Dragon-Lord

The big question is do they work on SMP systems? I doubt it. But, since I had to do an entirely new install of Win2K to get rid of the old CL driver residual crapola (so that I could use a working from day 1 Santa Cruz), there is no way in hell I am going to test these myself. hehe Anyone try them on an SMP system? :}

ok, sorry if I missed that. But I have both Via and Intel based systems and no combination of SBLive drivers have been 100% perfect for me under Win2K for either of them. So, I am glad you aren't having problems! Congrats, but I am still boycotting CL. :}

oh, a few more obvious questions... what rev drivers were you using before (7 series, 11 or 12?)? what type of motherboard/cpu are you using (it may need patches/updates)? and note there are v12.60 leaked betas available as well. :}

I am not playing any of these but I am running v12.41 on a GF3. My only predictable crash is with Unreal Tournament in DirectX mode. All my other DirectX games and OpenGL apps and games work fine. My first question would be what version of DirectX are you running? And do these games run DirectX or OpenGL? If you are running DirectX, I would try and get your hands on some of the betas of 8.1, since I am sure that the .1 fixes are geared toward tweaks in the latest DX pure video card, the GF3. If they run OpenGL, make sure you have installed SP2 for Windows 2000. I believe core OpenGL support was updated in SP2. Also, download NVMax while you still can. It really helps with the GF3 IMHO. And finally, are you sure it is a problem with your GF3, and not overclocking, bad SBLive drivers, etc? Hope this helps, :}

the problems exist on all platforms, intel or via. the problems are due to antiquated drivers and no updates. if you aren't having problems, then you are very lucky or... you are making the same mistake 99.9% of everyone who says "I am having no problems with SBLive and Win2K using default drivers" is making - i.e. the default setting for these MS drivers (i.e NOT full hardware acceleration) disables EAX and all of the advanced SBLive features. In other words, you basically are running only an Awe32+ level card under Win2K if you don't have the acceleration upped to maximum. All known problems only exist when the SBLive is fully enabled, with all driver sets, from MS or CL. Regardless, none of the SBLive driver sets works properly under SMP systems yet. None of the SBLive driver sets work properly for all users under all supported OSs. And it is now something like 18 months since the official release of Windows 2000 and something like 3 YEARS since the OS started beta testing. Because of this inexcusable lack of support, I have chosen to boycott all CL purchases for myself and the companies I support or own. I will never purchase a Creative Lab product again. :}

Not that I know of. His system is pretty stock...just out of the box. Also, it clearly wasn't happening before we set his system up to log on to a remote serve via VPN (which required a reboot before it would authenticate on the domain). The only weird software is Norton Internet Security, which I don't trust to save my life, but I cannot find any settings in it that would prohibit Windows Update from working. And the problem continues with or without disabling the NIS. grrr.. :}

I am having the same problem on a friend's computer. Microsoft has a number of posted fixes (registry edits etc), but they are all for old Win98/IE5.0 installs. This is the error message he gets. "Your organization has decided to provide software updates internally rather than through Windows Update. To download updates for your Windows computer, please see your network administrator." Oh, and this is happening in a single user machine always logged in as adminitrator, so you may not be able to update from any of your accounts. The only relevant change he made recently was to add a new user account which logs in (via VPN) to a remote domain account (his office). He was on SP1 and running IE5.5 I believe. We installed SP2 after that, so I don't think this is it. here are some links (which as I said I found useless because the registry entries mentioned do not even exist under W2K) I got by searching google.com using the error message above. Curiously, searching for that phrase on Microsoft's own knowledgebase comes up with zilch. Way to go google! http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q283/2/88.ASP http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q228/5/48.ASP http://www.windows-help.net/bbs/Forum6/HTML/002223.html good luck and please post a fix if you find it (as I will if I am successful). :}

using two cards works great for me. Each monitor can have its own separate settings/refresh rates, yet share a common desktop. Very nice indeed. While I prefer this over the single card approach, the biggest issue today with this is that *no one* has dual AGP slots on the motherboard, and it is getting *really* hard to find anyone selling PCI display adapters/video cards anymore. Frye's doesn't even stock anything but AGP anymore...sigh. :}

and where might this be? :}

My main machine is also a VP6 and it rules. Remember to dump the non-SMP friendly SBLive if you move dual (I put mine in my secondary system). I put a Santa Cruz sound card and 512mb RAM on the VP6 and I am one happy camper.

were you running an SBLive first? I had the same problem with the old SBLive driver issue (CL sucks at uninstalling their own apps too apparently), but a fresh OS install has fixed everything for me. :}

there is a problem with EAX, Win2K, and SBLive period - and this is due exclusively to the now 18+ month delayed drivers from Creative Labs. I am boycotting their products as well as revoking any purchases for any of the companies I consult for or have an ownership stake in. I am running a Santa Cruz from Turtle Beach and will never be looking back... The last CL product I bought, or ever will buy, was the SBLive. They have lost my business permanently. :}

I told ya they rule... :}

are you running an SBLive card on your system? :}

The new P4 is Northwood. :}

all you did was disable EAX, so if your game did not support 3D Sound then you are correct, it was a good fix. However, you no longer have EAX/3D Sound for any games you might be playing, which means you've joined the club with all of us who have been screwed by Creative Labs. I bought a Santa Cruz and won't be looking to Creative for any future purchases... :}

my fix was to go out and spend $70 on a Santa Cruz. I am never looking back and won't purchase Creative products ever again. 18 months (and counting) on solid drivers for Win2K is ridiculous... And I will be boycotting their products in my new company (which I have the final say on all purchases) and urge you to do the same and pass the word. They've lost my business, forever... :}

I found that Win2K has crappy 2D acceleration by default install (under DX7 and IE). I recently did a new install and saw the same thing. When I upgraded to DX8 (now 8.1) and IE5.5SP1, my snappy 2D display speed returned. Not sure which is responsible or why, but both have code that is used to handle windows redraw on the desktop, so I recommend you update both of these two apps if you haven't already. BTW I am running both GF2MX on one W2K machine (BX chips) and the GF3 on another (VIA dual) under the 11.01 drivers (like you) and I am getting excellent 2D performance on both, so it is possible! Hope that helps, :}

Actually, the 11 series added support for the NV20/Geforce3. I am still using 11.01 as the v12s removed the anisotrophic filtering options from the control panel. I really like the look of the filtered image maps, so until they put that back in, I am staying with the v11s. :}

Jim gets my vote for "This Mo-Fo knows of what he speaks!" Well done, sir! :}

Serious Sam is Doom in real 3D...that kind of feel, that kind of fun.

back on topic, I saw no improvements in any outstanding issue with the latest 3209 SBlive drivers under Win2K/SMP. All the same bugs and problems for the past 18 months remain. sigh, :}

it is only $19.95 and the best money I have spent on a game since Diablo2...buy it. :}

that is a known problem with Via under Win2K as well. You must only use Restart (power off after post) and not shutdown to avoid the problem. It is supposed to be fixed about the time Win2K SP2 is out, or so I believe. :}

hmmm...I just did a new OS (2k server) install on the dual machine and lo and behold the problems that I was having with the Santa Cruz under DX8 are gone. I also upgraded from DX7 to DX8.1 (what the heck), with no problems. So, I can only assume that the legacy SBLive issue (i.e. creative can't write a decent uninstaller either it appears) was the cause of my DX8 sound oddness. Now, I am getting very sweet sound in all my applications and games. :}