I have a 3 year old laptop and the sound seems to have all but gone. what can i do to turn it up?

has the sound been muted?

start >> Programs >> Accessories >> Entertainment >> Volume Control

The sound is not muted its just very quiet even with the volume on full. It was ok to start with?

have you tried headphones to see if it's quiet through them?

No I will try headphones.
What will this mean if headphones work wont work?
Please tell me its a quick and cheap fix?

if headphone work OK it's maybe your speakers, if not it may just be setting somewhere