[Salesh]

So today I totally wiped my laptop clean and clean installed Windows Vista Ultimate again. This worked before when I updated from XP to Vista and I decided it was my best option after I loaned my computer to a friend for the weekend and didnt know what he did but things werent working right. Regardless I had no problems the first go around.
This time however I now have no sound and the icon is the oh so complained about "No Audio Output Device is Installed" red x. The twist is that in every other post I've researched on several other tech support forums and here it is assumed and usually the case that the device is registering in the device manager and its usually a windows update or driver update problem. I have no such luck, the device has disappeared, I cannot update drivers and the windows update did not help. I've tried reinstalling, restoring, booting from disk, pretty much everything I can think of (though Im not that tech-savy).

What have I missed and what can I do?

[leroys1000]

If it is a factory built PC,you can usually download the
hardware drivers from the support section of their website.
If it is custom built,go to the motherboard manufacturers website.