Simple question about sound, but we all start somewhere

I have an old Compaq desktop with a pentium 3 and Windows 98se. Up until a while ago, I had sound, but following some sort of program deletion or perhaps cleaner, I no longer have sound. There is also no "speaker" icon for it down the bottom.
How can I get it back? I guess I need to check the integrity of my soundcard, so how do I do this? And what then if it's OK?

 

I haven't gazed upon a 98 machine for a year or so, so from a dodgey memory,
Go to Control Panel and select Sounds.
Make sure the "mute" box isn't checked. You can also adjust the master volume here.
Under "Advanced" make sure that things which shouldn't be checked aren't and vice-versa.
Also, there should be an option to select along the lines of "place volume icon on the taskbar", make sure that is checked if you want that back on there.

 

Try the simple stuff first

start>settings>controlpanel
double click multimedia
click audio tab
make sure show volume control on task bar is clicked.



If this does not help or is not available
start>settings>controlpanel
doubleclick system
click device manager tab>view devices by type
expand the sound video and game controllers
look at you sound card (not codecs)
If windows reports a problem with your sound card,
you will have to reinstall the drivers.

Post the exact model if you cant find them on the HP support website.

Studio T

 

I still don't have sound. I have looked at my sound card, but it says the device is working properly.....and that it exists in all hardware profiles.
However there is something odd--when I go to the control panel and click "Multimedia", I cannot click "show volume control on taskbar" because this option, and the box for it, are shaded in grey and I cannot click on them. Could someone suggest what might be
the prob ?

 

AHA ! Getting closer ! When I look in Multimedia, at Devices.....Soundmax integrated digital audio, I see "driver is enabled, but inactive due to an unknown problem".

 

onboard sound might have died. If I were you, 8 or 9 months ago, I would have borrowed a sound card from a friend, or purchased a sound card to install to see if I could get sound working.

Here's an external sound card http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs.../B000095IMS/ref=de_a_smtd/002-1727129-2906416
expensive new but 3 sellers have them refurbed from $35 (with shipping cost)).
The computer has to operate at 350MHz or higher and hve a US port. It says it works with 98SE so I assume there is a CD with the 98SE drivers.