Creative Audigy 2 ZS and Windows XP

[Chris Rehm]

I recently installed an Audigy 2 sound card (to replace a SB Live! that
was causing problems) and every now and then it seems the driver gets
trashed. What happens is sound from the system stops being processed
(like sound effects from a game or voices on Ventrillo) but whatever
last few seconds of sound were loaded into the card get run over and over.

Windows notes no error. In order to fix the problem, I have to shut down
and reboot.

So I am interested in knowing if there are people out there happily
using the Audigy 2 ZS (I bought the Gamer edition) with no problems or
if there are people who have experienced problems with this card.

 

[Tom]

Well, your systems spec (namely the MOBO0 would tell some as to if your new
sound card will work properly with yoursystem.

Other than that, and depending on what Service Pack you have installed on
your system, you may want to check Creative's support website for updated
drivers for your particular version.

 

[namniar]

Audigy 2 ZS, WinXP Home SP2, MSI MS-6566E motherboard, P4. Works great.

r.

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

I recently installed an Audigy 2 sound card (to replace a SB Live! that
was causing problems) and every now and then it seems the driver gets
trashed. What happens is sound from the system stops being processed
(like sound effects from a game or voices on Ventrillo) but whatever
last few seconds of sound were loaded into the card get run over and over.

Windows notes no error. In order to fix the problem, I have to shut down
and reboot.

So I am interested in knowing if there are people out there happily
using the Audigy 2 ZS (I bought the Gamer edition) with no problems or
if there are people who have experienced problems with this card.

Windows XP Pro, Asus P4800S motherboard w/Intel chipset, Pentium 4
3.20gHZ, 1024mb memory, Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS. No problems at all to
date.

I've had other Creative soundcards on other machines, and they were all
a pain in the butt. I'm quite happy this one is working out so well.
I'm sure it's my motherboard/chipset combo that works so well with the
card.

 

[Tom]

Windows XP Pro, Asus P4800S motherboard w/Intel chipset, Pentium 4
3.20gHZ, 1024mb memory, Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS. No problems at all to
date.

I've had other Creative soundcards on other machines, and they were all
a pain in the butt. I'm quite happy this one is working out so well.
I'm sure it's my motherboard/chipset combo that works so well with the
card.

And this helps how?

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

And this helps how?

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

And this helps how?

Perhaps you should read the OP's post again. Note that he asks for user
comments from those who are NOT having problems with the card, in
addition to user comments from those who ARE.

 

[Tom]

Perhaps you should read the OP's post again. Note that he asks for user
comments from those who are NOT having problems with the card, in
addition to user comments from those who ARE.

Did you note the problem description he had? Not saying what you added
wasn't info, but he made a post describing his problems, I suggested a
possible solution.

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

Did you note the problem description he had? Not saying what you added
wasn't info, but he made a post describing his problems, I suggested a
possible solution.

You are such a GREAT, guy!! You suggested a possible solution! Woo Hoo!
But I am not you. I replied to his post according to what he asked for.
I have no idea why he is having problems, since I have had no problems
at all with my card. If you can't understand simple English, I feel
sorry for you. Maybe you need to go back to Elementary School, and take
English all over again.

I helped him in the best way I knew. You are not the arbiter of Usenet
posts. You are especially not the one who tells me what I am supposed
to say. So go soak your head in a bucket of water.

You are an ego freak, who needs to be cut down a few notches. I hope
you will be, and soon.

 

[Tom]

You are an ego freak, who needs to be cut down a few notches. I hope
you will be, and soon.

--

Did I bruise your ego LOL?

 

[Markeau]

I wonder if the old SBLive drivers/reg entries might not have gotten
cleaned up properly during its uninstall, etc. Have you tried
completely uninstalling/reinstalling the new Audigy 2? Or at least
run the autoupdate on the Creative site to see if there are new
drivers? FWIW I had installed an Audigy 2 Plat Pro on an XPpro SP2,
Intel 850emv, that previously had the onboard SB-compatible sound
enabled, and all has been working fine.

Did you also post over on Creative's web forum? They can probably help
if the problem persists. Also, you might try running XP's Task
Manager, select the Processes tab, and sort on CPU then try to force
the problem again and see if there is a particular task that is
running/taking a lot of cpu at that time.

 

[Admiral Q]

Dude - known issue - the only way to eliminate this issue is to do a "clean"
install. This has happened to me several times, when I install the
incorrect driver for XP/Win2k3 or vice/versa.

--
Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your service!
"Google is your Friend!"
www.google.com

***********************************************

 

[Chris Rehm]

Thanks to all for the attempts to help. As luck would have it, as soon
as I'd posted I had several crashes that have taken up my attention.
Now, I'm back to this issue!

 

[Chris Rehm]

Well, your systems spec (namely the MOBO0 would tell some as to if your new
sound card will work properly with yoursystem.

Other than that, and depending on what Service Pack you have installed on
your system, you may want to check Creative's support website for updated
drivers for your particular version.

Well, I am running Windows XP Pro SP2 on a ECS PT800CE-A with a 2.4Ghz
P4 and 1G of memory. But, I am thinking of changing out this
motherboard/processor to solve my problems. I just don't know what
motherboards are good (and cheap). As an aside, is there any way to get
the processor out once it's been installed? Last time the heat sink/fan
couldn't be removed from the processor to open it.

