No sound ( for one particular login )

[CB]

One of my logins doesn't produce any sound. Symptoms: gnome sound events
don't produce anything; launching gnome-volume-control gets the error
'Sorry, no mixer elements and/or devices found'; launching audacity gets
the error 'Error initializing audio'.

I can however create a new login, use that to log into gnome, and all
the sound works fine.

The login where sound fails has a home directory inherited from an
earlier ubuntu installation, so I assume there is a config file in there
that is screwing something up. Anyone any idea what to look for?

Also, as re-use of home directories between installations seems to cause
several such problems (cd burning is another one), does anyone have a
list of which user config files and directories cannot be readily
re-used?

[ this points to a general way that linux, or more properly gnome, is
really headed in the wrong direction. It used to be possible just to
migrate /home directories across linux installations without problems. A
huge advantage over Windows where you really have to start from scratch
every re-install. Now though I seem to get all kinds of problems with
gnome when I try this. I am routinely deleting all the gnome-related
config files and directories when I use an old home directory in a new
installation, but it seems daft and Windowzy to have to do this ]