Summary Non-working microphones could affect applications such as 8x8 when trying to talk in meetings or any other application that requires the use of the laptop's built-in microphone. All applications by default will utilize the Windows microphone. External microphones will involve a driver that will install that could consequently change microphone settings. When this happens, it could cause applications not to see the microphone. Also, most laptops will have a hotkey that is preprogrammed to turn things on and off like the microphone, F4 key, you'll see a microphone icon. It will toggle the mute. Instructions Start by rebooting the computer. If rebooting doesn't fix the issue, try each step below until it works. If none of the steps don't work, please let IT know. 1. The first thing to check for is the hotkey. Most Dell laptops will have the F4 key (top row of the keyboard) as the MIC key. It will have an icon of a microphone. Pressing it should illuminate it. When it's illuminated, the MIC MUTE is on. To turn it off, just press the F4 key again and it should turn it off. 2. Check the Sound settings. Navigate to the search bar or magnifying glass in the lower-left corner of the screen and type the word "Sound". You will land on the Sound Settings page. Look for Input. Check to see if it's pointing to the correct device. Most users will have Realtek Microphone as the input. Some people may optionally have a headset. 3. If your MIC is on, you should see a blue bar moving around when you make a sound. If not, then it's possible the MIC has been disabled. If everything seems to appear correct, look at the privacy settings. Go to the search bar or magnifying glass in the lower-left corner screen and search for "Privacy". Click on "Privacy Settings". You will see options on the left side of the screen. Choose Microphone. 4. You will see several options for apps having access to the microphone. Ensure the app you are using is turned on. There is a master toggle switch under Microphone called "Allow apps to access your microphone." If this is off, it will turn off all apps accessing the mic. Ensure this is on. 5. If the app you are using is on, then it's most likely the app that is causing the issue. You will need to open the app and look for a settings icon. Most will look like this. 6. Click on the icon to view the app settings. There will more than likely be a setting for the microphone. Look at the setting and make sure it's pointing to the MIC you are using. If it's the laptop MIC, it will most likely be Realtek. If you confirmed in step 3 that the MIC is not working, then it's most likely the MIC has been disabled. It will need to be enabled. 1. Type "Sound" in search bar. 2. Click on "Manage sound devices". 3. You'll be on the "Manage sound devices" window. Look for "Input devices", and check for Microphone Array. Ensure it's not disabled. 4. If the above steps did not work, including driver updates, and application updates, it's most likely a corrupt driver. IT will need to uninstall and reinstall the audio driver from the computer. 

Summary This is a quick guide on how to set yourself up for calls or meetings on a computer. 8x8 will provide sound on desktops and laptops. You won't be able to use 8x8 for meetings on a desktop unless an external microphone is attached. You can use a headset with mic on a desktop to use 8x8 meetings and phone calls. Instructions Audio Calls 1. Launch 8x8 and look for the Headset icon on the lower-left corner of the application. This will give you the "Call Using" option. 2. It will allow you the option to select your inputs and outputs. You will notice there are dropdowns for both. If there isn't a drop-down, then it's possible your device doesn't support it or it's missing the drivers. In this example, we see the laptop is using both an internal mic and speaker. 3. Microphone dropdown. If you have additional hardware, the drop-down should reveal more options. In this example, there is a headset and webcam as an available microphone input. Any of these devices can be selected as an input. Choose your preference. 4. Speakers dropdown. In this example. You will note that there are three speakers options. The built in speaker is the Realtek. The Headset is self explanatory, and the C49HG9x happens to be a monitor (will be different for most people). Choose your preference. 5. You will also note that there is a Deskphone option. This can only be utilized if you have an assigned physical phone in your name. This will allow you to use the desk phone while utilizing the 8x8 application. 6. You can alternatively use the Settings icon for an overall tweaking. It will give you more control choices. You can click on Audio & Video at the top. Note there is a Video setting at the bottom. This will allow you to choose your webcam. If you are only using a laptop, it will use the internal webcam by default. Meetings 7. Webcam settings. Click on Go to Meetings. It will take you to the Video icon OR you can directly go there by clicking on the icon instead of using the Settings icon.You will note there is an option for the Microphone and Webcam. 8. If you click the chevron for the microphone, it will give you similar options as pictured. This is what you'll choose for meetings. By default, whatever was used for audio calls should work for meetings. There have been known instances that this doesn't always work for meetings. If you are in a meeting and nobody can hear you, try selecting a different Microphone. You may be given the choice of the same microphone twice, but worded differently.  HEADSET - If you're using a headset and nobody still can't hear you, check and see if the headset being used has an inline mute button on the cord. It's a physical button that could override the software mute functions. Use step 8 if nobody can hear you in meetings. Try entering the meeting unmuted. Going into a meeting muted will sometimes get stuck. If this happens, exit the meeting, then change to unmute and enter the meeting. SPEAKERS - No sound. Tapping on the F1 of the keyboard should toggle the mute on/off. Sound uses Windows settings, so if you need to further troubleshoot sound issues, type "sound" in the search bar on the lower-left corner of the screen.

