ok here's the scoop i reformated and installed windows Me. then i found out i didn't have sound. i know that the speakers work and I know I have a sound card. it is a analog devices 1816 codec (WDM) I looked under device manager and saw these drivers in the "driver file details". and it has:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\15_16wdm.sys
povider: microsoft
file version 4.90.2489.1
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VMM32.VXD (ntkern.vxd)
provider: unknown
file version: unknown
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MMDEVLDR.VXD
povider: microsoft
file version: 4.90.3000
the second driver i think is the problem but i don't know how to fix it. I looked in the "system information" thing and under components\problem devices is had the device "Anolog Devices 1816 codec (WDM)" then the PNP Device ID"ROOT\MEDIA0000" Then under error code it said "10". i dont know what error code 10 is so maybe someone else will know