Win 10 upgrade kills Creative sb x-fi 32 bit sound cards might be fixable?

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HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
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I didn't expect to upgrade my win 7, HP xw4600 sound center so soon. Weather, did a bad brown out, killed the os, not the hdds? Took a look at the win 7 re install to be near impossible, so went to win 10 1511. Hum? no audio, drivers were both hd audio devices, one, realtek, on the mb, the other x-fi, both the x-fi & the realtek mb sound channel, were not functioning. I went through every driver I could find. I went through 8 tb of backup files dating to before 2009, the only driver I found to work, but every time you reboot, no snd untill you re install the 2009 not digitally signed driver. Somewhere in the search for x-fi backup drivers on this massive 8 tb hdd group, I found a 2010 driver with the build ending in 76, where the 2009 driver ends in 74. The .xx76 2010 driver is ms digitally signed, & it works in win 10, would you believe. I have full functionality back all of the way to 32 bit optical processing in/output channels. Awesome the quality of 32 bit. I thought I lost the toss link in / out of this card, that drastically reduces system noise. The high sample rate & 32 bit really does something for HD audio. It is an experience you need to enjoy personally. It was a very difficult journey, to seek out to find the answer to this complex sound driver problem. To begin with, the driver that fixed the problem, I could not find, in recent searches of the web, that specific driver install, seems to have disappeared? I found it in a file backup copy to hdd's dating back possibly 10 years. Had I not found this digitally signed driver, I don't think I would ever have seen this x-fi card work again in windows 10. I will say this... It has something to do with the new/old dateing of install files, & the actual good driver has to make windows think it is newer than the hd audio win 10 driver. It wasn't easy to track down & overcome the failure. It also wasn't just an install to fix it. It takes some serious feature installs, & driver installs, then un installs, then re installs, to over write the various driver files dates, to teach the os which driver was best by over writing drivers multiple times to teach windows not to use the hd audio driver, & accept the older 2010 driver as the best to install. Believe me, that is how it happened... good luck giving it a try on your end of the earth. You can bet that x-fi card found in many win 7 systems, can work in windows 10 with no problem whatsoever! Awesome...

I am locking this thread since the vast majority of the posts are the OP replying to himself and/or attacking others.

administrator allisolm
 
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AnitaPeterson

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2001
5,942
388
126
I've been having serious problems with my SB X-Fi Platinum. Every Windows update broke the drivers, and the card started to cause blue screens (on Windows 10!). The last thing I tried was the Daniel K drivers, but those didn't prove to work, either.

Worse - even if I make it work, it's only temporary - the next Windows update will bork it again.

I am basically forced to abandon an extraordinary sound card, just because friggin' Windows can't play nice, and Creative are a bunch of greedy buggers who gave up on supporting their products.
 

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
I've been having serious problems with my SB X-Fi Platinum. Every Windows update broke the drivers, and the card started to cause blue screens (on Windows 10!). The last thing I tried was the Daniel K drivers, but those didn't prove to work, either.

Worse - even if I make it work, it's only temporary - the next Windows update will bork it again.

I am basically forced to abandon an extraordinary sound card, just because friggin' Windows can't play nice, and Creative are a bunch of greedy buggers who gave up on supporting their products.



Hello again,

Yeah, blue screen of death... I got them too! A hardware fault causes that blue screen.

I'm not sure what is behind it all, but I'm not going to take a political point of view of this situation.

What I have discovered since posting this thread is complex, but easy enough to do. I was able to do it, so can you.

First off, I had to find the right driver for the sound card. That meant, I had to determine exactly what hardware I had.

It turned out, I had an Extreme Gamer SB0770.

The extreme gamer is capable of a 32 bit sound channel, often called 3D sound, when applied to game audio, as well as anything 32 bit is origin, but well without the 32 bit driver, you can oversample from say 48k to 96k, but you can not on the fly up sample a 24 bit audio channel from say a dvd into 32 bit output. It comes out 24 bit only.

The original driver seems to have been 5-5-2010 with an ending version # 1376. It seems to be the only 3D driver ever released by Creative that supported a full 100% 32 bit audio channel.

The new driver for win 10 does not support the 32 bit channel, only 16 & 24 bit, but the sound card will actually function in 32 bit, if the source input to the sound card is 32 bit based, like a 96k 32 bit apple lossless audio codec can be reproduced in 32 bit, because the hardware still works, as installed with the 24 bit driver.

I don't know if this is true, but I was told, that there were web sites that were using 32 bit gaming sounds on advertisements that would jump out at you, & often frightened users, so they separated the 3d thing on the net, by the use of the driver, to stop this practice, but actually the only thing you lost with the win 10 driver is not a thing, or even any loss of use, of the card.

