I have Companion 5, and have had my sound gradually begin cutting out after a few weeks, then a few days, and until recently, a few seconds of playing.
I would unplug/replug the USB cable from my USB hub to get the sound started--but like I said, it had degenerated to just a few seconds of sound. There is a Microsoft KB here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2484031 but
of course, they got rid of the hotfix and won't let you download it.
I read this entire forum thread, looking for answers. I NEED my music to work!
I did all the Power Plan fixes, the Sound Device properties, etc... to no avail. Two options are on the table for me now: I just unplugged the subwoofer and let it rest for 10 seconds before plugging it back in again, and sound is now playing, for about
5 minutes. That is an AMAZING improvement over two seconds. The second option is to buy a PCI-E USB card--and that, unfortunately, appears to be my last option... that is, until Windows 8 comes out. :(
I hope Microsoft will genuinely pay attention to the fact this thread has been constantly updated with complaints for the past
three years.