I have the same problem - and when I was using Linux on my computer the sound worked most of the time (read here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=415378 ) and in the end I had no problem what so ever with the sound. It was just perfect.
But now I have switched to Windows XP and I hate that I have to go into standby before I can get any external sound.
Anybody who has a solution by now?
When you can get the sound back by going into standby it should be possible to make an script running on every startup that makes the act of the standby-process that makes the sound work.
Maybe just some other software?