IBM Sound problem

[DWalrus]

I have a educational instruction lab of IBM 6278's with Windows 2000. These have integrated sound cards on the motherboard. We keep losing the sound and the only fix seems to be to replace the motherboard. EVERY machine in the room has had the motherboard replaced AT LEAST twice, some three and four times! They work for awhile and then quit.
IBM Technical Support says one of our educational software packages has overwritten the soundcard drivers and the only fix is to format the hard drive, reinstall the OS and update the sound card drivers AFTER installing all of the software.
Well this is a lovely theory except for the fact that when we replace the motherboard, it works for awhile and we don't install anything new between the installation of the new motherboard and the time it quits working.
We have a three year warranty but it runs out in one more year then we're pretty well screwed.
Anyone have any BRILLIANT ideas on what is going on here?
IBDamed strikes again!

DWalrus

 

[kiddpete]

You could TRY doing what IBM suggests. Maybe the driver is frying the sound components with some sort of overdrive.

 

[DWalrus]

Actually I did try it although common sense told me that if you don't install any new software after replacing the motherboard and the sound works for a brief while (couple of weeks or so), then that theory doesn't hold water. When I installed the updated drivers alone, no change. Sound still does not work.
Now if I format the hard drive and start over, I am STILL going to overwrite the drivers when I install the various software packages, even if I wait until all are installed to update the drivers. And does this mean if we ever install any new software we may well be back to square one again?
Just doesn't make sense.
IBM has gone through a bad batch of motherboards on their 8187 and 6792 models in the last year with leaking capacitors. Maximum PC reported that ABit built motherboards with capacitors from a manufacturer who "stole" the formula for making them from a competitor. They did not however, get the formula for the electrolytic juice and had to come up with their own. Bad karma begets bad karma.
Don't buy IBM computers!!!

DWalrus