More Awesome Than You!

Hi all.
First of all, I humbly apologize for bothering you guys with this. I have done several google searches and I am just too stoopid to understand what I need to do to fix this on my own. So I bring it to you, oh wise ones, because I'm hoping you can put things into terms my puny brain can handle.
I decided to update my audio driver yesterday. I had updated my video card the day before and was very pleased because it seemed to have stopped some random CTDs I'd been getting with my game since I first started playing back in the beginning. I noticed some issues with sound (example: sound effect of shower got stuck to a sim until I restarted). So smart, smart cookie that I am, I thought hey, if updating the video driver helped, why not the audio?
Now on computer start up I get an error message from Intel Audio Studio Controller that says "Sonic Focus Drivers must be loaded".
In game what happens is that some things will be very loud (like cars honking for people to go to work) while other things are inaudible (the click when you pause, most voices--but not all! some are LOUD). Most of it is very low volume.
The only thing I've gleaned from the sites I brought up from searching this issue is that there is some sort of problem with sonic focus drivers and they haven't fixed it. Here are two of the pages I read:
http://www.compatdb.org/support/topics/175620_intel_dp965lt_board_audio_sound_problem.html
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181395
While the person who posted their  problem on the second page seems to have a poor grasp of sanity, I think their problem is the same as mine (from what I can tell).
Some of the answers on these sites talk whether the poster dl'ed the right thing for his/her chip or motherboard. I don't know how to check on any of that.
They also talk about uninstalling and one guy gave some suggestions about it, but I don't know where to start looking up where any of this stuff is. What I need if for some savvy person to take pity on me and spell shit out.
Please help.

The first and easiest place to start would be to ask yourself if the computer you're using is a namebrand (eg. HP, Gateway, Dell, etc...)?

If you answer yes, the next question would be what model is your computer (should be etched on the tower, or on a label or sticker somewhere on your machine)?

If you can answer those two questions, the next step would be to visit the vendor's webpage, go to support, and get the right driver for your model.

If you answer no to the first question, your troubleshooting will get more difficult, because you will either need to know if your sound card is part of your motherboard, or an actual expansion card, in which case, you may need to open up your machine to get the numbers you require to start your search for the proper driver.

Thanks for answering!
My pc is a custom ABS. Under device manager it lists my "sound controller" as IDT High Definition Audio CODEC. In the binder that came with the computer it lists under System Information: DirectSound: Version 5.3.2600.2180 Primary Device SigmaTel Audio.
Does any of that mean anything to you?

The last time I tried to take apart my tower (to install a wireless card) not only was I incapable of getting the case off but I was then also incapable of putting the pieces I had managed to take off back on. It would have been funnier if I hadn't had to pay someone to fix it for me. SO STOOPID. In my defense, everyone I showed the tower to agreed that it is unusually complicated to get off (and, I assume, back on, although at that point I was still working on OFF).

I've had to work with some nightmarish cases in the past; they're not fun.

Unfortunately, anything listed in your system is highly influenced by whatever drivers you have installed, as well as the Operating System's ‘best guess'. So, you can't really trust what it's telling you, because it only thinks what you, or the Operating System, has influenced it to think by installing the wrong drivers (assuming that's what the problem is).

Basically, you have four options, and you're not going to like any of them:

1) Buy a new sound card - they're affordable and come with drivers that will save you the hassle of troubleshooting your existing problem.

2) Open the case and find out what you have, physically. Pull the card out (if there is one), jot down the numbers, or hang onto it and put your surfing skills to good use. If the sound is built in, get yourself a flashlight and jot down the motherboard numbers, and the numbers on the chipset(s) that applies to your sound.  You may have to pull some cards and unplug a few cables to get a good view at some chipsets. Keep the case open with either scenario until you've successfully found a driver that works - this is not so fun.

3) Take it to a certified technician to take care of your problem for you.

4) Play with the sound off until you can afford a new computer.

ETA: there are two other options that I forgot about.

If you don't want to go through all the trouble of fixing or ignoring your problem, there is always the USB speaker system, which usually falls short in sound quality, or you can take advantage of the external soundcard option - also known as a pod, or a sound pod, which is often just as good as a regular soundcard.

A pod is a small USB device that acts like a soundcard. They rarely require drivers, and they also rarely come with any awe-inspiring features. They don't support surround sound (no rear speaker, and no digital output), and this often makes them even more affordable than your other options. But they work, sometimes even better, and are sometimes preferred by people in the music industry, or those that rely on speech recognition because of their cleaner sound. Basically, all you do after you've plugged your pod in and the system recognises it, is set it as your default sound device in your Audio Device Manager, plug your speakers into it, and enjoy.

Thank you, this is incredibly helpful. I'm going to look for one of those pods you suggest. That sounds like the best option unless I pay someone to deal with the problem (not something I can afford at the moment, so I'd be going with option 4 for a while). I really appreciate the advice.