Summary By default, Microsoft Edge will open up when an application that requires the browser. Not all applications work well with Microsoft Edge, so changing the default settings will make it easier instead of manually searching for another browser such as Chrome. Instructions 1. Ensure Chrome is installed first before changing the default settings. You can look at your desktop or type in the search field for "Chrome." 2. Select the Windows Start button in the lower-left of the screen or the search field and type "Default." Select Default Apps. 3. Scroll towards the bottom of the Window and click on Microsoft Edge. If you see Chrome already there, no further action is needed.  4. You should see options to select your browser, click on Google Chrome. If you don't see Chrome as an option, create an incident to have it installed.      5. Windows will normally prompt you to stay with Microsoft Edge. Ignore the message and click on "Switch Anyway." You're done! From this point forward, your browser will open up with Chrome. You can still access Microsoft Edge through the Windows Start under Standard Apps.

Summary This solutions article will go over two methods of extending the display from your laptop to an external monitor(s). Most of the laptops in the company are set up with a dual monitor setup. A docking station provides dual monitor support via a USB-C connection to the laptop. An alternative option will be using the HDMI port from the left side of the laptop. We will be going over both methods in configuring your display settings. Method 1 will go over the steps for extending a display from a docking station. Method 2 will go over the steps for extending a display from the HDMI port from the laptop. Instructions Instructional video found here. Method 1 There are different models of docking stations out there, but it should be the same concept. Ensure the monitors are plugged into the docking station using the video cables and ensure both ends of the cables are snugged. Any loose video cable will prevent the monitors from being detected. You shouldn't see exposed metal from the video cable. 1. Plug the USB cable part of the docking station into the USB slot of the laptop. It doesn't matter which USB port is used. Some models will have one USB port on the left and one on the right. Give it a few seconds before going to step three to allow the computer to discover the signal.    Some docking stations will have an illuminated light to indicate it's connected. 2. Press Windows + I and go to System>Display, or right-click on a blank area of the screen wallpaper and select Display Settings. 3. Scroll down until you see Multiple displays. Click on the drop down and select "Extend xxxxxxx 1 and 2", and click apply. You will see a blue screen asking you if you want to Keep Changes, go ahead and click on the button. Note: If the laptop does not detect a signal, it will not give the option to extend to the monitors. It must show both monitors or you won't be able to display on both.   4. Once you click the Keep changes button, your screen may not orient correctly. Meaning that your mouse pointer does not move across the screen as it should. You will need to adjust how your screen is physically represented. Scroll back to the top of the Display menu until you see a representation of your monitors. It will look like boxes. The size of the box could be a different size depending on the resolution of the monitors. Click the button Identify. Look at your monitors and look for the numbers that appear on the screen. Take note of where they are at. (Example: If the left monitor is 2 and the right is 1, then you will click and drag the box to the opposite side.)  Sometimes you may not have to change anything. Your goal is to match the physical layout of actual monitors in the example diagram below. If you forgot the numbers, press the Identify button again. Left-click and hold the button down and drag the box to match your physical layout. 5. Once you match your physical layout and click apply, you are done! Please test it out by dragging your mouse pointer across your screens.    Step 4 can be done with multiple configurations including your laptop screen. If you don't want to use the screen from your laptop, you'll need to change the setting for your laptop lid. Just type "lid" in the search bar field of the taskbar. Select Do Nothing. When you close the lid, you will be using only two screens instead of three. If you don't select Do Nothing, then your laptop will go to sleep, hibernate, or shut down depending on the setting. Method 2 Using the HDMI to extend the display to an external monitor. This method will allow you to use an external monitor with your laptop. This is good if you want to share (mirror/duplicate) your screen or extend your screen from the laptop to give you more screen real estate. This is good for when working from home or you are at a meeting and you need to share your screen via HDMI cable. 1. Ensure you are using a good HDMI cable. Older cables may not work. 2. Plug the HDMI cable into the left or right side of the laptop. Ensure the cable is snug. Give it a few seconds before going to step three to allow the computer to discover the signal. 