WIN2K problem with SB live!

[invisigoth 0]

Ok I have my system with Windows 2000 Professional on it, and I have a SB Live! X-Gamer 5.1 which creative has said works with Windows 2000, as does the driver, now my problem is when I load windows 2000 and install the drivers for my SB Live! I restart and as the system is coming up and windows is saying "Preparing Network Connections" it just freezes, making me have to go back, and press F8 and load up "Last Known Good Configuration" and then run WIN2K without a sound card loaded... why is it doing this, make note that I believe it to be the Sound card due to the fact that as I loaded the drivers I loaded one at a time, and restarted between each installation... so I don't know if its either a big time problem such as a conflict between my NIC card (which is some wanna-ba card made by Realtek)or possibly just some weird *** freaky problem with my SB Live! anyone know please repond to this ASAP thank You much!

 

The reason I think maybe a conflict between them is why the hell would it freeze at "Preparing Network Connections" Otherwise?

[Brian Frank 0]

Try the search function, as Ive seen many SB Live! series owners have issues.

[Devildog 0]

I have the same sound card in 2 Athlon /KT133 based systems running the same NIC (Realtek 8139 based). I don't have that problem, however, in some games I have a weird crackling noise in the background (For instance, Nascar 4 - it sounds almost like my card is dragging a chain behind it every so often - never heard anything like that under 98SE or ME <GAG>).. So, as far as it being the NIC, I dont think that's the problem.

[shoemakerpom 0]

If you haven't done so already go ahead and get service pack 2 from microsoft it fixes all kinds of problems including the Sound Blaster Live issue. Trust me I have fixed many computers in the office with this problem with the W2k Service pack 2. I just wish microsoft would focus more on fixes than pumping out new OS's with problems.

 

Shoemakerpom

[Cardinal 0]

Sorry. That’s incorrect. Service Pack 2 Does NOT fix the sound problems with Windows 2000 and the SBlive. Only half decent drivers from creative could fix that. And since that will never happen the only solution is dump W2k or, the better option, buy another sound card and never touch another useless fuking product from creative again. Creative, pfft. What the hell did they ever create apart from crap products followed by even worse customer service?

 

If you go here you will notice in the polls that I am not the only person who feels this way about Creative. I personally will boycott any product those devilish bastards ever make any again. Can you believe those defensive cretins are still using the argument 'Win2k is not a gaming OS and should not be used as such' as an excuse for bad drivers.

 

Someone should shove a WinXP beta cd up their proverbial *** and let them know it will be based on the same code as W2k. I would love to see Microsoft dump support for any creative product.

[Tiny Wiz 0]

You did not mention what type of motherboard you use, or acctualy what chipset you have.

 

Always make sure you have the latest motherboard patches (VIA!). And there is also an issue in Win2k and SBlive when combined with certain motherboard/chipset manufactures.

 

Try diffrent PCI slots.

 

UPDATE your BIOS

 

Hope it helps

[Dragon-Lord 0]

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.

 

:}

[Cardinal 0]

Heh.

 

 

I am there.

 

Goodbye Creative you sons of *****es.

[Devildog 0]

Well, after thinking about it all week, and finding absolutely nothing but complaints for Win2k/Live combo, I reformatted my hard drive in preparation for a trip to CompUsa tomorrow to pick up a Santa Cruz - HASTA LA VISTA, CREATIVE

[Cardinal 0]

lol

 

well done

 

Now if only they sold turtle beach sound cards here.

[Tiny Wiz 0]

Well, I think this has started to be a flamewar against Creative.

 

Why not spend the energy into helping out the person whos Live card doesn't work in win2k...

 

I bet he doesn't care what type of soundcard you have.

[Devildog 0]

Well, after installing the Santa Cruz and the drivers, then all the games I had problems with - guess what - everything sounds PERFECT!!!!

Definately $79.95 well spent!!!!

