Not something you said -- the problem may just be something for which there may not be a known answer.
You are using Vista. We have a few Vista Experts around; if they don't know what else you can try, then you may not hear anything more useful from those of us who don't run the older OS.
Not hearing back is not usually "something you did". It is true that if someone pops into the Forum who is rude, loud, disrespectful, or obnoxious may not get a response from an Expert. The rest of the time, the lack of response might be simply that we are overwhelmed or that no one has a better idea than what has been tried.
You have tried a variety of fixes -- several, in fact.
The document on Sound Issues:
Resolving No Sound or Audio Problems in Vista - Notebooks
Not directly related, but good reference to have:
HP Notebook PCs - HPSA - Improving the Performance of Your Computer (Windows Vista)
If you have not already done so, you can try a Driver cache cleanout:
- Disconnect everything hanging off the computer - USB drives, external drives / bits, the AC adapter and shut down the computer.
- Perform the Hard Reset . Boot the computer and log in
Hard Reset does NOT wipe out your data -- nonetheless, it is best that one always have backups up-to-date and a recent Restore Point created in case you need it.
HP Notebook PCs - Using MicrosoftSystemRestore (Windows Vista)
More informatioin:
Notebooks - Testing for Hardware Failures (Windows 7 and Windows Vista)
===========================================================================================
You might bite the bullet (old USA saying from the days of yore): back up your data, and reinstall the Operating System. That will at least remove the variables of corruption, missing dependencies.
Click the KudosStar!
It is a nice way to say “Thank You” for the help.
Although I strive to reflect HP's best practices, I do not work for HP.