Vista - Microphone not working in front or rear panel

ezisk - try just uninstalling the RealTek audio that you've been installing and let Vista use its built in HD Audio drivers and see if that helps.

Well, I installed a fresh Windows XP SP3 (3824) on my system, and it turns out that microsoft had a huge fluke and screwed up with giving support for HD audio. What a bummer. So I'm going to try and install SP2 now.

I have used my sound card to record before (before I switched PC's to Vista and on-board audio) and it was very good quality. However, I now have an AKG Perception 120 microphone which is a big upgrade from the mic I had before. I just can't wait to get this to work. I'll report back if SP2 helps at all.

edit-

johngalt, I've already done that and to no avail. That's what confused me the most. It used to work with the Microsoft HD Audio drivers but then decided to start failing abruptly.

Jesus...

So I decided I'd forgo any future complications and did a complete format of my hard drive, and reinstalled Vista Ultimate 32-bit SP 1.

Now, after freshly installing all drivers (after disabling on board HD audio in BIOS and re-enabling it), it turns out that the on-board audio is not picking up a thing! Not even the regular audio output, which was working. This is like a nightmare.

I have done nothing different. Realtek doesn't even pop-up now when I take out the audio plugs and put them back in. I checked to make sure my speakers didn't blow out with my iPod, and sure enough, they're alright.

Am I in the twilight zone?

Sounds like your mobo is going south on your slowly - could be signs of the southbridge on its way out....

Well I am never going to use HD Audio again. Plugged in a Soundblaster Live! 24-bit card and I have crystal surround as well as recording. Good game.

Thank you gentlemen, thread over.