Just as long as you search the right driver on Creative site, they will give you the right exe type of win 10 driver install for your' card.

The original win 10 HD audio driver, wasn't right, & difficult to change win 10' mind about it. It takes an exe install file to change win 10 mind into thinking this driver is better. But then that was version 1709 & before.

I actually had the 5-5-2010 driver working correctly in win 10 version 1709, but when it got to 20h2, it was a totally different story.

But that is when the new win 10 driver from Creative, began to work. It didn't work before the feature upgrade to 20h2, while the original 3d driver did still work in 1709, but is dead in 20h2.

I can still listen to 32 bit ALAC music, but I am told not to worry about spooks jumping out of ads on the net any more. LOL.

GO FIGURE?

That's how it seems to work,
Good luck.
 

AnitaPeterson

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2001
5,942
388
126
So, basically, even if the card can be made to work with the 5-5-2010 driver (if I can even find it), there's no guarantee that the next Windows update won't screw it up.

Which basically leaves me with two realistic options:

1) Install Windows 10 version 1709, then add the X-Fi card and load up 5-5-2010, then stop all Windows updates forever.

or

2) Say "Screw it!" and just build a Windows 7 machine with this card, to be used only when/if I need to record/digitize external audio sources (vinyl or casette).
 

CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
5,508
586
126
I use an x-fi titanium HD on Windows 10 (latest version) and it works nicely with the Daniel K drivers. However I do use the 24-bit 192khz mode, and didn't know it ever supported 32-bit.

In general, this is a problem with using a specific driver for a feature like this. I've done it with other things before and eventually some Windows or GPU driver update breaks it, so you end up being stuck on the old version for a long time and run into other issues because of that.
 
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HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
I use an x-fi titanium HD on Windows 10 (latest version) and it works nicely with the Daniel K drivers. However I do use the 24-bit 192khz mode, and didn't know it ever supported 32-bit.

In general, this is a problem with using a specific driver for a feature like this. I've done it with other things before and eventually some Windows or GPU driver update breaks it, so you end up being stuck on the old version for a long time and run into other issues because of that.


AnitaPeterson, if your' reading this, keep looking on Creatives website. There is a driver there that will work for you. Calm down, & look deep. It's there.

Ok CP5670,

I know enough to tell you, there is a disconnect between Microsoft & hardware manufactures.

If win 7 is still working, ok, but don't even consider building a win 7 system for your' sound system from scratch now.

Even if you disable the internet to stop the feature update to win 10, or stop win 7 programs from asking for update/upgrades, win 7 will not work well for much more than flat out programs that do not rely on internet support.

Not only that, but win 10 is win 7, xp,win 98, all of them with a new look, & expected to be new drivers for new hardware. Hum.....

I personally am not familiar with every sound blaster, or other various hardware, so I can only relate to my situation.

I have two xw-4600 HP computers, I've used exclusively for music & sound editing. Both had the sound blaster with optical in & out, which I now know to be the Extreme Gamer SB0770, factory installed.

I only know this specific piece of hardware fully 100% supports in & out optical, & analogue in & out 32 bit up to 192k sample. At least it did with that driver version 1376 dated 5-5-2010, released as a *.exe for the 3D 32 bit gaming audio channel.

To my knowledge, the hardware, while can be installed with a 24 bit channel depth driver, if the hardware does support 32 bit, & a program is capable of directly driving that channel with 32 bit audio stream, then the hardware will process the data as any normal 32 bit file with the hardware being installed with a 24 bit driver in windows OS.

I don't know the limitations of this, if any. I assume this to be correct. Windows defaults to "let programs take full control of the audio channel" in the sound properties. The sound blaster will reproduce 32 bit audio, but will not reproduce 64 bit audio? I guess the hardware can't go that fast...

It does not seem to work with the audio output channel directly, using the win 10 24 bit driver, for whatever unknown reason(s).

By feeding the optical output with the audio program 32 bit stream, by installing a toss link loopback to the input optical device, creates a 32 bit optical channel driving the audio output channel.

By setting up the optical in to listen to the Creative audio output channel, the output channel receives optical clean 32 bit & processes the stream as 32 bit audio output.

For this to work, the driver has to enable the 32 bit optical channel in the sound blaster, & a 1 meter length toss link cable loop back installed, from optical out to optical in.

By using High definition sound files, such as windows 32 bit *.wav, or the Apple Lossless Audio Codec for HD 32 bit, the M4a HD ALAC codic, from Itunes, you will still be able to enjoy HD music with the win 10 driver from Creative Sound Blaster web site.

