Microphone jack is broken, solutions?

My friend has a compaq 2200 laptop that runs Windows XP. For about a year and half now the microphone jack isn't functional, or barely functional. At first it was working but he said someone jammed something in there and it created a lot of static when he tried to use it. After I took a look at it I put some tin foil to see if that would do anything but no luck. The only way it works is if you press down while the microphone line is plugged in the jack, but this is a hassle and sometimes it doesn't work. So first of all it used to work, then it created static, then you had to push down to make it work a little, now it doesn't work at all, just emits a static or buzzing noise.

I tried buying a usb to audio adapter with a usb side and headphone/mic jack on the other side, but it's poor quality and one of the two of his usb jacks is broken, the other has a cheap usb hub that connects his usb mouse, and cheap usb hub plus cheap usb audio adapter equals cheap quality sound. Although it works fine on my computer :-D.

Anyways what possible way is there for me to help him fix it, I haven't soldered anything before but I could try. I opened up his laptop but the area where the audio jacks are where hidden, and the manual wasn't clear on how to open that area. I'm not too skilled with laptops as I am with PC's so yeah.

I was thinking about adding usb speakers, with a 3.5mm headphone jack, but those would only work for listening through headphones right not for using a recording device like a microphone?

Also it's not a software problem, i.e. the drivers are installed and properties are checked, when you do a recording test on windows recorder it shows the green bar emitting sound, but just buzzing sound.

 

It sounds like your friend needs to bite the bullet & have the laptop fixed properly.
From the sound of it that would involve a new motherboard.
Might be less expensive to get a different one that works right.

The 2 drawbacks to laptops is they aren't veru upgradable or easy/inexpensive for the average user to repair.

 

Oh I see. However, is it possible to use the usb speaker line in jack, or any alternative method?

 

this video also gives you a trick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HklRplCAHhc

 

I think in 3 1/2 years, the poster found a solution or perhaps has a different computer.

 

it is because it may happen to other people too
sorry for the last link
this is the video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mBpDeG2N18