3. Press Windows + I and go to System>Display, or right-click on a blank area of the screen wallpaper and select Display Settings. 4. Scroll down until you see Multiple displays. Click on the drop-down and select "Extend xxxxxxx", and click apply. You can also select Duplicate if you want to share your screen. You will see a blue screen asking you if you want to Keep Changes, go ahead and click on the button. Note: If the laptop does not detect a signal, it will not give the option to extend to the monitors. It must show the monitor or you won't be able to display it.   5. Once you click the Keep changes button, your screen may not orient correctly. Meaning that your mouse pointer does not move across the screen as it should. You will need to adjust how your screen is physically represented. Scroll back to the top of the Display menu until you see a representation of your monitors. It will look like boxes. The size of the box could be a different size depending on the resolution of the monitors. Click the button Identify. Look at your monitors and look for the numbers that appear on the screen. Take note of where they are at. (Example: If the left monitor is 2 and the right is 1, then you will click and drag the box to the opposite side.) Your goal is to match the physical layout of actual monitors to the diagram below. If you forgot the numbers, press the Identify button again. Left-click and hold the button down and drag the box to match your physical layout. 6. Once you match your physical layout and click apply, you are done! Test it out by dragging your mouse pointer across your screens. If you are using Duplicate these display mode, it's not necessary to orient the screen. No image from one of the extended monitors. In a dual monitor setup, if one monitor is working and the other isn't, there could be several reasons, but always check power first. Can you see the LED light from the power button of the monitor? CAUSE: Power cable isn't plugged in all the way SOLUTION: Push cable all the way into the monitor and ensure the plug is in a working outlet. If it's a surge protector, ensure the surge protector is on and not tripped! A brand new monitor won't display until you turn it on and click the OK from the monitor menu. Navigate the monitor menu from the bottom of the monitor or behind the monitor. New monitors have a toggle button on the back right side. Navigate to the menu and ensure OK is selected. CAUSE: New monitor not set when initially turned on SOLUTION: Use menu buttons to click OK on the monitor menu. Video cable - ensure the cable is snug. No metal should be visible. Sometimes it feels like the cable is in, but it's not. If the cable is in and the power on the monitor is on, check the next bullet. CAUSE: Loose Cable or unseated cable SOLUTION: Ensure the cable is snug, no metal should be exposed. Both ends. Settings can cause it not to extend to the monitor. If you see your monitor represented like in the example of Method 1, step 4, but it's inactive, it's because the setting to extend is turned off. CAUSE: Display setting set to "Disconnect this display" from the Display menu of the operating system. SOLUTION: Change the setting to "Extend desktop to this display." None of the monitors are extending out from the docking station. Ensure the docking station is powered on. Restart the laptop while connected to the docking station. Unplug the power from the docking station, and detach the USB cable from the laptop. Plug the power back into the docking station and plug the USB cable back into the laptop. If none of the above actions worked, please further troubleshoot from our other Solution article taken from Dell's website. https://nobis.freshservice.com/support/solutions/articles/16000044419

Summary Microsoft is really good at trying to make you use their programs by default and this includes opening PDFs from Microsoft Edge. Although most PDFs will open through Edge, there are times when it won't open because of compatibility issues. The tale-tale sign is the file will not open. The instructions below will show you how to change your default program to open PDFs with the original creators of PDFs, Adobe. Instructions How To Change the Default from Microsoft Edge to Adobe 1. Find the Windows Start button on your screen or the search field and type "Default." Select Default Apps. 2. Scroll toward the bottom of the Window until you see multiple links. You'll be selecting "Set defaults by app." 3. You'll see a list of programs to choose from. Adobe will be your choice for PDFs. Click on "Adobe Acrobat Reader DC", then "Manage." Note: Some users will have Foxit PDF or Adobe Pro. If you see that as an option, select those programs if you want those programs to open it. 4. Once you click "Manage", you'll see several options of extensions the program uses. If you see Microsoft Edge there, you can click on it and it'll give you the option to choose your program. In this example, I have FoxitPDF. I'll click on it to give me the choice. I can click on "Adobe Acrobat Reader DC." It may vary from other users, but most users will use Adobe. 5. Once you select the program, future programs that open in the .PDF will open with that program. Keep in mind that Microsoft Edge will try and trick you and stay with Edge, go ahead and click "Switch Anyway." You are done!

