Need a stable driver for Creative Audigy 2 ZS

[LABachlr]

I went to Creative's site, and found 3 drivers listed.

#1 and #3 are updates, and #2 is a beta driver. Why is there not a stable driver listed? I'm assuming that I should just go ahead and install the Beta version?

I tried just installing #1 thinking that the update could also be installed as a standalone driver, but apparently not. It stated that it could not find a current driver installed for the Audigy 2.

The card is the retail version.

Screenshot of available drivers
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8139

 

[mwmorph]

creative doesn not release non updates of final versions of the driver. you have to find a cd or use a beta(though i suspect that's an update too. if you dont have a cd you cna oporder one from them for like $5,.

 

[Navid]

You can use the updates.
I have an Audigy2 ZS and have only used the latest drivers from the Creative site. The file is listed as an update. But, when I run the executable, it installs the drivers and runs fine. So, I do not ask questions!

 

[LABachlr]

Hopefully, there won't be a need to order the CD. The second driver listed on the site does not have "Update" in its name, so I'm going to venture to guess that it is a full driver.

With regard to it installing on your system, Navid, do you think it might be possible that you already had a driver installed, or at least another creative driver installed? Did you get the "Add New Hardware" wizard?

It certainly did not install for me, and I tried a few times.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: LABachlr
Hopefully, there won't be a need to order the CD. The second driver listed on the site does not have "Update" in its name, so I'm going to venture to guess that it is a full driver.

With regard to it installing on your system, Navid, do you think it might be possible that you already had a driver installed, or at least another creative driver installed? Did you get the "Add New Hardware" wizard?

It certainly did not install for me, and I tried a few times.

After I install XP, I have an exclamation point in the device manager for audio and I get no sound at all. I do not allow any drivers to be installed from windows update.

I double click on the file that I have downloaded from Creative. It is the latest.
http://us.creative.com/support/download...me=Audigy+2+ZS+Gamer&OSName=Windows+XP

It is called SBA2_PCWDRV_LB_1_84_55-R1.exe.
After I double click on it, it runs and installs and asks me to reboot. After that, I have sound and EAX in games.

 

[LABachlr]

Weird. That's the exact driver that is the first one listed on the screenshot that I posted in my original post of available drivers for the sound card I am dealing with. That's the one I tried to install a few times. Not sure why you were able to install that driver, and not me.

 

[Navid]

My motherboard is P4P800 deluxe.
CPU is P4C 2.6G.
OS is XP pro SP2.
My card is the gamer edition of Audigy2 ZS.

What happens when you double click on that file?

 

[GMtheBest]

LABachlr, if your run the .exe and get a message along the lines of "no soundblaster card detected" you can extract the contents of the .exe with winrar. Then, you can install the driver via an installer in one of the folders. I am not at home right now so I cant give you the specifics, but that is how i installed my sound card.

 

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by: Navid
What happens when you double click on that file?

It gives me the error message of it not finding a previous driver (to update, I guess). When I click OK, it quits the installation.

 

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by: GMtheBest
LABachlr, if your run the .exe and get a message along the lines of "no soundblaster card detected" you can extract the contents of the .exe with winrar. Then, you can install the driver via an installer in one of the folders. I am not at home right now so I cant give you the specifics, but that is how i installed my sound card.

Nope. Just the error message I state above.

And it does show a lot of "device unknown"'s in Device Manager, so it does recognize the card.

Great idea! I'll have to try that. I was not aware that you could extract files from an exe file.

I just took a look via WinRAR. Would the drivers be in the following path?

\Drivers\WDM\WIN2K_XP

I assume that all of the drivers for each component listed in the Device Manager would be in that folder, right? Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: LABachlr

Originally posted by: Navid
What happens when you double click on that file?

It gives me the error message of it not finding a previous driver (to update, I guess). When I click OK, it quits the installation.

OK.
When I get home tonight, I will restore my OS to bare XP and re-install the Audigy drivers and report back exactly what happens. I have images of my C drive that I have created at different stages of OS installation. So, I can go back to right after XP installation.

 

[govtcheez75]

stupic creative. You can't install some of their drivers/software without th original install/driver disk.

 

[Accord99]

Did you try this one:

SBA2_EAX4DRV_031031.exe from November 2003. This one should be installable without any previous drivers and then allow you to install any of the later updates.

 

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by: Navid

Originally posted by: LABachlr

Originally posted by: Navid
What happens when you double click on that file?

It gives me the error message of it not finding a previous driver (to update, I guess). When I click OK, it quits the installation.

OK.
When I get home tonight, I will restore my OS to bare XP and re-install the Audigy drivers and report back exactly what happens. I have images of my C drive that I have created at different stages of OS installation. So, I can go back to right after XP installation.

OK. That's nice of you. Thanks. I'll be attempting to reinstall the drivers tonight, too. I'll try the suggestions in this thread and report back as well.

 

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by: govtcheez75
stupic creative. You can't install some of their drivers/software without th original install/driver disk.

Yeah, no kidding. Not a wise move on their part.

 

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by: Accord99
Did you try this one:

SBA2_EAX4DRV_031031.exe from November 2003. This one should be installable with any previous drivers and then allow you to install any of the later updates.

Just checked, and that one has "Update" in the name as well, but I can try it. Thanks.

 

[Navid]

I made a mistake!
I also get that error message if I attempt to install SBA2_....... to begin with.
I installed EAX4DRV_AUDIGY2_1_84_50.exe first. Then, I upgraded to SBA2_.....

 

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by: Navid
I made a mistake!
I also get that error message if I attempt to install SBA2_....... to begin with.
I installed EAX4DRV_AUDIGY2_1_84_50.exe first. Then, I upgraded to SBA2_.....

Where did you happen to get it? I did a search on creative's site, but to no avail.

 

[mwmorph]

http://files.americas.creative.com/manu...0x159CCD4A/EAX4DRV_AUDIGY2_1_84_50.exe

 

[LABachlr]

Great. Thanks. Actually, they were able to find the installation CD, so everything is installed and good to go. Thanks for the help!

 

[Navid]

It is good that your problem is solved.

I downloaded that file a long time ago and see that it is not on the driver page that I use anymore.

But, I tried something.

I used WINRAR and extracted the contents of the latest driver file (SBA2_PCWDRV_LB_1_84_55-R1.exe).
On a fresh XP install, after installing the chipset drivers, right clicked on the "Multimedia Audio controller" in the device manager and clicked on update driver. Then, clicked on "Have Disk" and browsed to
"SBA2_PCWDRV_LB_1_84_55-R1\Drivers\WDM"
and clicked "open".
The drivers installed successfully.

 

[LABachlr]

Cool. Good to know. Thanks, Navid.