I can not say one way or another what the "Danial K driver will give you. If it enables the hardware optical channel with a 32 bit optical channel driver, then you have a chance of utilizing the 32 bit capability of the sound card, even though it is installed as a 24 bit channel in windows 10, that bit depth applies only to the audio output device receiving a source stream from windows OS.

If the audio output device is driven by the optical device in 32 bit, the output hardware is able to reproduce the applied stream to the line out as 32 bit.

I hope this answers all of your' questions about this sound card. I only know the SB0770 is truly 100% a 32 bit sound channel, I can't answer if any other sound blaster models support 32 bit.

Likely if it has either a coax input & output, or a toss link optical input & output, then likely that sound card will support 32 bit data stream channels. The card has to have both input & output digital channels for this to work.

In either case the digital link has to be looped back, out to in, to complete the 32 bit channel stream, from 32 bit program source, to audio line output of the creative sound out channel.

You can address say an on the motherboard Realtek sound card, with the creative optical in port, but the Realtek card is hardware only 24 bit, so it will not process the Creative optical channel as a 32 bit data stream.

I can only say for sure, this is how it works in my system, I can not tell you for sure if you will get the same results without the basically same hardware as I use.

Anybody reading & trying this technic, for improved performance in win 10, by all means let us all hear from you, on this thread, & let us know what you think, how it works for you, & any other suggestions you might have.

I Hope to calm the nerves of Anita Peterson, with problems she is having. Anita must be from Aussie or NZ, as she used one of my favorite words, "ah heck" in her post. They have a driver on Creative international website for you Anita. Trust me.
 
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AnitaPeterson

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2001
5,942
388
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AnitaPeterson, if your' reading this, keep looking on Creatives website. There is a driver there that will work for you. Calm down, & look deep. It's there.

I am reading this... in fact, if you look at my forum join date, it's probably before your date of birth. These are familiar haunts.

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you're coming into this discussion as if you've just discovered something new and never seen before - although this particular problem of bad Creative drivers and support beyond Windows 7 has, in fact, been debated to death for something like a decade already.

Moreover, all your musings on the subject are just long rambles, ironically lacking more substantial (and vastly more useful!) details... such as an actual URL for the particular drivers you recommend.

The same applies to your reply to me: "calm down and look for the drivers on the Creative website", later followed by "calm the nerves". Aside from the rather insulting inference that I am being hysterical (I'm not Australian either, I just have an extensive vocabulary and have traveled a lot around the world), what exactly gives you the idea I haven't already tried multiple drivers, having already gone down that road before you?

For your information, I've been using Creative cards since 1998, before the Soundblaster Platinum came out. I was playing with Toslink (please note the proper spelling!) and RCA digital cables for DAT recording to make bit-matched recordings before the turn of the millenium, and ripping vinyl to high resolution before Napster or Bittorrent existed.

In fact, I've been struggling with making X-Fi cards work on W10 since 2015, having gone through numerous hardware iterations and driver versions. All I can say is that some architectures are more stable than others: the same Windows version and card drivers on two different machines with different CPU generations will result in one blue-screening while other will chug along happily. So my observations are not coming from anger, but from a deeper understanding that there's no guarantee that the hardware will perform as it should.

TLDR: If you found a driver and a set of settings that work for you, bravo. But it's very unlikely that your experience is reproducible by others, unless they have the *exact* same hardware and software versions.
 

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
So, basically, even if the card can be made to work with the 5-5-2010 driver (if I can even find it), there's no guarantee that the next Windows update won't screw it up.

Which basically leaves me with two realistic options:

1) Install Windows 10 version 1709, then add the X-Fi card and load up 5-5-2010, then stop all Windows updates forever.

or

2) Say "Screw it!" and just build a Windows 7 machine with this card, to be used only when/if I need to record/digitize external audio sources (vinyl or casette).


Anita,

The driver I spoke of, as dated 5-5-2010, is more than likely not for the sound card you have. I would say emphatically, the specific driver I quoted, has nothing to do with your' hardware, that is if your' hardware is not a SB0770 Sound Blaster.

I know there are reasons why someone would want to archive a vinyl disc, or a cassette, glory be an 8 track.

That type of source material doesn't need a high resolution sound card to capture the essence of the recording.

Please understand, the loss of a high resolution sound channel, for the reproduction of HD audio sound tracks from sources like Sony Super CD's, is what most owners of 3D sound cards are upset that they can no longer use the windows audio mapper channel, to try to access the HD 32 bit sound after MS windows downgraded the windows driver to 24 bit, as a result of advertisers using the installed 32 bit driver to cause attention getting sound effects, which was rightfully complained about.

