I don't know if it's the same situation, but my mic didn't work before because at the microphone settings where you can turn on mic boost, there was a box to check about using a different jack, like ...

I have this microphone that came with my old gateway computer (about 5 or 6 months old) and in order for it to be heard u hafta have ur mouth like an inch from it... is there any wauy to turn upo the ...