While this may seem like a silly suggestion, I've encountered users who had their machine's main volume muted. On the taskbar, next to the clock, expand the list by clicking the arrow. Double-click on the speaker icon and make sure that none of the mute boxes are checked. Also, make sure that the main volume and WAV volumes are turned up.
 
Another silly suggestion (but I'm saying this because you stated "new computer user"), make sure that you have your speakers plugged into the correct jack in your computer. I've seen a lot of people who swore their speakers were broken who actually either did not have their speakers plugged in at all or had them plugged into the input jack instead of the output jack.
 
I hope that I'm not insulting your intelligence but making these suggestions.
 
If none of those work, you should make sure that you have the correct drivers installed. Hit the Windows key + Pause/Break to access your system properties. Then go to the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. Ensure that there is nothing which your system detects has a problem. If you do see one, download and install the correct drivers from the manufacturer's web site.
 
Hope that helps.