The downgrade is a software issue, intended to block 3D sounds from the internet advertiser, from causing spooky sounds to come out of your' PC, using a mapper driver, installed as a 32 bit OS access to the sound card.

I explained how to channel the 32 bit from an audio 32 bit source, like ALAC played by VLC, to the spdif channel, and directly to the audio line out to complete the 32 bit path from the 32 bit audio file stream source, to the line output feeding the speakers.

I really don't think vinyl, cassettes, or 8 tracks necessarily fit the category of HD.

I am sorry for your' PC problems, but if that sound card is a Creative Sound Blaster, than you should be able to enable the card with a driver from the website.

I don't think the 5-5-2010 will help you, unless the card is a PCIx16 SB0770 sound card.

If you think this is a workable file, then the google search page is as follows, for that driver download.


Anyone else that is interested in this driver, note, it only works in 1709 feature upgrade & before, with a slight hang up. However the win 10 driver on Creative website will enable the 32 bit optical channel, so it can be pathed to the speaker line output in full quality HD, once you reach the feature upgrade of 20h2.

Thank you Anita & all the rest who have read this text.

Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.

Sometimes individuals like you need help, but sorry to say, you don't need my help...
 
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Reactions: AnitaPeterson

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
I am reading this... in fact, if you look at my forum join date, it's probably before your date of birth. These are familiar haunts.

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you're coming into this discussion as if you've just discovered something new and never seen before - although this particular problem of bad Creative drivers and support beyond Windows 7 has, in fact, been debated to death for something like a decade already.

Moreover, all your musings on the subject are just long rambles, ironically lacking more substantial (and vastly more useful!) details... such as an actual URL for the particular drivers you recommend.

The same applies to your reply to me: "calm down and look for the drivers on the Creative website", later followed by "calm the nerves". Aside from the rather insulting inference that I am being hysterical (I'm not Australian either, I just have an extensive vocabulary and have traveled a lot around the world), what exactly gives you the idea I haven't already tried multiple drivers, having already gone down that road before you?

For your information, I've been using Creative cards since 1998, before the Soundblaster Platinum came out. I was playing with Toslink (please note the proper spelling!) and RCA digital cables for DAT recording to make bit-matched recordings before the turn of the millenium, and ripping vinyl to high resolution before Napster or Bittorrent existed.

In fact, I've been struggling with making X-Fi cards work on W10 since 2015, having gone through numerous hardware iterations and driver versions. All I can say is that some architectures are more stable than others: the same Windows version and card drivers on two different machines with different CPU generations will result in one blue-screening while other will chug along happily. So my observations are not coming from anger, but from a deeper understanding that there's no guarantee that the hardware will perform as it should.

TLDR: If you found a driver and a set of settings that work for you, bravo. But it's very unlikely that your experience is reproducible by others, unless they have the *exact* same hardware and software versions.

Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.

Sometimes individuals like you need help, but sorry to say, you don't need my help...



Thank you... for your overview into something you have no idea what you are talking about...
 
Last edited:

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
Thank you... for your overview into something you have no idea what you are talking about...


Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.
 

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.


Sometimes individuals like you need help, but sorry to say, you don't need my help...
 

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
Thank you... for your overview into something you have no idea what you are talking about...



Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.

Sometimes individuals like you need help, but sorry to say, you don't need my help...
 

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
Anita,

The driver I spoke of, as dated 5-5-2010, is more than likely not for the sound card you have. I would say emphatically, the specific driver I quoted, has nothing to do with your' hardware, that is if your' hardware is not a SB0770 Sound Blaster.

I know there are reasons why someone would want to archive a vinyl disc, or a cassette, glory be an 8 track.

That type of source material doesn't need a high resolution sound card to capture the essence of the recording.

Please understand, the loss of a high resolution sound channel, for the reproduction of HD audio sound tracks from sources like Sony Super CD's, is what most owners of 3D sound cards are upset that they can no longer use the windows audio mapper channel, to try to access the HD 32 bit sound after MS windows downgraded the windows driver to 24 bit, as a result of advertisers using the installed 32 bit driver to cause attention getting sound effects, which was rightfully complained about.

The downgrade is a software issue, intended to block 3D sounds from the internet advertiser, from causing spooky sounds to come out of your' PC, using a mapper driver, installed as a 32 bit OS access to the sound card.

I explained how to channel the 32 bit from an audio 32 bit source, like ALAC played by VLC, to the spdif channel, and directly to the audio line out to complete the 32 bit path from the 32 bit audio file stream source, to the line output feeding the speakers.

I really don't think vinyl, cassettes, or 8 tracks necessarily fit the category of HD.

