Audio Hardware Missing

Hope someone can help, I haven't been able to find any similar problem on the internet.

I am a Pro Tools user and I specifically waited for AVID to have a qualified version before I installed Mountain Lion 2 days ago but since this 'upgrade' I'm having major problems with operating system.

I have clean unsinstalled Pro Tools, then re-installed OSX.8.2 to eliminate Pro Tools as the problem, and as I suspected it wasn't the problem.

Here's whats currently going on

1. Audio Hardware is not recognised in the system

2. System preferences constantly crashing

3. Can't install the latest supplemental update (dated 20.11.12) to see if this is the fix I need.

I know the hardware is working because it sounds out upon startup so the audio hardware must work at root level.

here are the things i've tried.

1. Repaired Disk Permissions

2. Reset PRam

3. Reset SMC

4. Reinstalled OSX Mountain Lion

5. Installed all OSX updates (except Supp 2.0 dated 20.11.12)

6. Created Missing Accounts Folder in Library

7. Checked Audio Midi Setup (doesn't show built in output)

8. Moved System Pref plist file etc

....and yes I have restarted my computer several times!!

Getting increasingly frustrated as I run Pro Tools on my laptop professionally and obviously production has ground to an abrupt halt.

Would greatly appreciate any input from anyone

Cheers

Kev

MacBook Pro 13" Early 2011

2.3 core i5

8gb Ram

OS 10.8.2