input selector blank

[tgbyrne]

Using Audacity 1.2.6 on Windows XP, the input selector is blank, and I can only record with the laptop's built-in microphone.
On two separate laptops, edit+preferences+audio i/o has two options in the recording+device selector: "Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input" and "SoundMAX HD Audio." Choosing either of these makes no difference; the input selector remains blank and only the microphone records.
On a desktop machine, there are the same audio i/o options in prefs ("SoundMAX HD Audio I" is selected; there is no "I" at the end of the laptop's selection), but the input selector has four options: Stereo Mix, Master Volume, Microphone, and Line In.
Like on the desktop machine, I would like to be able on my laptops to record sounds coming through the computer rather than from the microphone. How do I do this? I've searched this forum to no avail.

[steve]

Try upgrading to Audacity 1.3.13 (it has much better hardware support than the old 1.2.6 version) http://audacityteam.org/download/
If you are using Vista or Win 7 then you should not be using 1.2.6 as it has known problems on more modern machines.

[tgbyrne]

Steve,
Thanks for the quick reply. I installed Audacity 1.3.13, and the INPUT SELECTOR now lists the two also found in prefs, but I'm still unable to record sounds coming through the computer rather than through the built-in microphone. I have the microphone muted in the XP MASTER VOLUME, but Audacity seems to be ignoring that setting, and recording through the microphone the sounds the computer is making. Should I maybe connect the LINEOUT to the LINEIN? WIll this disable the microphone?

[steve]

See here for how to set up the computer to record sounds that are playing on the computer: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Mixer ... trol_Panel

[tgbyrne]

Steve,
Thank you. I had followed the instructions on the URL you suggested (http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Mixer ... trol_Panel); that is where I got the reference for connecting the lineout to the linein (which I've not yet tried). The builtin microphone is muted in the control panel, but Audacity 1.3 is still recording through it. I want the mic to be muted and only non-microphone sounds to be recorded.

[steve]

The builtin microphone is muted in the control panel,

Check that again - there may be two mute buttons, one in the recording section and one in the playback section. If there are, mute them both.