Sound Blaster drivers for OEM computers?
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-23-2003 01:14
The drivers on the creative.com site don't work for my Sound Blaster card, which came with the Dell computer I bought. Creative's tech support said I had to go to Dell to get updated drivers, but I can't find anything on the Dell site that fixes my problem with SL.
Has anyone with a Dell-installed Sound Blaster card figured out how to get it to work with SL?
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Phil Metalhead
Game Foundry Leaɗer
Join date: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 291
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04-23-2003 02:57
first off, what's the model number on the card? if it's a standard C.L. sound card model number, then it's a standard C.L. sound card, and thus C.L. drivers should work beautifully on it (provided you get the right drivers, which is a pain and a half on creative's site, imho).
if creative's site's search function thingy turns up squat on the model number, then it's a proprietary model made specifically for dell and possibly modified for and/or by dell, and thus you would need to contact dell to figure out how to get updated drivers.
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Deeblue Zeeman
T-800
Join date: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 186
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04-23-2003 08:08
You sure it's a real Sound Blaster and not some generic clone? Trust me, there are a LOT of clone cards out there that simply show up as "Sound Blaster" under Windows. The Creative drivers may not work because you may not have a genuine Sound Blaster card. Of course if you know it's genuine for sure, then ignore what I just said. 
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Wednesday Grimm
Ex Libris
Join date: 9 Jan 2003
Posts: 934
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04-23-2003 14:39
Sounds like it's Screwdriver Time! (Not that I would ever encourage you to void your warranty by opening your case and looking for a maker's name and model number printed on your sound card, somewhere on the edge of the card, or on a sticker on or near the DSP. Oh no, not me).
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Phil Metalhead
Game Foundry Leaɗer
Join date: 11 Mar 2003
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04-23-2003 23:31
when dell uses add-on cards (as opposed to onboard junk), they usually use name-brand. however, lately, they've been getting more and more proprietary, and i wouldn't be surprised if they had creative make a special model of soundcard just for them, that would only work in dell computers 
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-24-2003 11:13
The sound card in my Dell indeed appears to be an actual Sound Blaster card; it has the Sound Blaster Live logo and the words "Creative Technologies" on it, at any rate (as does the included CD-ROM).
The model number on the card (SB0200) isn't recognized by the Creative website. The download for standalrd Sound Blaster Live doesn't work; the installation program doesn't even recognize that there's a Sound Blaster card installed. That was when I contacted tech support, and they told me I had to talk to Dell. I couldn't find anything at Dell's website that helped.
Has anyone with a Dell been able to hear sounds (other than wind) in SL?
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Phil Metalhead
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Join date: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 291
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04-24-2003 12:58
the model number should begin with "CT"... and is always (to my knowledge) in the form "CTxxxx" (xxxx = 4 digit number)
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Misnomer Jones
3 is the magic number
Join date: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 1,800
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04-24-2003 13:20
I have a Dell with a SB Live! sound card and hear just fine. I did have the problem where you just hear wind at one point and I updated my drivers. I cannot recall but I'm fairly certian I got them from the creative labs site.
Did you try calling Dell tech support?
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-25-2003 01:36
Okay, I just spent an hour on the phone with Dell tech support. They say to get the drivers from Creative.
If anyone can provide any more specific information on which drivers they downloaded from the Creative site to get their Dell to work with SL, PLEASE let me know. I downloaded the LiveDrvUni-Pack(ENG).exe, which didn't even recognize that I had a Sound Blaster card installed.
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Misnomer Jones
3 is the magic number
Join date: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 1,800
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04-25-2003 08:16
Jake, when you ID your sound card from your control panel, what does it say it is? Exactly?
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-25-2003 10:45
From the Control Panel, I get the following:
Creative SB Live! Series (WDM) Manufacturer: Creatives Technologies, Ltd. Location: PCI Slot 3 (PCI bus 2, device 9, function 0) Device Status: This device is working properly
On the Drivers tab of the Properties page, it says
Driver version 5.12.1.124 Driver date: 8/30/2002
Thanks for any help you can offer.