I am installing first from the Creative CD that came with the card, then
upgrading it with the drivers downloaded from their site. There are two
packs, EAX4DRV_AUDIGY2_1_84_50 and SBA2_PCWDRV_LB_1_84_55 to bring it to
current.

Originally, I was installing all of the Creative software, but I am
currently only installing drivers as I also use Norton Antivirus and it
apparently has some complaints about the Creative stuff.

 

[Chris Rehm]

I wonder if the old SBLive drivers/reg entries might not have gotten
cleaned up properly during its uninstall, etc. Have you tried
completely uninstalling/reinstalling the new Audigy 2? Or at least run
the autoupdate on the Creative site to see if there are new drivers?
FWIW I had installed an Audigy 2 Plat Pro on an XPpro SP2, Intel 850emv,
that previously had the onboard SB-compatible sound enabled, and all has
been working fine.

Well, I have done the "uninstall/reinstall" routine many times. I've
uninstalled from the devices section of the system manager. Then, when I
reboot and I get the "new hardware" box, I click cancel and use the
Creative software to install the drivers. I do that because that is what
the Creative instructions said to do.

But I have worried about a lingering driver out there. Some file that
does not get deleted, maybe it is a newer date than the Audigy drivers
even though it is for a different card or some such, and it is sitting
in windows path. But I don't know how to insure they are all removed.

Did you also post over on Creative's web forum? They can probably help
if the problem persists. Also, you might try running XP's Task Manager,

Creative's web forum? I didn't even realize there was one. I guess I
just go straight to their driver downloads whenever I go to their site.
I'll look for that.

select the Processes tab, and sort on CPU then try to force the problem
again and see if there is a particular task that is running/taking a lot
of cpu at that time.

Well, almost always (and maybe always) it is a game that I am running
and Ventrillo. Of course, the other users of the game (a MMO) on the
same Vent server don't experience the same problem. In fact, I bought
the Audigy 2 because one of them had been experiencing the same problems
I had with my Live!, and he'd solved them by going Audigy 2.

 

[Chris Rehm]

Dude - known issue - the only way to eliminate this issue is to do a "clean"
install. This has happened to me several times, when I install the
incorrect driver for XP/Win2k3 or vice/versa.

Thanks for the note. I believe that I have installed the right drivers,
and I have several times tried a clean install, that is to remove all
the old drivers and install fresh. However, if this is a known issue
then I sure would be relieved to get this handled! Do you know of a link
to any place where this is documented so I can read up on it?

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

Did I bruise your ego LOL?

Listen, Tom: I have not found fault with your reply to the OP's
original posting. Why are you doing this? My only conclusion is that
you are an ego freak who needs to have the last word for some reason or
another. Maybe your wife refused to let you into her bed last night.
Maybe your boss fired you. I don't know.

But what ever it was, I want nothing to do with it.

I gave a serious answer to the Original Poster, according to his plainly
stated request for user comments. Since I know nothing of problems with
the card I recently bought and installed, I cannot comment on them. If
I had had problems with the card, I most definitely would have commented
on them, as per his request.

You gave him help according to your idea of help. This was good, and I
commend you for it. While he did not ask for help directly, his
comments could been a veiled attempt to ask for help. You did your best
to help out. So did I. I'm sorry you didn't like the help I freely and
reasonably offered him from my heart. This is no reason to act like a
child and find fault with my words. It makes no sense to me at all. If
you were trying to instruct me, you have failed miserably, since I see
nothing in your posts which helps me to change my ways, since to my way
of thinking, I see nothing I would change in this particular matter.

If you are a wise man, you will take my words to heart, and end this
matter immediately. If not, you will most definitely further attempt
to justify yourself, and try to make yourself big in your own eyes.
It's up to you. You can grow as a man, or continue being a little boy.

 

[BBUNNY]

Chris Rehm wrote:
| Tom wrote:
|
|| Well, your systems spec (namely the MOBO0 would tell some as to if
|| your new sound card will work properly with yoursystem.
||
|| Other than that, and depending on what Service Pack you have
|| installed on your system, you may want to check Creative's support
|| website for updated drivers for your particular version.
|
| Well, I am running Windows XP Pro SP2 on a ECS PT800CE-A with a 2.4Ghz
| P4 and 1G of memory. But, I am thinking of changing out this
| motherboard/processor to solve my problems. I just don't know what
| motherboards are good (and cheap). As an aside, is there any way to
| get the processor out once it's been installed? Last time the heat
| sink/fan couldn't be removed from the processor to open it.
|
| I am installing first from the Creative CD that came with the card,
| then upgrading it with the drivers downloaded from their site. There
| are two packs, EAX4DRV_AUDIGY2_1_84_50 and SBA2_PCWDRV_LB_1_84_55 to
| bring it to current.
|
| Originally, I was installing all of the Creative software, but I am
| currently only installing drivers as I also use Norton Antivirus and
| it apparently has some complaints about the Creative stuff.

Get rid of Norton.....(which will be a problem itself)
Get DriverCleaner from Driver Heaven.....
Then install the new drivers for the new card.

 

[Markeau]

Do a Start > Run > dxdiag and make sure no problems are shown

 

[Markeau]

Yeah they only have the web forums for support now, they used to have
newsgroups, too, but they just shut them down ...
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board?board.id=soundblaster