Summary Sound issues are a very broad problem that can't always be pinpointed, but most of them are related to Windows sound settings and audio drivers. The troubleshooting steps below are basic enough for users to check, but if you feel you need assistance from your IT department, please mention it in the ticket. Instructions You should always start with a reboot to ensure there are no Windows updates that are waiting for a reboot. Sometimes this will cause the computer to misbehave. Please note that most programs will use Windows audio for sound such as 8x8, Microsoft Teams, or sound in general such as Windows or playing videos. 1. The most obvious setting to look for is making sure your speakers aren't muted. The F1 on a laptop keyboard will MUTE all System Sounds. Check your sound icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar near your system clock.  Sound  No sound (Muted) Right-clicking the sound icon will give you more options. Click on "Open Volume mixer." In this example. You see there is "no" icon where the sound is. This means the system sound is muted. Click on it to uncheck it. 2. If step one is not the issue, you can right-click on the sound icon  in the lower-right corner of the screen again and select "Open Sound Settings." You'll notice a drop-down. Please ensure you have "Speakers (Realtek(R) Audio" selected or similar. . 3. If step one and two didn't work, try this final setting. Right-click the sound icon  and select "Sounds." Ensure you're on the "Playback" tab. Select "Speakers", then click on "Properties in the lower-right corner. In Speaker Properties, go to the "Advanced" tab then go to "Signal Enhancement". Uncheck the box. You can click the Test button above and listen for the test sound. This should resolve your sound issues. If none of the above actions work, then it's most likely a driver issue. Your IT department will need to remote in and take a look.

Summary If you're on a computer using WiFi connectivity such as a laptop or WOW cart, this should apply. The symptom is losing connectivity while you are working. There could be several reasons why it's doing it, but this article focuses on a setting that may be causing it. Please follow the instructions below. If the problem still persists, reply to the incident you created and mention the steps didn't work or create an incident if you haven't created one. Instructions 1. Navigate to your search bar at the bottom of the taskbar and type "Wifi" in the field. Click on "Wi-Fi settings." 2. You will see many options. Find the toggle for "Use random hardware addresses" and ensure it's off. If it's blue, it's on. It needs to be OFF. 3. Ensure you're on the "hospital_employees" network for the next step. If not, click on "Show available networks" and click on Hospital_Employees. Click on it to open up the connection rules. 4. Ensure the "Use random addresses for this network" is also "Off." 5. To help prevent the computer from joining another network, go back to the WiFi settings and click on "Manage known networks." 6. If you see the "Hospital_Guest" network on the list, click on it and click "Forget." This should help prevent the dropping of connections. If not, please create a ticket with the IT department and mention you've gone through all the steps.

