Audio Systems: system speaker problem, ac 97 codec, driver wdm

Question
Cannot get any audio from PC. I'm getting all of the following: No Audio Device; an exclamation mark next to VIA AC'97 Codec Combo Driver(WDM)with an accompanying "This device cannot start";under system devices' system speakers - no drivers are required or have been loaded for this device. I've even gotten messages of things like no mixer or/and no midi. Have been struggling for two days now to get audio, have sought assistance from innumerable sites and forums. The help I have received, and have been able to understand and follow, have not solved my problem(s), and the rest have all been gobblygook to me - a pc ignoranti. Have followed so many differing instructions I no longer am sure of what all I did. Please, someone. help me before I throw my PC out the window. It was working fine until I connected it to my newly purchased Toshiba HDTV, after which I could not get any audio from PC either.  

Answer
You must reboot the audio codec and driver because it has been corrupted.

Google for the drivers of the ac97 system you have and download them onto your desktop. Then install them onto your PC, reboot and it should come up.  To be sure of the issues, disconnect anything at the output port.  Make sure the audio of the pc is now working again.

Don't connect the Toshiba until you find out what the problem is.  There may be a grounding issue or compatibility issue that needs resolving.  

Maybe this will get you back to ground zero again.

PS: Optionally you can do a restore back to before when the system was working and see if that clears it up.