I've had that problem before, and now it's back, I think it came back since I installed a new audio drivers. The thing is I really don't remember what I had done to fix it. So the problem is concerning my microphone (or in fact the whole headset), which itself is part of an headset, with two wires, one ends in black, the other ends in pink (or very pale red), the pink end is the input I think. By the way my sound card is mentioned in my signature, and this is for Windows XP SP3 32-Bit.
So the actual problem is that whenever I speak in my headset's microphone, or whenever I just touch the actual headset (anywhere) then the resulting spoken words or sounds are played through (and are amplified a lot) my regular Altec Lansing speakers. I'm not sure if that was clear enough. In other words it's as if my system was constantly recording whatever comes from my headset, whether it is my voice in the microphone or sounds caused by me just touching the headset, and the sounds/voice are amplified a lot, I'd just whisper "test" in my microphone for example and then my voice is played about five times louder in my regular speakers and it causes lots of crackling and my sub-woofer doesn't like that either.
Normally, before I installed the new audio drivers at least, then when I spoke in the microphone I could only hear what I said if for example I clicked on "test microphone" from in-game menus, and the voice wasn't amplified by ten or so, there was no crackling, no nothing, it worked well. And I do know that this issue is not related to the actual audio drivers themselves, simply because as I mentioned here, I've had this very issue in the past, way before I installed the new drivers, the problem is I don't remember what I've done back then to fix it, but I did fixed it. In my Windows Audio panel, when I uncheck the box under "Microphone" then of course the problem mentioned above stops, but a new problem arises, which is (and you probably guessed) that the Microphone doesn't work anymore, so if I play games and I want to use voice communication, it doesn't work, since I unchecked that box.
But if I do check the box then as I said it is as if there would be a constant recording from the headset. As I type this, for another example, if I just gently hit on the headset, anywhere, just hitting it gently, then my speakers play a "boom", as if I was hitting a drum, and I'm in the Desktop, not playing a game at all. I can't remember what is the cause of such a problem and what I did before to fix it. I'm not sure what else I could say to try to describe my problem. Any suggestions guys?
EDIT: Here a picture of my audio card the where the wires are plugged (I've rotated the picture to show how it is physically installed in my case right now, as if you looked at it from behind of my case of course): http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/7352/apujj5.png
The black-end and red/pink-end wires are both from my headset, and the green-end wire comes from my Altec Lansing speakers. Please note that it was all plugged like this before I installed the new drivers, and to repeat myself again, note that I did not experience this issue for a very long time with the wires plugged this way, so I don't think that changing them would fix anything.
So the actual problem is that whenever I speak in my headset's microphone, or whenever I just touch the actual headset (anywhere) then the resulting spoken words or sounds are played through (and are amplified a lot) my regular Altec Lansing speakers. I'm not sure if that was clear enough. In other words it's as if my system was constantly recording whatever comes from my headset, whether it is my voice in the microphone or sounds caused by me just touching the headset, and the sounds/voice are amplified a lot, I'd just whisper "test" in my microphone for example and then my voice is played about five times louder in my regular speakers and it causes lots of crackling and my sub-woofer doesn't like that either.
Normally, before I installed the new audio drivers at least, then when I spoke in the microphone I could only hear what I said if for example I clicked on "test microphone" from in-game menus, and the voice wasn't amplified by ten or so, there was no crackling, no nothing, it worked well. And I do know that this issue is not related to the actual audio drivers themselves, simply because as I mentioned here, I've had this very issue in the past, way before I installed the new drivers, the problem is I don't remember what I've done back then to fix it, but I did fixed it. In my Windows Audio panel, when I uncheck the box under "Microphone" then of course the problem mentioned above stops, but a new problem arises, which is (and you probably guessed) that the Microphone doesn't work anymore, so if I play games and I want to use voice communication, it doesn't work, since I unchecked that box.
But if I do check the box then as I said it is as if there would be a constant recording from the headset. As I type this, for another example, if I just gently hit on the headset, anywhere, just hitting it gently, then my speakers play a "boom", as if I was hitting a drum, and I'm in the Desktop, not playing a game at all. I can't remember what is the cause of such a problem and what I did before to fix it. I'm not sure what else I could say to try to describe my problem. Any suggestions guys?
EDIT: Here a picture of my audio card the where the wires are plugged (I've rotated the picture to show how it is physically installed in my case right now, as if you looked at it from behind of my case of course): http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/7352/apujj5.png
The black-end and red/pink-end wires are both from my headset, and the green-end wire comes from my Altec Lansing speakers. Please note that it was all plugged like this before I installed the new drivers, and to repeat myself again, note that I did not experience this issue for a very long time with the wires plugged this way, so I don't think that changing them would fix anything.