My heaphone jack does not work. I checked to see if stuff was muted and tried 3 different pairs of headphones and even reinstalled the drivers.

It sounds like you've already tried some basic troubleshooting steps, but there are a few more things you can try:

1. Check your sound settings: Sometimes your computer might be set to use the wrong output device. Make sure your headphones are selected as the default playback device.
2. Check your headphone jack: Make sure your headphone jack is clean and not damaged. If there's any debris or dust in the jack, try cleaning it out with compressed air or a cotton swab.
3. Check for loose connections: Make sure your headphones are plugged in all the way. If they're not, you may only be getting sound from one ear or no sound at all.
4. Try a different pair of headphones: If you have another pair of headphones available, try plugging them in to see if they work. If they do, the issue may be with your original headphones.
5. Uninstall and reinstall your audio drivers: Sometimes even if your drivers are updated, they can become corrupted. Try uninstalling your audio drivers and then reinstalling them.
6. Run the Windows Audio troubleshooter: Windows has a built-in audio troubleshooter that can help identify and fix common audio problems. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Playing Audio and run the troubleshooter.

If none of these steps work, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer or a computer technician for further assistance.

These are analog speakers and do not need a driver. First, make sure they're plugged into the speaker/headphone jack and not the microphone jack. Second, make sure the computer's sound output is enabled and set the headphone/speaker jack. Third, verify that the sound output is working by plugging in a headphone set or a different pair of speakers. If the computer sound checks out, the speaker cable is bad or the power supply is not working.

Make sure the headphones work. Try the headphones in another computer.

Hi Lauren This is the process of elimination which i would follow in a similar situation: -check cable going from computer to speakers, make sure both ends are plugged in correctly; -ensure sounds are not muted on your computer;
-try to play a song using another program such as windows media player. If this works, it's most likely the iplayer program which has been muted. -If none of this has helped, try plugging the speakers into a different device, such as a stereo headphones jack, ipod headphones jack, even a TV headphones jack. If the speakers still do not work, they are probably no good.
Hope this helps, Benji

You may have a short in the earphones. Try a different pair. If that doesn't work then you may need the heaphone jack replaced on your mp3 player. Hope this helps.

reinstall driver for sound card
try different headphones

That is not a software problem.
The headphones/external speakers jack socket has a switch to exclude from audio the internal speakers, when a jack plug is connected.
This is a very simple device and is not software controlled.
The fact that it has gone faulty at the same time you reinstalled the system is a coincidence.
If it does not mute when you insert headphones, all you can do is trying to play with the jack plug , inserting and pulling it out. If this does not unlock the switch, the alternative is having the jack socket replaced by a technician. This is generally an expensive repair, asthe socked is soldered on motherboard.
A cheap alternative to a proper repair is using an external USB to Audio Adapter and mute the internal audicard when using headphones.

Have you tried with headphones?  Scratchy WITH heaphones. Reinstall driver. If it's NOT scratchy with headphones.  Either your speakers are blown, (which usually doesn't happen), you need to reinstall your sound card drivers, or bad settings.  Double click sound horn. Turn some volumes haflway, or mute sound channels you aren't using. Options Properties will let you show ALL sound properties. Ctrl+S makes the sound properties half size.
ReInstall Drivers: Start - Settings - Control Panel - System - Device Manager, Expand Sound Controllers, Right Click on your sound card, Click Uninstall.  Reboot and reintall.  
Might ask to reinstall automatically.  Thats fine.  Install then reboot.  I prefer to cancel the install until I have rebooted.  But both ways tend to work.  
Hope you don't have to change your speakers.  Need to pull your mobo to get to em. Instructions here pg. 5-55
James Mac

First make sure you don't just have it muted... seems simple but its happens. Open the volume controls and make sure the mute is not checked. If that doesn't work, try removing the sound card drivers and reinstalling them after a reboot. If both the speakers and the headphones don't work its most likely the drivers, however there is a chance the sound card has gone bad as well. . . Try the driver reinstall and if that doesn't work you will need to have it serviced.

It is. Replace.