Computer With Identity Problems

That's it, my computer must think its a karaoke machine.

This is my problem: Everytime i plug a microphone into the computer, the computer automatically turns into a karaoke machine and plays through the speakers or headphones any sound it picks up from the microphone, without me turning anything on or starting any program/application. Strange.

Whats even stranger, i cant adjust the volume of the mic from the volume control, the realtek HD sound effects manager, or anything else i can think of that i can use to lower the feedback i get from the speakers when i plug in my good microphone.

Even stranger, the windows sound recorder wont pick up anything, i press record and it just acts as theres no mic plugged in, and i might just have believed that if only i dident hear that great feedback and every other noise i make coming from the speakers!

The only conclusion i find is that there's some sort of program/app that controls the mic as soon as i plug it in. what i want to do is just use it as a normal mic, not a karaoke machine, i dont want to be getting feedback(which would be easily adjustable just lowering the mic volume/sensitivity but it wont obey me).

I would appreciate any help possible, as i need to set up the headset for using skype and calling my family long-distance.

Thanks in advice.

This may be obvious but have you opened up the sound control panel (the little speaker icon in your systm tray)? The microphone may be set up as an input device.

If you dig into the sound control panel that was mentioned, you'll find a way to turn off the constant mic monitoring or something... I cant check it at the moment because I'm not at a computer with multimedia functionality. My laptop has a built-in mic and it used to be on all the time (for about 5 minutes) and I'd even hear myself typing on it. I quickly figured out a way to shut that off.
Did you know that if you plug headphones into a microphone jack they'll act as a microphone?

-mcg

Thank you all very much. I dont know quite what did it, but i fiddled with the sound control panel for a while, switching between the input and output controls, and finally i managed to get it working and even made a call last night!

On the output, i have "Front pink in" at highest volume, but muted, and on the input i hace "microphone" at highest volume, and also muted. i think thats doing the trick for me so far. only problem now is that when i call, the person i am speaking to can hear herself speak, too! but its not such a big problem and i guess it has nothing to do with my computer, right?