Summary Your laptop or wireless-capable computer keeps losing connection. There are several reasons why this could happen. Incorrect network WiFi Settings Recent Windows Update Lost connection from the wireless access point Saturated wireless network No internet The computer isn't whitelisted for the network Troubleshooting If you haven't done so already, please make sure you've rebooted the computer and followed the steps from our Solutions article: https://servicedesk.nobisrehabpartners.com/support/solutions/articles/16000062270-unresponsive-applications ! We're currently aware of the ongoing issue with WOWs and laptops losing connection. We have a problem ticket for all of the hospitals. You can feel free and try the troubleshooting steps below. It may or may not help with the problem. Our Senior System Administrator has been working with our vendor and has visited the hospital for on-site troubleshooting as well. Please be patient as he is diligently trying to find the source of the problem. 1/30/23 - New possible fix. There is a new BIOS update. Please run step 2 of the Solutions article: https://nobis.freshservice.com/support/solutions/articles/16000062270 If you require assistance, please let us know. 1. Incorrect network - There are two networks in the hospital. Hospital_Employees - this network is reserved for company computers such as laptops and WOWs. This is like being connected to an ethernet cable which means it's a trusted network. A first-time connection requires a password. If you see it prompting for email and password, it's not whitelisted.  Hospital_Guest - this network is public. This is normally used by patients, visitors, or employees. This network requires the user to sign in. Yes, company computers do work on this network, but it won't allow file share access unless on VPN. New employees trying to sign in for the first time will also experience issues since the computer is not on the domain. 2. WiFi Settings - This setting is normally turned on by default. It's possible it is off or the driver is missing. You can try typing "WiFi" in the Windows search at the bottom of your screen. You should see a setting for "Wi-Fi." If it's off, click on it to turn it on. If it's greyed out, you may not have permission and that requires a ticket with your IT department. If it's missing, then the network adapter driver is possibly missing. This will require an incident. 3. Recent Windows Update - Updates are supposed to fix known issues with Windows, but at the same time, it can break things during the process. If you haven't rebooted the computer, your computer may not work correctly. Always reboot after an update and reboot often. You can follow this article to help you through this step. 4. Lost connection from the wireless access point - Although there are several wireless access points throughout the hospital, it's possible there is interference or the possibility of the computer deciding to hop to another network because someone connected to the hospital_guest network previously. Interference could be from the building structure. You can lessen the structure part if you're in a patient's room by leaving the door open.  Network hopping happens when the computer wants to join an existing network it connected to before because it thinks the signal is stronger or has lesser traffic. If someone decided to connect to the hospital_guest network in the past, the computer remembers that connection. It should be forgotten. Please follow these instructions to help eliminate lost connections. https://nobis.freshservice.com/support/solutions/articles/16000065933 5. Saturated wireless network - This means too many wireless connections are going on that the wireless access point can't handle it. It could result in dropping connectivity. This is a rare occurrence since hospitals have several wireless access points.  6. No internet - means no service with the Internet Service Provider. Your computer could show your connection to the wireless access point, but you have no internet. At this point, it's not a connectivity issue, but an internet service issue. There is redundancy built in each hospital with backup connections. It could result in slower internet connections, but you'll still have service. If there is no service at all, an incident needs to be created with your IT department. 7. The computer isn't whitelisted for the network - Whitelisting means the computer has been added to our wireless network table which gives full access to our network. How do you know if your computer has been whitelisted? Hospital_employees - if your computer is whitelisted, it may only ask for the password. If it's not whitelisted, it'll ask for an email and password. Examples of what should be whitelisted on this network are WOWs, therapy laptops, company laptops, and certain devices. This allows unrestricted access on the network to include file shares. Hospital_guest - this is a public network used by patients, visitors, and employees. It does prompt for a log in and gives access for a period of time. It's unnecessary for a company computer to be on this network if whitelisted. If you think your company laptop isn't whitelisted, please visit our Service Catalog and request Wi-Fi access. NOTE: Globe icon  This usually indicates there is no connectivity. It can represent a false positive. It could be connected to the Internet, but not the company network. You can try reconnecting to hospital_employees by clicking on this icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar.

