Thinkpads Forum

Fortunately, by an only mildly embarrassing accident, I discovered that the mic was still enabled on my closed (but running) W500. The transmitted audio was muted but still audible.

I use three closed-lid W500 ThinkPads with a variety of OSes on them, and use a KVM to switch the audio output and video to a single large monitor and speakers. For meetings that require the mic, I plug in a headset. Recently I plugged the headset into the wrong laptop, yet the other folks still heard me faintly. Apparently, even though the video is muted when the lid is closed, the mic and speakers are not.

This has a number of security ramifications, so I tried to find where I could disable the mic when the lid is closed. Win7 allows the processor to "do nothing" (not sleep, hibernate, or shutdown) when the lid is closed but there's nothing that will control the mic or speakers. Even the Lenovo Power Controls app has nothing to address this.

Is it possible to disable the mic when the computer is running with the lid closed? (Besides sticking a dummy mic plug in the headset port.)

Thanks,

-Chip-

Not sure software wise but you could prpbably splice a reed switch in and PNP transistor to the mic lines and highjacking the magnet for the lid sensor to mute the mic.

Maybe only switch it ON when you need it?
And when finished, switch it OFF?

On either of your W500, right-click on the Speaker icon in the taskbar notification area, select Recording devices.
Right-click on your microphone and hit Properties, in the Microphone properties window go to Levels tab.
Here you can mute/re-enable the microphone.

I tried using nirsoft programs to disable my T500's microphone and achieve functionality similar to the hardware Mic Mute button supported by CS09 and newer Thinkpads. I was unsuccessful to derive any such functionality using their programs, I think the T500's sound driver does not support it.

I made the Thinkvantage button open up the Sound > Recording Devices window so I can use the mouse to disable / enable the Microphone.

OK, the consensus seems to be that there is no mechanism in Win7 that ties the audio to lid closure. Windoze is far from my favorite OS so I had hoped it was just unfamiliarity, and someone would provide desultory instructions.

I found a sub-mini jack in my electronic components stock. I'll have to unplug it to use the headset but that's a pretty good failsafe anyway. It's not elegant but it works.

Thanks all,

-Chip-

can you set the recording device to audio in instead of microphone, if thats an option? it worked on my T43.

I don't think T500 has that option. Audio controls are not extensive in the T500.

No, but it's a helluva portable CAD machine.
-Chip-