Okay, baby steps it is!
First, adjust the mic level on the recording. Do this by RIGHT clicking the little loudspeaker icon in the tray at the bottom right hand of your screen. Select Recording Devices from the menu that will pop up.
At this point you should probably see the microphone input you're using on the list of devices...probably called "Front mic" or something like that. If you don't see it on the list, RIGHT click on the white area of the audio menu rather than on any specific device. This should give you another pop up menu--make sure the boxes by "Show disabled devices" and "Show disconnected devices" are ticked.
Once you have the mic input showing, click on it. On the pop up menu you see, click on the "Levels" tab. This should give you two sliders, one called "Front Mic" (or whatever your input is called) and one called Microphone Boost. Drag them both to the right.
This is where you have to use some judgement. You haven't said what software you're using to record but open it and watch the results of your level settings as you speak/sing at the level you'll be using. Hopefully you'll have some kind of meters and a waveform display. At this stage you want your vocals to be averaging about -18 with peaks going up to around -12 or maybe -10 or -8. This leaves you some headroom in case a few consonants pop and get super loud. If you work too near zero, any transients can try to go above zero and clip.
Record your track(s).
At this stage I'm hoping you have some proper DAW software installed. If not, before recording, download the trial version of Reaper which is free (with no time restraint) and only $65 when you decide to buy it (which you should since they play fair by users).
Once you have your tracks recorded, play with the use of compression (to even out your levels) and the level control. Before burning to CD, you want to bring your levels up to just below zero.
Now, a couple of comments. First, you will rapidly find that the quality of the built in sound card on your Acer is pretty poor. This isn't a slur on Acer--ALL built in sound cards are designed more for Skype phone calls than quality recording. If you're going to do this seriously, you'll need an external audio interface--there are tons of threads in here with recommendations. Any external sound card will probably have software control for mic levels that's easier to use than the Windows instructions above.
Second, you'll probably also find that the quality of your headset isn't what you're hoping for. Again, there are lots of threads about "best mics" and, once you start reading them, congratulations. You've just become infected by "Gear Acquisition Syndrome". It's expensive but fun.
