Creative Sound card driver issue

burkey · 13 Mar 2012

Hello,

I have been trying to get my sound card (Creative X-FI SB0460) to work under windows 7 x64, i have followed both a standard method of installation and the "Have disk" installation both failed, the "have disk" method reports it found driver but encountered an error then, fails with a "code 10" error, "the device cannot start".

It has identified my device as "creative x-fi audio processor(WDM)" rather than just "multimedia audio device", but not installed and drivers.

I have followed others advice in these forums but still cannot get it working, if this is a "terminal" issue and cannot be resolved can you please suggest alternatives sound cards for under $60/£30 please.

Also, why do manufactorers continue to do this? drivers have been a particular issue with the increase in componenets being released, but why does microsoft not kick up a fuss about the issue of driver compatability..... just seems to make microsoft and (creative etc) look incompetant and a lack of willingness to suport legacy and bespoke devices. why isnt this dealt with under windows update?

It also continues to inflate the ego's of all the apple products which just seem to work with new hardware.

rant/

Regards

fireberd · 14 Mar 2012

First, your logic is flawed. It's not Microsoft's responsibility to work with whatever hardware, it's the hardware vendor's responsibility to work with the Operating System. Microsoft gives vendors years to bring their hardware and drivers up to be compatible with new technology systems. At one time Microsoft designed their Operating Systems to be backward compatible with old hardware/software. That is no longer the case.

"It has identified my device as "creative x-fi audio processor(WDM)" rather than just "multimedia audio device". That is the correct identification. The multimedia audio device is only part of the overal sound drivers.

In reference to Apple, they control both the hardware and Operating System thus it better work. However, with the number of problems posted about Mac's that I see on some other forums, I have to conclude the "apple works better" is a myth.

Back to your Xfi problem. Since it's being properly identified, it's back to the Creative drivers. Make sure you are using the correct OS drivers. Normally, Vista drivers will work with Windows 7 but I've seen Creative Xfi devices that must have Windows 7 specific drivers and if there are no Win 7 specific drivers it's time to find a new sound card.

stormy13 · 14 Mar 2012

You using the latest driver for it,

Creative Worldwide Support > X-Fi XtremeMusic

or whatever is on the disk that came with it? I can tell you that that card does work in Windows 7 (SB0460 is the X-Fi Xtreme Music) as I have the same card and it has worked flawlessly for me in Windows 7 since it came out.

You could alos give this modded set at try,

SB X-Fi series Support Pack 2.5 (10/25/2011)

which is what I am using on mine.

burkey · 15 Mar 2012

I tried the first set of drivers you suggested stormy and it told me that "these drivers are incompatible with the version of windows you are using" (win 7 x64), so i tried using the second set you advised, these have worked as far as it now produces sound. However things like web videos are glitchy and the sound skips and stutters, it also causes the comp to crash on boot up (freezes on the bios screen) and when i try to play a agme (GTA 4) it freezes as soon as any sound is produced which is louder than voice.

Could you suggest a cheap sound card that could replace my current one and is more "future compatible" with windows 7 etc, but also streamline as it needs to fit between 2 large graphics cards :/

Appreciate your help and advice

seekermeister · 15 Mar 2012

Unless you determine that sound card is actually physically defective, I would suggest that you persist in trying to get the driver installed, because I have had to replace both of my sound cards, and went to the Asus D2X and D1, both of which are supposed to be premium cards. However, since doing so, I have not been able to get proper 5.1 audio, and my guitar tuner doesn't work with it. I have hassled with it a lot without success, and now wish I had stuck with Creative, despite their shoddy drivers.

fireberd · 16 Mar 2012

I dumped SoundBlaster (Xfi Fatal1ty Champion) as it was interferring with my Sonar DAW recording software and my recording interface unit (a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 at the time). I installed an HT Omega "Striker 7.1" that I had from another PC (it is a PCI, not PCIe) and no more problems.