AC'97 (No sound after exiting audio applications), Can't seem to decipher why.

[WinLinMac01]

I am using AC'97 drivers on my AMD system and I notice that anytime I use Front Row, Itunes, or Garageband, when I exit that application, my audio disappears, and it takes minutes for the volume to come back to life. Any ideas why? Please let me know, thanks a lot. =)