Betcha you can’t answer this one?

My computer doesn’t play the chime sounds correctly when a lot of the programs open up. I have done a complete low level format, changed from Win 98 to ME, have changed to a new sound card, and still the sound is choppy. Even when i douwnload music to a file and record it directly to a CD-R, it has skips in it. Anybody have any ideas to help? I’m desperate.