Summary This article will apply to both the 8x8 Work app that is installed on a computer and the desk phone. Symptoms may include users not hearing you or not hearing them. 8x8 is a VOIP (voice over internet protocol) service. This means the phone service relies on the internet for communication. No internet means no service. There are several reasons why you may not be able to hear sound ranging from no service to settings that may have changed. Most often a simple reboot of the computer or desk phone will fix the issue. Below are some simple instructions anyone can do. It doesn't take a person from the IT department to perform these easy steps. You can contact the IT department for assistance. Instructions 1. Reboot the computer or device. Computer: Several people still confuse shutting down and rebooting a computer. It's not the same thing. There was a time when shutting down was the same, but Windows stopped doing that since Windows 8. If you're unsure how to restart a computer, please click here.  Desk Phone: The desk phone is powered by the network (ethernet) cable. Flip the phone to the underside and unplug the cable. There could be two network cables, but you want to unplug the cable that has the symbol with the boxes. When you unplug the cable, there should be nothing on the desk phone screen.  If you still have power, there could be another power source using a barrel connector. Some phone setups will have this, so unplugging the barrel connector will remove power. 2. Allow any updates to be performed. Window updates will usually show a percentage and the desk phone will usually reload and update firmware and the associated account for the phone. 3. Try testing calls after the reboot. If the problem persists, please read the troubleshooting steps below. Troubleshooting First, 8x8 has many knowledge articles on their site. If you Google any 8x8-related issue, you should find something. Our internal Solutions articles are typically replicated from 8x8's website, however, you may find their site to be more current. The troubleshooting steps will be broken down to the 8x8 Work app and desk phone. 8x8 Work App- Please bear in mind that the app uses Windows resources for sound. This means it's a shared resource used by other programs and applications. If sound works in other applications, but not 8x8, it's usually a setting within 8x8 that is the cause of the problem. 1. As mentioned in step one of the instructions, make sure the computer has been rebooted. This is a critical step. 2. Check the app for updates. A pending update could prevent the 8x8 Work app from working properly until the update is completed. Click your profile button in the upper left corner, then click on "Help", then "Check for updates." Sometimes 8x8 will automatically give the option to "Install and Relaunch" for the update. Please do so. 3. To check sound settings, there are a couple of areas you can check. In the lower-left corner of 8x8, you'll see a computer icon (sometimes it could change to a different icon such as a headset or desk phone and the settings wheel icon. You can choose the settings icon if you desire and click "Audio & Video", but it's essentially the same. 4. If you click the computer icon or headset icon or deskphone icon, it will bring up this menu. You want to look at your settings for sound. There will be settings for the Microphone and Speakers as indicated below. Note the green arrows. It points to a drop down field that allows you to choose your source. Most laptops will default to "Realtek Audio" since these are built into the computer. If you are using a different source, external devices like headsets, speakers, or webcams can be detected as an option. You may choose to use these devices. However, these devices could be frozen causing you not to hear or the other party is unable to hear you. You can try selecting a different source or power cycling these devices. Headset: If you're on a headset, make sure the headset you're using doesn't have its own MUTE button. This will override the settings in the app. Webcam: If you're using a webcam, try unplugging the device and plug it back in. Restarting the cam may fix the issue. Webcam MIC - Most external webcams have their own internal microphone. If your Microphone is set for your webcam, your issue could be the webcam. Power cycle the webcam or choose another source. External Speakers: You can try selecting the computer speakers in the drop-down menu or unplugging the speakers to power cycle them. Internal Microphone and Speakers: Your laptop will have hot keys that can MUTE or essentially turn off the MIC and Speakers. F1 - will toggle the speakers on and off. Please check this. F4 - will toggle the MIC on and off. Please check this. Some laptops will have a light to indicate that it's on. Most issues are resolved from this step. If not, proceed to step 5 to check your Windows settings. 5. If step four didn't resolve your issue, please check your Windows sound settings found here. This should apply to both Windows 10 and 11. If none of the steps above worked, please create an incident with the IT department to further investigate the issue. Desk phone The desk phone should be the simplest to troubleshoot. All you need to do is reboot the phone. 1. To reboot the phone, follow Step 1 of the Instructions above. 2. If the phone still acts up after the reboot, try testing the phone in another area with a network cable. This should let us know if the port or the cable is bad. If the phone has the same issue on another network cable, there's a good chance the issue is the phone. If none of the steps above worked, please create an incident with the IT department to further investigate the issue. Related Article: https://nobis.freshservice.com/support/solutions/articles/16000038902