My PC is a Toshiba A300D laptop XP Pr SP3 (formerly Vista Business). Problem is the built-in mic which only works if you speak with your mouth a few centimetres away from it! Have tried making the usual adjustments to the mic sound input level but to no avail. Makes using the webcam for video conversations a waste of time! Any ideas would be welcomed.

How well did it work when you where using Vista? Perhaps the Vista drivers where better than the XP drivers considering the computer was designed for vista. If thats not it if it is under warranty I would contact the manufacturer.

Thanks, Townsbg. The problem was the same with Vista which was originally loaded on the machine at purchase. The PC also came with XP Professional OS disc which I soon changed to after "tasting" Vista! The PC is still under warranty and I shall probably have to resort to that - what's got me hoping I can get it sorted without doing so is that getting warranty service where I live means that your PC is liable to disappear into the wide blue yonder for two months!

If it did the same thing on Vista then I would suspect that it is the microphone. Although in the audio settings there should be a mic level. If you're lucky that is low. Something to look into. Otherwise I would say return it if it isn't to late to do so and get another or do a RMA to have the manufacturer replace or repair it.