 

I really don't think it is my job to help out other people with the SBLive, that's creative's job (they dont even rate the capital C anymore). They obviously don't give a crap about their customers, so, there is only 2 possible solutions - A) Live with it, or Get yourself a card that was made by people who give a damn.

 

DD

[ValkyerieK7 0]

Well everyone's had problems w/ the live card, i mean ..from crackling to games locking up every so now and then. And creative hasn't updated their drivers worth a dime

[thecheese 0]

I own an SBLive value card and never had any probs with sound (crackles etc) under win2k when using my BX chipset mainboard P3-450 combo. After upgrading to a Duron KT133 Based system I've experienced nothing but problems with my SBlive. Luckily I work at a computer wholesaler and am able to try these things out at work.

 

I installed a fresh copy of Win2k (SP2) on two machines at work, one using an Aopen AK73(a) KT133a Mainboard (VIA) running a AMD Duron 800, the other an Asus CUSL2-C (intel 815) running a Celeron 800.

 

Every other component in the systems were indentical, RAM, Video Card, HDD etc.

 

The intel 815 system exhibited no sound crackling issues whatsoever, the Via AMD solution was plagued with the usual probs (running the VIA 4.31 all in ones) Just to be sure I tried another brand of VIA mainboard (a gigabyte with the same description, cannot remember the model now, I had to reinstall win2k again) with the same results.

 

I now run a Celeron 800Mhz @ 1066Mhz (133FSB) on the ASUS CUSL2-C with no probs whatsoever. It may be marginally slower than the AMD combo I had, but it's reliable, stable with no driver issues under win2k. My brother still has a BX based board and I've tried my SBLive in his win2k system, no probs.

 

Here's the stranger part, I installed a Aopen AW744PRO sound card (yamaha Chipset OEM type Card) and it also crackled under win2k. I would've done more tests but by this time I'd had more than enough.

 

Maybe the problem is not all creative's fault.

 

Make of it what you will.....

[Tiny Wiz 0]

To me this forum is about helping others with their hardware and not an information forum about what to buy. The buying part has already taken place.

 

To me it is obvious that the problem is in the chipset, as the problem mostley occurs when using the VIA chipset, now explain that.

 

And go figure why the UDMA-100 and win2k using VIA chipset is like Russian rolette ;( !

 

Why was it until some months ago that the AGP on VIA using high-end graphicscard was a pain in the butt with lockups ;( ?

 

Well, I could be wrong, hey the problem might even be with all the UDMA-100 drives and of course the graphicscard manufactures like NVIDIA don't have a clue on how to build a graphicscard.

 

Why should you have to buy a diferent soundcard and/or graphicscard just beacuse you buy a new motherboard ? That is not fare to me!

[ValkyerieK7 0]

Sorry Tiny. Well, all I can say is download the separate fix from www.viahardware.com I feel that this one might solve the problem. Also i heard from someone in 2cpu forum to put it in other than pci slot 2

[thecheese 0]

Unfortantly I do not have a magic wand and cannot fix or explain the problems people are having. In my previous post I was simply adding the results I've found to the forum. People were bagging Creative when the problem is obviously chipset related also. I was merely posting my results so that others may benefit from it when choosing to upgrade etc.

 

If some on this forum has a problem and wan't it solved they wan't to know what is the best/cheapest option? Do they change their Mainboard, Sound card or O/S? What if they bought a new sound card and found the same problem existed with a totally different brand of card? My post may have prevented them from making that mistake. I can tell you I did not spend the good part of a day mucking around with win2k/mainboard/soundcard combos for the fun of it.

 

If Nvidia can build cards that work perfectly in Intel and even Mac based systems why was there such a problem with VIA based platforms VIA support is getting better but the problems only seem to be solved when VIA released updated drivers i.e the ever evolving 4in1's! I put two totally different sound cards into a KT133 system (Sblive, AW744PRO Aopen PCI) and got the exact same problem both times, and I then put them into a intel chipset board with no probs at all running on mainboard drivers right out of the box, no patches updates or anything.

