If totally totally no sound at all are you sure you have loaded the sound drivers - AC97 usually if onboard or for a specific sound card if youhave one. If you have a PCI sound card is the PCI driver OK? I have one computer that no matter what I do I can't get the stuff at the far end of the PCI bus to work, only the first three slots!

One time I had teh speakers plugged into the wrong hole, doh!