There are differant Skins for Steam but should follow basic plan or layout.

(* note: one can Listen to Voice chat if you have no Mic )


While reading this you have Overview TAB above, just below the the Upper Right of the Overview will be a LINK, indicating the Number of Users in the Chat room ..to the chat room.


Upper right of the Chat room should have a drop down list, one option is Start Voice.


Most skins will now show some kind of Speaker and/or Microphone icons, they should also indicate trafic on those channels, the voices. Your output and thier input to you.


The icons should also be links to the Voice setup control pannel.
or.. you need to go to a Main Steam page and get there via Steam / Settings / Voice.


2 volume controls, your mic volume to the group and the groups volume to you.
And the Change device if you have Headset with a Mic.
-Steam will show any devices with a Mic
-Mircosoft controlers with a headset fails as it does not list Headphones with a Mic,
just the Mic.

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The only thing that will mess this up is other Voice Apps -PLUS- a lower level Windoze option that does not let Apps SHARE the device.

Find this option from TaskBar / Volume icon / Recording / Microphone / properties / advanced ...somewhere.
The option says something like '"Allow Apps Exclusive use of this..." ..NO!
Option should be OFF / not checked ON.

All Apps should be allowed to SHARE this device.

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If you have a Mic plugged in directly to the system there is another confusion that might occur if that socket is a "shared" Mic <-> Line In port.
(even tho it may be routed to the front of your box and labeled Mic..)
Others may say "You're too quiet." Even tho you have Steam's Mic Volume MAXED.

so.. also in the Microphone Properties somewhere is a "Boost" or "20db Boost" option.
This will give the Mic a boost as the sytem thinks its a Line In.