 

So if you are in a position where you are about to buy or upgrade, you've got a couple of options.

 

1) If speed is the most important factor and you're willing to put up with somewhat problematic drivers go the AMD Socket A.

 

2) If you're willing to sacrifice a little speed in favour of a relatively problem free platform driver wise, got the genuine Intel chipset.

 

These are the results I've found and if it benefits just one or two people on the forum, then it was a worthwhile post in my mind.

[yakkob 0]

Quote:

and of course the graphicscard manufactures like NVIDIA don't have a clue on how to build a graphicscard.

lol...of course they don't <g>
;(
I had crackling with the sblive and then BP6 mobo.
I think you will find that most of the crackling is an SMP issue, and the fact that creative blatantly ignore their (hopefully diminishing.. ..heheh) customers. If you wanna get new drivers for your sblive, you'd better trash it and buy a newer l8r model.
I always used to buy creative, and always used recommended their products.
I have now boycotted them also, after endless posting on their news forums etc.
Harvey Fong eat my ****.

I have now purchased a Hercules Game Theatre XP, and am pleased with it. The drivers still have to mature slightly, but the sound is vastly superior.

As for my sblive, that went into the bin, after stamping on it.

[ValkyerieK7 0]

hmmmm..."hey mom..I know what I want for my birthday ! An XP Game theatre !! " Mom says. ."No Problem son!!"

 

wakes up from dream .. DAMNIT!

[D-money 0]

Had nothing but problems from day one with this card, at first it was annoying lockups, but the first driver update for win2K fixed that. Then the most annoying thing was the crackling in the audio playback that people have noticed.

 

I just wrote this off as an annoying "cost of doing business" with win2K and perhaps something wrong with my setup and to tell you the truth I didn't feel like spending the time to figure it out. It is amazing what you will learn to live with. All this changed when I read my first review of the Hercules Game TheatreXP. Turns out my situtation wasn't unigue at all. Two weeks later the X-Gamer was sitting in my peice parts bin and the Game Theatre was installed in the main machine. Keep in mind that I am still using an ABIT BE-6 II motherboard, can't see a compelling reason to switch other then a faster processor.

 

I think the problems with the VIA chipsets and the SBLIVE go beyond just pointing fingers at either Creative Labs or VIA. The Russian Roulette people play with the 4in1 drivers go to show that building a rock solid chipset is a heck of a lot harder then people think. Personally I'll never buy another VIA based motherboard in my life, spent a month of my life dealing with a bad K133A based board, before I turned it into a frisbee.

[Tiny Wiz 0]

Well... VIA the neverending story...

 

Cut'n'Past from http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/#991053575

 

"VIA KT133A turned out a real "bug mine". We have hardly forgotten the problems with VIA 686B South Bridge, when the new bugs were encountered in the VIA KT133 chipset North Bridge, according to Chip.de. Luckily, the bugs discovered do not appear in all the North Bridges and are not so destructive as those found in South Bridges some time ago. The problem about these North Bridges is the incorrect Warm Restart. Namely, it means that the screen remains black during warm restart from DOS or Windows mode.

Chip.de claims that this bug is typical only of those North Bridges with 1EA0 and 1EA4 marking, while the chips with 2EA1 marking are bug free (see the first four symbols of the last marking line).

MSI has already started exchanging the mainboards with the North Bridge bug. Besides, in some cases the bug is supposed to be easily eliminated by increasing the Vcore from 3.3V to 3.45V. We wish it worked for all the cases, but only 30% of the boards can be cured this way."

 

Go figure... yet another bug... I guess some of you will say "This only affect those who use SBLibe", well I say "Don't blame Creative if VIA doesn't know how to make a stable chipset. That's a fact!

 

I guess the only thing for VIA is to release another VIA4in1 that solves yet another bug. As it did with AGP, and as thay are still doing with UDMA-100.