The System Restore did not work. Although after the reboot from completing the System Restore, I noticed that the sound icon on the system tray indicated that the audio was on mute. Unmuted the speakers but still no sound.
Checked Device Manager and the Conexant High Definition SmartAudio 221 is listed under the Sound, video and game controllers category. It is also listed as installed and working properly.
When I play music files or movies, the volume indicator rises and falls indicating the loudness of the sound but I hear nothing.
Should I proceed with the clean re-installation of Vista?