i just reinstalled Windows XP on my computer today because i had a bunch of viruses and a whole lot of other problems. Everything is working fine but then i tried to play one of my songs, and it says i have no sound device. the only sound that happens is when my computer makes a beep noise from the tower itself when i talk to people over AIM. how did this happen and how can i get my device back. Thanks

Missing chipset drivers or add-on device drivers.

Look in Device Manager and see if whatever sound device you have is complaining. Likely it is and you need to reinstall the driver for it.

And [once you get your PC working as you like it] to save yourself the hassle of having to reinstall the OS in future...
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RECOVER USING BACKUPS
The easy way to recover from all software [including configuration] problems [without even having to discover the cause], is:

1) As you proceed forward in time, make backups of everything on your C: drive.
Do this at regular intervals, particularly before making software changes [un/installing programs or changing configuration] and keep a log of all this.
2) When you hit trouble caused by a bad configuration change and no hardware or software changes have been made, [use "scanreg /restore" in Win98, or a restore point in WinXP, to] restore a previous good configuration.
3) When the trouble involves more than just the configuration, and involves the files [including the configuration perhaps] but no hardware has been changed [this is important because the software must match the hardware], then:
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Re-format the C: drive and restore your latest good backup.
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The software will "jump back" to the way it was when the PC worked.
If this doesn’t fix things, then it probably is not a software problem but a hardware problem.

1. Set up a system of backup and restore.

2. It helps if you keep the C: drive "lean & mean".
Keep the OS partition [C:] as small as possible by holding only the Windows & Program Files folders [plus odds & bods].

3. All the data that changes day by day [or are considered vital] should be re-homed on another physical drive [although another partition would do].
Then when you "jump back" by restoring a backup of C: you still have up to date:
a. My Documents. [Use “TweakUI” to move their home]
b. E-mails for all identities. [use the email client to move their home]
c. Internet Explorer Favourites. [Use “TweakUI” to move their home]
d. Temporary Internet Files. [use the browser (Internet Explorer) to move them]
e. Re-home the Windows Address Book as shown here http://tinyurl.com/24q6l . Use the key “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab FileName” to specify its new address. [Its normal home address [in Win98] is C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\(the name you gave your PC).WAB]
f. Any other storage of data files you wouldn’t want to “jump back”.
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i dont really want to go back to how my pc was before becuase i had multiple viruses. So if i went back to the last restore point, wouldnt that bring back my virus also?

Oh dear,did I forget to state the obvious? :)
You should only make backups when the software appears to be working just as you like it.

I don't know exactly what restore points include, so I don't know what they restore. I'd guess it's the OS [and configuration files] at least, and perhaps also the programs. But I'm not keen on restore points because they only work [if then] when you can successfully boot into a working version of Windows.
What you need is a system that will restore C: from outside of the Windows environment; will restore C: even when Windows won't boot.

Using this system, you decide what remains on the C: partition, therefore what gets backed up and restored and when.
Keep multiple backups taken at different times whilst moving forward [in time].
If you so much as suspected that something nasty has gotten into a backup, then delete that backup.
If you started this when you reinstalled Windows, the software should begin perfect and you make your 1st backup immediately after the Windows install was complete.
The idea is that you can reverse as well as move forward, so when you hit trouble you back out of it.
If you think you may have an infection [or any other kind of software imperfection], then restore a backup and it's gone.

In case of a boot sector virus, make [something like] an AVG "Rescue Boot Disk" that will "rebuild" the "System Area".
That eliminates the necessity to [zero-fill the HDD] repartition, reformat, and restore the backups to the partitions.

so if i havent made any restore points manually, does this mean that i may still have restore points that the computer has made itself. if so, will this really help my sound problem?

"so if i havent made any restore points manually, does this mean that i may still have restore points that the computer has made itself"
Yes, that's the way WinXP Restore Points work; automatically. Although I believe you can configure that automatic feature to work as you like; and also manually make Restore Points. You can also disable it [ouch]! I hope you didn't do that.

"if so, will this really help my sound problem?"
Only if the sound has worked at some time since the Windows reinstallation, and an automatic Restore Point has preserved that happy setup in a backup, and that backup hasn't been deleted.
This is why it's so important to have such things under your conscious control.
You make decisions...
Like, when you think all's well, and when would be a good setup to preserve, and which backups to keep and which to delete.
I keep a log [loose sheets of lined A4] that show how the backups relate to installations/uninstallations of programs.
e.g. The last prog I installed was "Adobe Reader 6.0.1" on June 22nd.
The backup before that install was on June 19th; the one after on June 29th.
So if I "jump back" to June 19th I lose Adobe.
If to June 29th I keep Adobe [and all the others].

"it says i have no sound device"
My "Sound Device" is the "Audio Accelerator" in the image below of the section in my "Device Manager" for "Sound, Video & Game Controllers".
Do you have drivers installed for yours [or did you ever]?

when i go to device manager, this is what i see listed under Sound, Video, and game controllers:
Audio Codecs
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Standard Game Port
Video Codecs

As for the question if i ever did have drivers. i really dont know. my sound has always worked before for the 9 months or so i have had this computer.

i may have found my problem. but i still need help. under device manager and then the category Other Devices, Multimedia Audio Controller has a big question mark and so does SM Bus Controller. I double click each to look at the properties. there is a button that says reinstall driver. so i click that. it asks if i have a cd-rom in which my hardware came on so that it can reinstall. What would this disc be??

Just like Pop pop's initial post here, you reinstalled XP. The very next thing you needed to do was install the chipset (motherboard) drivers. This will most likely put an end to your problems.

We may be able to download the drivers from online if you don't have your disk. We n-e-e-d all the info about your pc to continue. Tell us all you can. We will not be able to point you to the drivers unless we know what you have.

Is your sound an add-on card or onboard? Did you load those drivers or are you in 16 color mode? Maybe though, XP automatically loaded those drivers.

AMD Sempron 2800+
2.00 GHz, 512 mb RAM
Windows XP SP2
nVidia GeForce FX 5700LE
and my sound card is an onboard one

motherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. nVidia-nForce2 x.x

No need to worry everyone. i have finally fixed my problem. I went to the Gigabyte website and all i had to do was download the audio driver. everything is up and running. thanks to all of you who helped me.
-PigCake

EXCELLENT! :D :cool:

Now make a backup. :)

will do. i feel kinda stupid since all i had to do was click a few links on a webpage. oh well. thanks again.