So I have this older Ensoniq AudioPCI sound card, and Ensoniq was acquired by Creative after I bought it. The same card became known as the Creative AudioPCI. Same card, different name.
I was upgrading my sister's computer and her new motherboard had no on-board audio like the old one, so I decide to give her the Ensoniq I've had laying around for a couple years.
I go to Creative website to download the 'latest' drivers, 2+MB setup and a 2+MB library file (OS dependent). No instructions or driver notes whatsoever about how to use this setup, whether it is intended to be an 'update' to existing drivers, or whether it can be used as a primary driver install.
So I flip a coin and go with trying it as a primary install first. I run the setup program and it reports some error, no audio chip found. I didn't have the card installed yet. So I exit, shutdown, install the card, boot the system into Windows, cancel out of the new hardware wizard, then run setup again.
Everything seems to be proceeding, the new hardware wizard pops up again indicating a new device. I have the Wizard automatically look for the driver, but it could find none. I browse all over the hard drive for the driver files, but find none. So I cancel out of new hardware wizard again, thinking that Creative setup will install/configure the hardware then prompt to reboot. It seems to do just that, reporting that driver installation was successful. So I reboot, but there is no sound, nothing in Device Manager, nothing in Multimedia properties, no volume control. Worse, the system seems flakey, lots of lagging and hesitation. So I reboot again, same thing.
Ok, I begin to suspect maybe its supposed to be used as an update for existing drivers, because the first dialog box reads something like "Creative Driver Update". So I run the Creative driver removal program in add/remove programs, then reboot.
I install an old driver I downloaded from Creative just after the acquisition of Ensoniq. It was the first driver released by Creative intended to support the original Ensoniq cards. Basically, it was nothing more than a repackaged version of the latest Ensoniq driver. Ok, good, audio is working fine. But always believing its best to have drivers that are two years newer vs. two years older, I want to install the latest ones.
I go to install the latest Creative drivers again, and it seems to proceed fine, chip found, drivers updated, prompts me to reboot, etc. I reboot and there is no sound, no volume control, no multimedia properties, nothing in Device Manager, and the system lagging and hesitation is back. CRAP! The only GD thing that works is the Creative Registration Program, it keeps nagging me to death to register the product, one that is now more than four years old.
What the hell is wrong with those people at Creative Labs? Can't you just download "driver files" instead of 2MB worth of Creative Product Registration bullsh-t? You know...extract files to a temp folder, shutdown, insert the card, start the computer, Hardware Wizard pops up, you point HW Wizard to the temp director, it finds the necessary driver files, VOILA? Nope, nothing that easy with Creative.
I went through much of this same crap with a SB PCI128 Live! about two years ago, having to download 8MB of crap to get what is probably less than 1MB of actual device drivers, not knowing which of four or five possible different methods to install the drivers and hardware (but only one way works), because there were zero install notes or setup instructions.
The Creative Product Registration never fails to install properly or nag the sh-t out of you, though!
So I decide to stick with 'old' Creative Drivers, because they seem to work fine, but the G-D Creative Removal program no longer works to remove the 'new' drivers! It terminates with an error. God help me if I have to format her computer and reinstall every-fvcking-thing because of Creative's retarded driver team!
Whew...I feel better now. Wait, no I don't. GRRRR!!!!!!!
I was upgrading my sister's computer and her new motherboard had no on-board audio like the old one, so I decide to give her the Ensoniq I've had laying around for a couple years.
I go to Creative website to download the 'latest' drivers, 2+MB setup and a 2+MB library file (OS dependent). No instructions or driver notes whatsoever about how to use this setup, whether it is intended to be an 'update' to existing drivers, or whether it can be used as a primary driver install.
So I flip a coin and go with trying it as a primary install first. I run the setup program and it reports some error, no audio chip found. I didn't have the card installed yet. So I exit, shutdown, install the card, boot the system into Windows, cancel out of the new hardware wizard, then run setup again.
Everything seems to be proceeding, the new hardware wizard pops up again indicating a new device. I have the Wizard automatically look for the driver, but it could find none. I browse all over the hard drive for the driver files, but find none. So I cancel out of new hardware wizard again, thinking that Creative setup will install/configure the hardware then prompt to reboot. It seems to do just that, reporting that driver installation was successful. So I reboot, but there is no sound, nothing in Device Manager, nothing in Multimedia properties, no volume control. Worse, the system seems flakey, lots of lagging and hesitation. So I reboot again, same thing.
Ok, I begin to suspect maybe its supposed to be used as an update for existing drivers, because the first dialog box reads something like "Creative Driver Update". So I run the Creative driver removal program in add/remove programs, then reboot.
I install an old driver I downloaded from Creative just after the acquisition of Ensoniq. It was the first driver released by Creative intended to support the original Ensoniq cards. Basically, it was nothing more than a repackaged version of the latest Ensoniq driver. Ok, good, audio is working fine. But always believing its best to have drivers that are two years newer vs. two years older, I want to install the latest ones.
I go to install the latest Creative drivers again, and it seems to proceed fine, chip found, drivers updated, prompts me to reboot, etc. I reboot and there is no sound, no volume control, no multimedia properties, nothing in Device Manager, and the system lagging and hesitation is back. CRAP! The only GD thing that works is the Creative Registration Program, it keeps nagging me to death to register the product, one that is now more than four years old.
What the hell is wrong with those people at Creative Labs? Can't you just download "driver files" instead of 2MB worth of Creative Product Registration bullsh-t? You know...extract files to a temp folder, shutdown, insert the card, start the computer, Hardware Wizard pops up, you point HW Wizard to the temp director, it finds the necessary driver files, VOILA? Nope, nothing that easy with Creative.
I went through much of this same crap with a SB PCI128 Live! about two years ago, having to download 8MB of crap to get what is probably less than 1MB of actual device drivers, not knowing which of four or five possible different methods to install the drivers and hardware (but only one way works), because there were zero install notes or setup instructions.
The Creative Product Registration never fails to install properly or nag the sh-t out of you, though!
So I decide to stick with 'old' Creative Drivers, because they seem to work fine, but the G-D Creative Removal program no longer works to remove the 'new' drivers! It terminates with an error. God help me if I have to format her computer and reinstall every-fvcking-thing because of Creative's retarded driver team!
Whew...I feel better now. Wait, no I don't. GRRRR!!!!!!!
