Audigy 2 on 775Dual-VSTA

[Ararat]

Hi, I am trying to get my Audigy 2 to run on my AsRock 775Dual-VSTA, however it crashes once the driver is installed. The system is stable without the sound card, and the sound card works fine in other motherboards. I know from other forums that I'm not the only one to experience this, but has anyone found a solution?

 

[Slugbait]

You don't say which Creative drivers you're using...I can't find many others having a problem...

1) Remove the Audigy and run Driver Cleaner.
2) Disable the surprisingly good onboard audio in the BIOS.
3) If you haven't installed the mobo chipset drivers, do so now...or upgrade to the latest.
4) If using SATA, drop the Audigy into PCI slot #4.

Original drivers that shipped with the OS might work fine, so you could try letting Windows install it. If not, run steps #1 & #4 again, cancel the auto-install upon boot, and hit microsoftupdate instead for the latest WHQL drivers.

 

[Ararat]

Hi, thanks for replying.
I will try everything you said. Something I should point out is after trying in XP, the card works ok, so the problem is restricted to Vista (both 32-bit and 64-bit) suggesting it is a driver problem.
My driver version, from memory (this isn't that computer) was something like 2.12.0002 dated March 2007, which is still the newest one on the creative website.
Also, while I agree that the onboard sound is good, I cannot get my tv-card recording programs to accept it. It does not include an aux input either, which is disgraceful, but I suppose you get what you pay for.

 

[Ararat]

Oh, btw, the 4th PCI-slot is the bottom one, right? That's where I initially had it, however the card was not detected at all from that slot...strange. So I moved it to slot #1. And in the meantime, I have unplugged my only S-ATA device, a DVD Burner, to see if that helps.

 

[Ararat]

Ok, no luck, I tried every single one of the PCI slots, no difference with any of them. I also unplugged all of my SATA devices, again to no avail.
I am now switching to Vista 32-bit from the 64-bit version in order to try the kX drivers (which are unsigned) which someone recommended to me. Hopefully this works. If not, then damn VIA for making such bad chipsets.

I installed the latest VIA Hyperion drivers too, but it didn't make a difference, and unfortunately, Vista doesn't come with any drivers for the Audigy. I know in the past, the drivers available from Microsoft Update caused the same problems.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[Slugbait]

Originally posted by: Ararat
Also, while I agree that the onboard sound is good, I cannot get my tv-card recording programs to accept it.

Likely due to lack of Vista drivers...or you haven't downloaded the L&G drivers yet.

It does not include an aux input either, which is disgraceful, but I suppose you get what you pay for.

What do you have that does not include an AUX input? The blue jack of the HD audio is Line In, and should accept the Line Out cable coming from your TV card...otherwise, I'm not sure what you would use an AUX input for...

A lot more info about your system would probably help. When we got started, I didn't even know you were 64-bit, much less which OS you were using...

 

[Ararat]

ok, it's an AsRock 775Dual-VSTA motherboard, an E6300 @stock, 1GB Ram, Radeon 9700, and an Audigy 2 (I believe that's all that's relevant). All the drivers for everything are up to date, and I was using Vista x64. The same problem occurs regardless of whether I use the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Vista.
I have however reverted to XP. As annoying as it is for me to use an outdated OS, at least I can get everything working under it.
The AUX connector is a 4-pin (though only 3 wire) connector, like the analog CD audio plug, NOT a line in connector. I could use the line in instead, by bypassing the tv-card directly, but that solution, apart from having inferior quality sound (I don't know why, it just always seems to), sentences me to having the sound coming through my system permanantly while the thing is plugged in. The other thing of note is that there is always noise when the audio is recorded through the onboard sound, perhaps I am picky, but the Audigy always gives me crystal clear sound.
Here is the strange thing though. The entire system is fine under Vista, as long as the sound card isn't installed. They all play nice under XP though. HOWEVER, on TWO other motherboards, that sound card is fine regardless of the operating system. Go figure.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Did you try disabling "PCI Delay Transaction" in the BIOS? I ready somewhere that if it's enabled, Audigy cards won't work. You could then retry Vista, or perhaps dual boot...

 

[Ararat]

Tried both settings for PCI delay transaction. It was set to disable, when I was having the problem in Vista, though that was working in XP. Now I have put Vista back on, and with delay transaction disabled, I am having the same error as before. After enabling delay transaction, I am getting further into the boot, but still am not making it to the desktop.
With PCI delay transaction disabled, it was crashing at Vista's startup sound, while with it enabled, it is freezing at the welcome screen. Interestingly, this problem does not occur at the installation of the driver, when I do get properly functioning sound, the crashes occur only after restart.