Did a little bit of searching, check this:
http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-1...om-web-browser
Appears this issue isn't uncommon, and the original poster shares your symptoms.
In another forum:
http://forums.techguy.org/web-email/...browser-2.html,
and this final post might aid you:
"I had the same problem and carrying out the above will problaly resolve it. BAsically when windows does a fresh install and does not find a sound card, the default microsoft codecs are not installed. When you install the sound card drivers, most sound card drivers are clever enough to install the default Microsoft codecs for you, but some do not (like mine, it usually the "smaller" manufacturers that cut back on this - never had problem with creative sound cards!).
Anyways, you can check the codecs installed by going to control panel, sound and audio controllers, going to hardware tab, clicking the audio codecs entry and selecting properties. before you run the above fix, you will find 2-3 entries in there.
1. control panel, add hardware, next, YES hardware connected, goto bottom of list for add a new hardware device.
2. Install hardware manually (Advanced), select sound, video and game controllers, have disk and point to "C:\windows\system32" and file mmdriver.inf.
3. Select a codec to install, you maybe asked for windows xp disk.
4. repeat until all codecs are installed.
do not install the (MCI) ones as they are legacy."
I am noting that Windows Media Player is continuing to resurface with every couple of forums I visit that try to discuss the issue... check the WMP volume controls?