About Will - - Try double clicking that shiny speaker icon if it is present (also accessible from control pannel's sound devices) then click options, settings and checkmark all radio-boxes in both recording and and output... Then you'd make sure that recording is checked instead of streaming output (or so named?) before you press ok, check microphone in the recording pannel and adjust the volume....
Eeeh.... As long as the soundcard Is installed properly lol....
Otherwise, to both will and Nick, at least the brandname of respective soundcards models would quite be of use in order to go further.
Brand can be seen or by opening up the fat beast, unplug the card (if it isnt integrated onboard) and note all that is written on it..... (that was the "hard" way) Or by typing in start - execute - typing in " DEVMGMT.MSC " then there are possibly unrecognized peripherals, mayby your soundcard is one of those... Or there are sound peripherals, and the soundcard should be there, and its make model... :)
Phewh -- -- lol
Whish ya the best :P
Cya