Win 7 audio drivers for Gateway MX7525  

Same as with the graphics drivers, I am having problems with the audio driver too.
It has AC 97 2.3 Compliant Audio.
Complete specs here Gateway Support - MX7525 Notebook Specifications
I tried with the drivers from Realtek (Vista/Win7 (32/64 bits) Driver only (ZIP file)) Realtek
The driver installed to completion, but it didn't work. Still showed a question mark in Device Manager and a red cross in the speaker icon in taskbar..
Followed salaadin19's method from here ZV6000 Audio x64 solved
on the above driver. Couldn't figure out the appropriate inf file to edit (it has a zillion inf files), so uninstalled it.
Followed his advice from here ZV6000 Audio x64 solved
and downloaded the AC 97 driver from HP's website. Installed it as it is. It also installed to completion but showed the same question mark in device manager and a red cross in the speaker icon in taskbar. I then edited the inf according to his advice and now the question mark is gone in device manager and the red cross in speaker icon has disappeared in taskbar.
Now comes the funny part.
As in a successful driver installation, I can see all the audio devices on double clicking the speaker icon in taskbar.
I can play any audio file. The equalizer sort of bars dance up & down in the speaker icon in taskbar as it should be when some audio is output, but I don't hear anything from the speakers. Tried maximizing the volume, but that didn't help. No audio from the headphone jacks either.

Seeing as your laptop doesn't have or use Realtek, hope you uninstalled it before installing the Conexant driver.

Also the DevID from that link you posted is almost but not quite correct for your laptop. This is what it has in the XP driver for your laptop,

%*WDM_AMCAUD.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AMCAUD,PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4370&SUBSYS_2045161F
%*WDM_AMCAUD.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AMCAUD,PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4370&SUBSYS_0506107B

Uninstall what you already installed andf add the above to the INF and then try again.

I was under the impression that Realtek AC97 Audio driver would work instead of Conexant AC97 Audio driver as well
I will do a clean install of Win7 and try out with the Conexant AC97 Audio driver from HP Conexant AC97 Audio Driver for Microsoft Vista (32-bit) - HP Business Support Center

The Hardware Ids for the Audio device as shown under Win 7 device manager is as follows

PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4370&SUBSYS_0506107B&REV_02
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4370&SUBSYS_0506107B
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4370&CC_040100
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4370&CC_0401

Hence I guess I will have to add to the inf
%*WDM_AMCAUD.DeviceDesc%=WDM_AMCAUD,PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4370&SUBSYS_0506107B&REV_02

What do you say?

Don't know that I would go as far as to re-install Windows.

As for what to add to the INF, add it as I posted it above, as those two lines came from the INF from the driver straight from Gateway.