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Misnomer Jones
3 is the magic number
Join date: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 1,800
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04-25-2003 10:55
Jake, go to the creative labs site plug in : Sound Blaster Sound Blaster Live! Sound Blaster Live! (again) Your OS Get the update. Good Luck!
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-25-2003 12:13
Alas, that's exactly where I previously downloaded LiveDrvUni- Pack(ENG).exe from, and it doesn't recognize my sound card. Thanks anyway.
Looks like I'll have to play SL in quiet mode.
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Misnomer Jones
3 is the magic number
Join date: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 1,800
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04-25-2003 12:22
hum, odd thats where I got mine and it looks like we have the same card.
Actually I went back there.. Are you running XP? Go farther down for drivers.. that pack looks like something else. There is a driver update there all by itself.
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Phil Metalhead
Game Foundry Leaɗer
Join date: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 291
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04-25-2003 14:38
if you aren't squeamish about opening your case, please get me that CT number (and your OS of course), and from there i should be able to get you a direct link to the drivers.
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-25-2003 16:36
Thanks, but I already opened up the case and looked for a model number. The card says "Model no. SB0200," which is not recognized by the Creative web site. There is no number of the form CTxxxx anywhere on the card. The largest chip on the board says EWU10K1X-DBQ on it (as best as I can make it out).
I'm running XP Home, by the way.
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Phil Metalhead
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Join date: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 291
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04-25-2003 20:49
sounds like some version of the SB Live! card. does it have rear speaker outputs? if it does, then try the SB Live! drivers... otherwise, try the SB PCI 512, SB PCI 128, and SB Awe32/64 drivers... one of those should do the trick for you.
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-26-2003 11:14
Thanks. Is there a way to get those drivers from the Creative website other than by downloading LiveDrvUni- Pack(ENG).exe (which isn't working for me)?
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Misnomer Jones
3 is the magic number
Join date: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 1,800
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04-26-2003 11:26
YES, I nted above to go to that same place and scroll down, they ARE there under "Drivers".
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-26-2003 12:13
I'm afraid I don't see what you're referring to. I see only two options under the "Driver" heading; one is the giant 23 MB download, the other is a 6 MB patch. Do you see a list of individual drivers somewhere? Can you provide the URL?
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Misnomer Jones
3 is the magic number
Join date: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 1,800
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04-26-2003 12:43
This is what it says and what I used: it says.... " Driver Sound Blaster Live! - Driver Patch Date: 2/28/2003 4:08:00 PM Size: 6.17 MBytes Its at... " SB Live! XP Drivers Looks live you've been there. It looks like from what you have said you tried the pack, did you try the patch? The patch is what worked for me. NOT the LiveDrvPack_Patch but rather the Driver patch. This is also the answer according to the knowledge base. If that doesnt work I'd uninstall & reinstall SL. If it still doesnt work, try the support feature in the knowledge base to get an answer from a rep.
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Phil Metalhead
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Join date: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 291
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04-26-2003 16:56
also go to www.driverguide.comgo to the member login area, and use the following login: user: drivers pass: all then search for that SB # you gave me (use the third "tab" at the top), and follow the instructions from there.
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-26-2003 21:26
The installation program for the Driver Patch also refused to recognize my card, and so didn't work for me either.
I went to driverguide.com and downloaded what they had for the SB0200, and for a while I thought it had worked, but then the sound went out again, and all I could hear was wind, just like before.
Thanks, Misnomer and Phil, for all your suggestions. I guess I'll just have to live with it.
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Phil Metalhead
Game Foundry Leaɗer
Join date: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 291
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04-26-2003 21:42
you may want to maintain communication with the lindens, this might be a SL issue... you don't have any problems with any other games?
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Jake Cellardoor
CHM builder
Join date: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 528
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04-27-2003 10:47
SL is the first game I've played, so I have no other data regarding the sound card's performance (other than CDs, DVDs, MPEGs, etc., which all play fine).
I know that Dave Zeeman has cited the sound problem as one of his top five bugs in SL, so perhaps the Lindens will work on it.
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