There is no single fix to this problem that has resolved the issue 100% of the time. The following steps may help:

1. Click Start | [Settings] | Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs.
   
   
2. Remove any items listed under Analog Devices and/or SoundMAX, or if you have a Creative Labs sound card, remove any Creative Labs and/or Sound Blaster entries.
   
   
3. Enter the Device Manager (click Start | [Settings] | Control Panel | System, click the Hardware tab, and click the Device Manager button).
   
   
4. Remove any SoundMAX (or, with Creative Labs sound cards, any Sound Blaster or Creative) items within the Sound, Video, and Game Controllers category.
   
   
5. Insert your Dell Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as the Dell ResourceCD), and reinstall your SoundMAX drivers, if you have onboard SoundMAX sound. Insert either your Sound Blaster CD or your Dell Drivers and Utilities CD to reinstall your Creative Labs sound card.
   
   
6. Reboot your system once installation is complete.

Now, try your chat application.

I tryed what you said and it fixed my yahoo voice chat, thank you very much ........Rod

I did as you said and it fixed the problem, now it did it again and i reinstalled the drivers and it fixed it again, how long is this going to go on with my sound max intregraded audio ?......i have till 4-17-04 to decide if im going to return this system, will upgrading to a better sound card fix this problem ?........thanks Rod