Solution Three.

Solution Two- Disable antivirus software temporarily

If you are not able to update the Widevine Content Decryption Module, there is a possibility the antivirus software is blocking its update. In that case, you need to temporarily disable your antivirus software and try to update the Widevine Content Decryption Module. Here are the steps to follow

(Note-The steps to disable antivirus vary from software to software. You need to refer the software documentation to know the exact steps to disable antivirus. Here we have shown steps to disable Panda Antivirus installed on our computer)

Right-click the antivirus icon in the system tray
Select Stop Antivirus

After you have disabled the antivirus software, try playing DRM protected content on Netflix. If the issue persists, move to next solution.

(Note- Before you move to next solution, you would need to enable the antivirus software)

Solution Three – Reinstall Google Chrome

As mentioned earlier, the Widevine Content Decryption Module is an inbuilt component that gets installed automatically when you install Google Chrome for the first time. If it’s missing now, you have to reinstall Google Chrome again. You need to download Google Chrome from the official website. Here are the steps to follow.

Press Windows logo key and R simultaneously on your keyboard to open the Run command console
Type cpl in the command box and hit enter
A window is launched which lists all applications installed on your computer, right-click Google Chrome and click Uninstall
After uninstalling Google Chrome, go to the official Google Chrome download page and download the latest Chrome browser
After the file is downloaded, double-click on the executable file and install Google Chrome

Now try to access Netflix videos and see if you get the Widevine Content Decryption Module Missing” error message. If the issue persists, move to next solution.

Solution Four – Check access permissions for the WidevineCdm folder

The WidevineCdm folder contains all components and files of the Widevine Content Decryption Module. If the Windows operating system does not give full access permission for the folder, the Widevine Content Decryption Module would not get updated. You need to check the permissions for the WidevineCdm folder and make changes if necessary. Here are the steps to follow.

Press Windows logo key and R simultaneously to launch the Run application
In the Run application window, type %userprofile%/appdata/local and hit Enter on the keyboard and you will be directed to the required folder

Navigate to the following path- Google -> Chrome -> User Data

Look for WidevineCdm folder and right-click on it.

Select Properties
In the folder properties window, go to Security tab
In the Group or Usernames, select your username
Now go the Permissions box and check the Allow permissions. You should see a checkmark for all options underneath Access column.
If you see any check marks in Deny column, you need to make some changes in permissions. To do that, click Edit

A new window will pop up, select your username and then click Remove
Uncheck the boxes underneath grant column
Click Apply-> OK
Close all windows

Now try accessing DRM-protected content on Netflix. If the issue persists, move to next solution.

Solution Five – Delete the WidevineCdm folder

Perform the following steps to delete this folder

Close Google chrome
Navigate to the WidevineCdm folder. Follow the first four steps given in the above solution to navigate to the WidevineCdm folder
Select the WidevineCdm folder and hit Delete on the keyboard
Empty the recycle bin to delete the folder completely
Open Google Chrome and update Widevine Content Decryption Module following the steps in Solution One