I am having a problem with the sound on my laptop. When I press the mute button above the keyboard, explorer suddenly freezes, and the only way to fix it is to either restart the system or just restart explorer. also, a lot of times the volume icon in the is there, but when i click on it, nothing happens. if i right click on it, and choose "open volume mixer" I get the hour glass for a fraction of a second, then nothing. If I click on anything else in the menu, it will come up, but i still have no volume control. I have checked for driver updates, but beyond that, i dont know what to do any help is appreciated. thanks Andy There are only 10 types of people: those who know binary, and those who don't.

It sounds like a problem with the actual Windows sound console if those icons are no longer loading the correct options, or simply failing to respond at all. Has the problem only just shown up recently? And if so, can you remember what you've installed (or uninstalled) that could have messed with the settings? As a last resort, I'd suggest a System Restore to a point in time when it was working. It's also worth having a scan for malware and spyware as these can cause many complications with the explorer if left to accumulate over time. The Definitive Guide to Registry Cleaners & PC Optimization

This problem is not totally unknown to microsoft have a look here: Different issue related to Windows Vista Webmaster of Web Talk blog