Hi Richard, I'm not sure if you've tried the dell website already, but I had a look on the Dell website for drivers for your XPS M1210 laptop. The driver for the sigmatel sound card is available from the following page which contains a "download now" link: http://tinyurl.com/2uwnck Also on that page, are the following instructions for enabling stereo mix: To enable Stereo Mix: 1. Run Sounds and Audio Devices Properties from Control Panel 2. Click Audio tab, Volume (Sound Recording) 3. Click Options, Properties, Recording 4. Enable Stereo Mix slider, click OK 5. Select Stereo Mix as input device Just to note that the main page for drivers for your laptop is: http://tinyurl.com/328nw5 David. ---------------------------- original message: Hi David, I now suspect that the prob is in fact a driver issue. Both my partner and I have different dell laptops but both using SigmaTel High definition audio soundcaards. Cindy's machine, an Inspiron 9400 with XP media went first, and following the installation of a new driver, she's fine. Mine however, a dell XPS M1210 with XP Home silenced speech totally on the two drivers we tried. Looks as though there's quite a bit about the failures of SigmaTel with some Dell machines, and the only suggestion as a last resort seems to be a USB soundcard. What a nuisance! Any other suggestions? Haven't used driver.com etc before. Do you have any knowledge? Thanks. Richard Godfrey-McKay ___________________________________________________________ Rise to the challenge for Sport Relief with Yahoo! For Good http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/ ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq