Windows 7 won't let me choose 5.1 speaker configuration

[TitusPullo]

I just installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on a new computer.

I am using an older Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium sound card, which has never had a single problem in Windows 7 on my old PC.

However now after I install the X-Fi drivers (from Creative's site), Windows shows 2-channel stereo as the only available speaker configuration.

When I go to the Creative properties window for speakers, there is the full list of speaker configs, but when I choose anything besides 2-channel or headphone (like 4.1 or 5.1), the system pauses a second then forces the drop-down menu selection back to 2-channel.

I plugged the colored speaker inputs into the X-Fi correctly, but for some reason only the green plug (front left/right) is recognized and outputting sound.

I have tried disabling the Realtek onboard audio in BIOS, also I tried uninstalling the X-Fi, nothing works. When I uninstalled the X-Fi, Windows automatically installed a generic "HD Audio Device" driver that gives the same result -- 2 channel stereo only.

I have not tried using the SPDIF output yet, as I do not have an optical cable handy.

But I shouldn't have to use SPDIF for Windows to at least SHOW the 5.1 option.

Specs:
- Intel Core i7 2600K
- Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
- 4GB G.SKILL DDR3 RAM
- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium PCI-e
- Logitech Z5500 THX 5.1 surround sound speakers
- Sapphire Radeon 5870 1GB
- OCZ Vertex 3 120GB system drive
- Western Digital Caviar 1.5TB data drive
- LG Blu-ray DVD/RW
- Samsung DVD/RW/Lightscribe

 

[Steltek]

Under Speaker Properties, click the advanced tab and try to set the playback sample rate a tad lower (16-bit, 48000HZ DVD Quality).

I presume that the sound source you are playing from is actually mixed for 5.1 sound (most music is mixed as 2 channel stereo). You might try to play a 5.1 DVD and see if this allows resetting the options as well while the DVD is playing.

 

[TitusPullo]

I presume that the sound source you are playing from is actually mixed for 5.1 sound (most music is mixed as 2 channel stereo). You might try to play a 5.1 DVD and see if this allows resetting the options as well while the DVD is playing.

I don't know what it's mixed for, but the refusal to show more than stereo channels as a selectable option is happening when no sound is played. It's like I have only plugged in a 2-speaker system.

 

[Steltek]

I don't know what it's mixed for, but the refusal to show more than stereo channels as a selectable option is happening when no sound is played. It's like I have only plugged in a 2-speaker system.

This type of BS is why I sold my own X-Fi a few years ago and swore never to buy another Creative product again --- pure and simple, Creative drivers are crap, always have been and always will be. I don't remember what the issue was, but once with a prior (and very expensive) ASUS motherboard I even had to move my old X-Fi to a physically different, but identical, PCIe slot on the motherboard to get it to work due to driver problems. I eventually decided that it just wasn't worth the headaches involved when onboard sound was finally evolving to the point to be considered "good enough".

To make sure it is not a Windows issue instead of a Creative driver problem, you might try pulling the X-Fi and using the onboard sound to see if 5.1 can even be made to work at all.

 

[TitusPullo]

Downloading the beta drivers from Creative has solved the problem. Thanks for the feedback.