Repeatedly installing AC'97 driver

Hi all:

I'm using XP Home on an Acer laptop. Often when I boot up, I've lost my audio (including volume icon) and I have to reinstall the driver for my sound card. I can do that just fine, but this is getting a little annoying. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Try downloading the latest drivers.

 

Ok, I'll try that. Do I find the drivers here?

Now, can you explain to me why the old drivers used to be good enough, and now they're not? I don't understand such things.

 

Need a bit more info here . . . what model Acer laptop do you have?

When/how did this problem start? Just out of the blue, or have you recently downloaded new programs or added new hardware?

Any particulars would be a great help in discerning a fix

 

It's an Acer TravelMate 2313LCi.


I've noticed this problem right from the start. It's my aunt's laptop, and she never really needed sound for anything, so she never noticed the problem herself.

I started using this laptop about 6 months ago and I have added some programs, but like I said, the problem was there right from the beginning.

If I do download the latest drivers, could you talk me through installing them?

Thanks for any input.