Why isn't my mic working?

My 3.5mm jack mic isn't working?

• When I twist the pink stick thing inside the plug where it should go it makes those crunch like noises (like when you pat a mic to check it) but it doesn't pick up still on sound rec. For a little time it showed some sound of the crackles, but nothing out of the actual mic. It didn't make those sounds yesterday, or work at all. I tried another headset and it wouldn't work with them. I tried to re-instal the sound driver but I really don't know if this has done anything (I did that yesterday) If there is anything I can instal or try it would be much appreciated, but free if possible, please!

• Answer:

  If you can twist the plastic pink bit then it is faulty. Inside the cable are two wires (positive and negative) that must not touch so twisting the plug has caused those two wires to touch. Go buy another cable, they are not expensive. The mic cable is the same as a line out cable or speaker cable so you could use one of those if you have a spare. If the jack itself is crunching and not the male bit, then on a pc, if you have the sound interface installed, you can actually change one of the other jacks to be a line in jack ( or mic jack). Not sure about a laptop though.