I am sorry for your' PC problems, but if that sound card is a Creative Sound Blaster, than you should be able to enable the card with a driver from the website.

I don't think the 5-5-2010 will help you, unless the card is a PCIx16 SB0770 sound card.

If you think this is a workable file, then the google search page is as follows, for that driver download.


Anyone else that is interested in this driver, note, it only works in 1709 feature upgrade & before, with a slight hang up. However the win 10 driver on Creative website will enable the 32 bit optical channel, so it can be pathed to the speaker line output in full quality HD, once you reach the feature upgrade of 20h2.

Thank you Anita & all the rest who have read this text.

Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.

Sometimes individuals like you need help, but sorry to say, you don't need my help...
 

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
Anita,

The driver I spoke of, as dated 5-5-2010, is more than likely not for the sound card you have. I would say emphatically, the specific driver I quoted, has nothing to do with your' hardware, that is if your' hardware is not a SB0770 Sound Blaster.

I know there are reasons why someone would want to archive a vinyl disc, or a cassette, glory be an 8 track.

That type of source material doesn't need a high resolution sound card to capture the essence of the recording.

Please understand, the loss of a high resolution sound channel, for the reproduction of HD audio sound tracks from sources like Sony Super CD's, is what most owners of 3D sound cards are upset that they can no longer use the windows audio mapper channel, to try to access the HD 32 bit sound after MS windows downgraded the windows driver to 24 bit, as a result of advertisers using the installed 32 bit driver to cause attention getting sound effects, which was rightfully complained about.

The downgrade is a software issue, intended to block 3D sounds from the internet advertiser, from causing spooky sounds to come out of your' PC, using a mapper driver, installed as a 32 bit OS access to the sound card.

I explained how to channel the 32 bit from an audio 32 bit source, like ALAC played by VLC, to the spdif channel, and directly to the audio line out to complete the 32 bit path from the 32 bit audio file stream source, to the line output feeding the speakers.

I really don't think vinyl, cassettes, or 8 tracks necessarily fit the category of HD.

I am sorry for your' PC problems, but if that sound card is a Creative Sound Blaster, than you should be able to enable the card with a driver from the website.

I don't think the 5-5-2010 will help you, unless the card is a PCIx16 SB0770 sound card.

If you think this is a workable file, then the google search page is as follows, for that driver download.


Anyone else that is interested in this driver, note, it only works in 1709 feature upgrade & before, with a slight hang up. However the win 10 driver on Creative website will enable the 32 bit optical channel, so it can be pathed to the speaker line output in full quality HD, once you reach the feature upgrade of 20h2.

Thank you Anita & all the rest who have read this text.
Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.

Sometimes individuals like you need help, but sorry to say, you don't need my help...
 

HD Sound Lover

Junior Member
Jul 30, 2022
13
2
11
I am reading this... in fact, if you look at my forum join date, it's probably before your date of birth. These are familiar haunts.

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you're coming into this discussion as if you've just discovered something new and never seen before - although this particular problem of bad Creative drivers and support beyond Windows 7 has, in fact, been debated to death for something like a decade already.

Moreover, all your musings on the subject are just long rambles, ironically lacking more substantial (and vastly more useful!) details... such as an actual URL for the particular drivers you recommend.

The same applies to your reply to me: "calm down and look for the drivers on the Creative website", later followed by "calm the nerves". Aside from the rather insulting inference that I am being hysterical (I'm not Australian either, I just have an extensive vocabulary and have traveled a lot around the world), what exactly gives you the idea I haven't already tried multiple drivers, having already gone down that road before you?

For your information, I've been using Creative cards since 1998, before the Soundblaster Platinum came out. I was playing with Toslink (please note the proper spelling!) and RCA digital cables for DAT recording to make bit-matched recordings before the turn of the millenium, and ripping vinyl to high resolution before Napster or Bittorrent existed.

In fact, I've been struggling with making X-Fi cards work on W10 since 2015, having gone through numerous hardware iterations and driver versions. All I can say is that some architectures are more stable than others: the same Windows version and card drivers on two different machines with different CPU generations will result in one blue-screening while other will chug along happily. So my observations are not coming from anger, but from a deeper understanding that there's no guarantee that the hardware will perform as it should.

TLDR: If you found a driver and a set of settings that work for you, bravo. But it's very unlikely that your experience is reproducible by others, unless they have the *exact* same hardware and software versions.
Your' really cute when your' mad, a Charlie Danial's tune, Easy Rider '88.

Sorry to offend your' lack of brains, but I had an 8 bit blaster. Can you date that, Oh and I am 86 years old.

Sometimes individuals like you need help, but sorry to say, you don't need my help...
 
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