opps I see how in the above thread - sorry have to get my mac keyboard to do this.

1. Restart your Mac. Hold down Command-Option-O-F at chime to enter OpenFirmware.

2. At prompt, type:3. Allow to restart normally.

I got the keyboard down from the rafters and am ready to reset
Do I type in the right arrow and space before each command?
> set-defaults
> reset-nvram
> reset-allafter

No. They are there for reference.

OK this is really frustrating. I 've done all above plus a few more. This is what I've tried.:
Reset PRAM, Zapped PRAM Reset Defaults
Turned off log in items
unplugged my speakers
started in safe mode
repaired my persmissions
moved fonts to my desktop
and many more...

No matter what I do, when lower my sound volume and restart my computer. these three things happen no matter what I do.
1. Volume sound start at max volume and I have to quickly lower it.
2. If I have mail or ichat as a log in item, the mail window opens even though it is set to hide and the bonjour window opens with ichat even though it is set to hide.

I don't really mind clsing windows and turning down volume but it is frusrtating that what ever fix I try to do nothing changes. What is controlling these errors. It seems that when I upgraded to 10.4.6 is when most of these problems began. Is is possible that I could create an automator action that would do all these things I manually do and be put in the start up items at the bottom as a workaround? I'm at the point where I think a workaround is the best option.

It isn't clear to me why you need to "quickly lower it". Earlier I thought you were talking about the startup chime.
But now it seems that you are talking about some sounds that come from some program that you have set up to run at login.

Note by the way that login is different from startup. First your system starts up and then the login happens. If you turn off auto-login (in Accounts prefs) then you will be presented with the login window after start up.

Do you have this same problem with the sound volume if you just log out and then in again? (as opposed to restarting the Mac)

The second problem with the Mail window showing up even though you have it set to hide is just a bug (which I think happens for everyone, not just you) and there is nothing you can do about it.

The chime is gone with a start up sound pref that I have. I have to quickly lower it in case a onther program sound starts like mail, an EyeTV scheduled recording that turns my computer on, an ichat chime, and many other programs that use sound. I will try the log in log out but I think I have tried that before with no change. Will let you know. Yes mail and ichat do seem to be bugs as they do it on all the other macs we have here.

when I log in as another user and the volume before I switch is at max, it stays at max - when lower it and then log out and log in as a different user, it stay's at the level I lowered it to.

That's a bit strange - I would have expected the volume setting to be a per-user preference.
But in any case, from what you have said above, it seems that the problem is just with your usual user account.
Thus I present to you my generic prescription for user-specific problems:
-------------------------------------
You have determined that the problem is only with the one user account.
The problem thus is almost certainly due to something under your home folder.
And it likely is something under ~/Library
( ~ = your home folder)
The most likely thing is a bad preference file under ~/Library/Preferences
You could start by removing the preference files for the apps you are having trouble with.
If the problem persists, you need to narrow the problem down - you could start by moving (via drag & drop) the whole "Preferences" folder that is under ~/Library to the Desktop, then log out and log in again. A default copy of the Preferences folder will have been recreated. Does that improve things? If so, you could use a divide & conquer approach to figure out which of the preference files is causing the problem - move half of the preference files back into the Preferences folder, log out & in again, etc.
Note that several preference files are in the sub-folder "ByHost".

If the problem persists, try the same thing with the other sub-folders of ~/Library. E.g. with ~/Library/Caches, ~/Library/InputManagers, ~/Library/Fonts, ~/Library/PreferencePanes, ~/Library/Application Support, ~/Library/Application Enhancers, contents of ~/Desktop, etc.
Also remove any files owned by your user in /Library/Caches (the Library folder at the top-level of the drive)

Hayne, before I start this process please note: if I log in as a new user or fresh new user and restart or boot up, the problem still exists. That means if I switch to another user, lower the volume and restart or boot as an auto log in into that new user the volume still goes up to max despite what is was when I restarted or shut down. It only stay where I left it when I log out and then log back in.

Oh and also when I log out and log in to the main user, the usual user account, I do not have the problem , the voume stays at where I left it before loging out. Just a test I just tried.

I see - so the problem is with restarting the Mac - that it seems to lose the volume setting that had been previously set when you shutdown the Mac and restart.

It isn't clear yet whether you have tried it after removing all 3rd-party kernel extensions and startup items - including the one that mutes the startup chime.

In the end, you may need to reinstall OS X if this problem is bothering you enough. I'm pretty sure that will fix the problem. After that you should reinstall 3rd-party stuff one thing at a time and test (with a restart after each).

I did remove all 3rd party and the chime mute pref pane... still no change. My guess is around xmas, I'll be getting a new mac. Hayne, I know this is not the forum for this question but I'll give it a try. My current desktop mac is a silver door g4 dual 1.25 PowerMac. Two things really bother me about this computer. One is it is loud and is a wind tunnel. The other is if you put your hand in the back, hot air is pumping out of it. Do any of the new PowerMac duals (dual core or G5 non dual core) have these issues. Now hopefully this is not interepreted as "does it run hot." That is not the question. It can run hot as long as it does not pump it out into the room and is loud. Of the new Mac Desktops, which ones are the quitest and the least likely to pump hot air out into the room. Thanks.

You are right that this is not the right forum section for this - please ask in the hardware & peripherals section. But note that all info about desktop Macs is expected to be obsolete very soon with the release of the Intel desktop Macs - they will definitely be here before the end of the year and likely much sooner.

Run a Permissions Repair from Disk Utility
Restart and zap the PRAM again: press and hold apple+option+P+R until you hear the second boot chine