Audigy 2 ZS and Windows XP SP3 \ VOGONS

Audigy 2 ZS and Windows XP SP3

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First post, by xmngr

Posted on 2021-03-22, 14:44

xmngr Offline

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Hello to everybody!!! I've been a short time lurker around here and just decided to register and ask for some help for this newbie haha

I just got two SoundBlaster cards, an Audigy 2 ZS Platinum (SB0350) and an X-FI Xtreme music, with the respective front panel (which I find quite amazing). I went and installed it on my "retro" computer, which detected the sound card. And here is where the problem comes:
When I try to install the drivers on WinXP SP3, the computer just freezes, gets stuck when copying the drivers to System32 and the computer has to be restarted using the PSU power switch. Goes completely unresponsive without further things to do.
I tried the drivers from the Creative website, ISOs from Internet Archive and V0gons, Daniel_K's drivers and the issue happens with all of them; tried installing the drivers on Safe Mode, got a BSOD. Thought it has to be something related to WinXP, but nope; did a fresh install of Win 7 32-bit and the computer still freezes. Tried switching PCI slots, rinse and repeat. Nothing... So I'm here with the card on the computer and still looking for something for an answer. I suspect that it has to do something with the HDMI audio or the onboard HD codec (Realtek) but I'm not so sure though. Either that, or there is an IRQ problem or the card has a conflict with the onboard 1394, or it is possessed or something else. I'll throw system specs down here, hoping to get help from you people 😁

Motherboard: Asus P5Q, 775
Processor: Core 2 Quad Q9400
RAM: Corsair XMS2 DDR2 2*2GB
GPU: XFX Radeon 7750 Ghost (but I'll switch to a MSI HD3870)
PSU: Austin 285w (I know, it's a fishy unit)
Soundcard: Audigy 2 ZS Platinum (SB0350)

Cheers from Chile people, wishing you to be safe and secure n.n

Reply 1 of 8, by auron

Posted on 2021-03-22, 15:21

auron Offline

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if you think it could be the onboard stuff, i guess you'd have already tried disabling that in bios?

not sure about the x-fi xtreme music, but for the audigy 2 zs and any similiar card with those little capacitors around the regulators, those caps are notorious for failing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUcQkAmIv2g

Reply 2 of 8, by xmngr

Posted on 2021-03-22, 15:28

xmngr Offline

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auron wrote on 2021-03-22, 15:21:

if you think it could be the onboard stuff, i guess you'd have already tried disabling that in bios?

Yup. Was the first thing I did, haven't tried doing a CLR CMOS yet.

Reply 3 of 8, by dr_st

Posted on 2021-03-22, 22:13

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Hard failures in two different operating systems? Your card may just be bad.

Just to rule out resources conflicts - try disabling as many onboard devices as the BIOS will let you - integrated audio, 1394, LAN - whatever there is.

https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/ - Random content on hardware, software, games and toys

Reply 4 of 8, by xmngr

Posted on 2021-03-22, 22:53

xmngr Offline

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dr_st wrote on 2021-03-22, 22:13:

Hard failures in two different operating systems? Your card may just be bad.

Just to rule out resources conflicts - try disabling as many onboard devices as the BIOS will let you - integrated audio, 1394, LAN - whatever there is.

Will try the BIOS thing.

Reply 5 of 8, by xmngr

Posted on 2021-03-23, 11:41

xmngr Offline

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Nothing. Still freezes, will try the card in other computer.
Also cleaned up the card.

Reply 6 of 8, by xmngr

Posted on 2021-03-24, 22:11

xmngr Offline

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It's dead. Well, I'll buy another one later in the year.

Thank you very much

Reply 7 of 8, by auron

Posted on 2021-03-25, 01:52

auron Offline

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since the capacitor issues are an inherent design flaw on these cards it's a good idea to look into fixing it instead of ignoring the matter. i have done the replacement on my card years ago and the caps were way out of spec, so this isn't going to get any better in the future.

i'd suggest heating that area a bit with a fan to see if the behavior changes.

Reply 8 of 8, by xmngr

Posted on 2021-03-25, 18:05

xmngr Offline

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auron wrote on 2021-03-25, 01:52:

since the capacitor issues are an inherent design flaw on these cards it's a good idea to look into fixing it instead of ignoring the matter. i have done the replacement on my card years ago and the caps were way out of spec, so this isn't going to get any better in the future.

i'd suggest heating that area a bit with a fan to see if the behavior changes.

Will try, thanks n.n

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