A really quick check to see if it's a software or hardware issue can be to burn a Linux Live CD of one type or another and see if sound works through that. If it doesn't, changes are it's a hardware issue; if it does work, then it's an issue due to a Microsoft update.

And remember rule #1: always ...

Ahhh...if you want to have real control over your PC or lappy, install Slackware and get out of the kiddie pool pretending to be a master of your domain.

Slack happy since 2002!

Unless I misread it, you post sounded so melancholy. I know it's impossible, but I can't help but ask, "Is there anything I can do? Be a symathetic ear? Something?" Your being here on the Archive means (and has meant for a long time) a great deal to me. Just thought you should know.

I loved this faq! But then, the humorous tone of it's exactly my cup of tea. And we know the best way to disarm the Serious Religious Right (of any denomination) is to joke at it. Well, maybe not. The SRR(OAD) doesn't really have senses of humor. Just look at the people seriously attacking the ...

If you want to know more about captchas, just go to the main page: opencaptcha.com It mentions not only why they work, but problems that some captcha-furnishing companies have, and how opencaptcha works to solve those issues, which answers all of your questions in just a few sentences.

Robots (or ...

I, too, was struck by the news of Mike Penner's death, and found out about it a day after you did. I just happened to check the forums today and saw your post. I even referenced it in my blog post yesterday when I mentioned that I was re-transitioning mtf, after a long period of having had ...

Free source and open source software (choose your favorite term here) means never having to trust...you can:

(a) verify the human-written code if you can read the language(s) a program or programs are written in and compile the code yourself...

(b) with the exception of "binary blobs" that ...

Today takes the cake in Microsoft running roughshod over the U.S. Patent Office as it pertains to software. If you thought that MS's corruption of the International Standards Organization wasn't bad enough, here's today's offense: http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111094923390

And if ...

Keep up the positive thoughts and things will start winging your way. That, and being proactive in your job search will get you through, I'm sure. (I know the feeling..I work by "contract work" all of the time and sometimes wind up having to be inventive to get $$$ rolling in.)

I agree about the ...

Nice thoughts, and maybe a little bit melancholy at this time of year. But then autumn always did bring that out in me when DST hit. Our lives aren't about things, but about people, our connections to them and our place in the world, as you say here.

Even though I don't think I say it enough, I ...