Sound problem in HP Pavillion dv9810us Notebook PC

Question

Hi :
For last more than 8 months I am having this problem.  First  problem started with skype call.  My laptop lost its speaker and showed a red X mark next to sound icon.  I couldn't find any thing to fix the problem, so I did system recovery to factory setting.  After that my computer downloaded windows update and security updates for vista.  It upgraded my vista service pack 1 to service pack 2.  In middle of this downloading stage several times I lost sound and then again got back it and again lost.  I couldn't find any good solution.  It is so frustrating that I can't view any videos in internet explorer which is upgraded to 9 now .  I tried to watch videos in FIREFOX or Google Chrome.  But no sound after few minutes watching.  Every time I lost sound I tried to fix with microsft system restore or sound hardware restallation or total system recovery to factory setting.  Nothing solve my problem permanantly.  I contact with Microsfot vista forum, but no solutions actually fix my audio problem.   At this moment my sound icon has red X mark . 
This morning when I started my laptop it was ok with sound, I watched one news on Yahoo.  But after that the same sound problem.  In the mean time my computer downloaded vista updates automatically and installed it.  When computer restarted  my sound icon got red X mark.  I don't understand why with some windows updates take my sound off.  If I don't want to install those updates, still the sound went off when I watch videos on yahoo or Youtube.  It says Yahoo is not responding, sometimes it says internet explorer is not responding.  I followed all kind of solution that I got from microsft vista forum but nothing worked out.  I don't know how I can fix this problem.
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Answer 1

Quick and easy fix is to buy a cheap USB sound card (it resembles a flash drive).  Just do a google search and you should find one for $2 to $3.
I had the same problem where my sound disappeared and would intermittently work when I rebooted until finally it quit and rebooting wouldn't help.  It seemed to have happened after a windows update AND after having errors with the QuickTouch On Screen Display. Upon research, I discovered many people had the exact same problem with this model.  
I used Restore Manager to restore the drivers for the QTOSD and for the sound card and although I stopped getting errors for the QTOSD, it did not fix the sound.  My quick and easy resolution to my sound problem was to purchase a USB sound card online for $2.49 at Overstock dot com.  I also bought one from a local computer store, MicroCenter, that I liked better (because it had a long cord) for $10.  My sound works perfect now; HOWEVER, I just realized tonight that I NO LONGER HAVE A DIAL UP MODEM EITHER.       You should check to see if yours is still visible in Device Manager or in your dial up connections if you have one.  I suspect the problems I had also killed my modem beyond detection because it's also a Conexant HDAUDIO Soft Data Fax Modem with SmartCP (the sound card driver is also Conexant HD).  The Restore Manager won't reinstall the drivers because it doesn't see the device.  It's too expensive to repair the motherboard and I don't have to have the dial up modem so for now I will just enjoy sound and my laptop for as long as it continues to live.  
Again, just buy a cheap USB sound card (it looks similar to a flash drive) for a quick and easy fix.  I hope this helps.  Good luck.  I hope you don't have other issues resulting from this as I did..