Audio Driver will not install

I have an ASUS P5E3 motherboard and after installing Windows Vista on it, I am not able to install the audio driver, it just keeps repeating the error that says "Installation failed! The audio driver files do not support your computer hardware.
Note: if you have uninstalled audio software without restarting your PC, restart now, then run this setup again".
When i go into device manager there are no audio device listed under Sound and Audio device in High Definition Audio Controller. What could be the issue here, can anyone help me out. Thanks in advance.

I think that the board that you have has a Realtek High definition audio controller. And hence when you are trying to install the microsoft driver it is not working. So the best bet would be to go to Realtek official site or the official manufacturer's site and then download the proper driver for your audio device and install it under Vista.

I have checked out the audio device on this motherboard and it is an ADI AD1988B chip based SoundMax controller. The problem is that at every startup of the pc the microsoft driver auto installs in my pc and when i try to uninstall it, then it automatically reinstalls all by itself as a system device and not as sound device though. And when i try to install the SoundMax driver, it just repeats the same error "Installation failed!". If i am having the same SoundMax audio onboard on my system then why couldnt it just simply install?

What happens when you try to install the drivers from the motherboard's cd/dvd that you have got with it, does it also give the same issue? I think that since this a motherboard sound system, then you will have to get the driver from the maker of the board and not the maker of the chipset, so try to get the driver from asus site. There are cases that many times drivers released from only board makers will work for the system. So try using the motherboard's own driver cd which has all the audio drivers inside it and install the same on your computer and then see if that makes any difference.

Listening to some music a few days ago and then suddenly the sound stops.

I have the same problem - soundMAX driver that i'm trying to install from my mobo manufacturer's (asus) cd gives me the same error message.

I can't even see a sound category in device manager, it's as if my computer has lost all 'concept' of what sound is :(

Windows refuses to install a generic sound driver on restart.

Tried multiple speakers and made sure that windows audio is set to automatic in services.

Oddly my usb headphones work???

Can't figure it out, been looking for answers for days now... might take a hammer to it... hmm