Vista - Speakers quit working

I have a HP w2408 monitor with built in speakers. The speakers quit working and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get them back on. They were a problem when the computer was installed (app 7 weeks ago) and I don't know what they did to get them to work. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Bill Weaver

No sound from monitor speakers
If the built-in speakers on the monitor do not produce sound, perform each step that follows, testing for sound after each step, until you can hear sound:

1. Close the software program you are using that is missing sound. Test for audio using another software program.
   If the sounds are normal when using other software programs, the issue is with the software on the computer, and not the speakers in the monitor. If sound is missing from other software, continue using this procedure.
2. Check the cable connection. If the monitor-to-computer connection is a VGA cable (usually blue on both ends), an additional audio cable is needed between the monitor and the computer. Check that the audio cable is connected properly.
3. Try to adjust the volume higher using the monitor front-panel volume button.
4. Using the buttons on the monitor, navigate through the onscreen display (OSD) menu to find audio or speaker settings and enable the speakers.
5. Adjust the volume higher in Windows from the computer. Click the volume icon from the taskbar (lower right corner of the screen next to the time), and raise the volume to about 75%.
6. If the monitor is connected to a computer using an HDMI cable, the HDMI connection can be used for audio as well as video. Ensure HDMI audio is selected as the main audio output in the operating system (for example, Windows Audio Properties in Control Panel). For more information on this subject, please read Using HDMI Audio with a Desktop Computer .
   Figure 1: Example of selecting HDMI as the default audio output device (Windows Vista).
   

The speakers quit in protest... they told me to tell you they don't appreciate being used to reproduce Britney Spears. While they can appreciate the fact that you had a great time at her concert, and are happy for you, they (and they're pretty firm about this) demand that you gain an ear and stop playing bubble-gum music.

They also say to follow mansrm81's advice.