Upgraded to XP and now my sound card won't work

Factual Questions
1

I switched to Windows XP from Windows 98 this week, and re-installed all sorts of things with the help of the computer guy. After he left, I learned that my sound card is not being recognized. I found the installation CD it came with and tried to run it, but it says I’m missing files and it’s encountering errors everywhere.

It’s “Sound Blaster AWE64”. When the CD didn’t work, I tried detecting new hardware, and I searched the internet for the drivers I might need to download, but I have no real idea what I’m doing. So before I call the computer guy back to fix it, I thought I’d run it past the resident computer experts here.

Are these things compatible, or am I wasting my time? How can I get my computer to make sounds and play CDs? As of now it’s totally silent except for the error beep.

2

If you’re confident to do so, switch everything off, open up the case, and write down all identifying names/codes on the soundcards itself. Then go to www.driverguide.com and search using them, and hopefully you’ll find something correct.

3

Creative Labs (the makers of Soundblaster products) does not have XP drivers for your card.

If you or your computer guy are good, you can try the workaround found here:

http://www.ntcompatible.com/cdetail10472.html

The Soundblaster PCI128 has XP drivers and you can pick one up off the web for under $20. May be less hassle in the long run.

4

What daffy said. the AWE64 is a pretty old card at this point. The Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 PCI Sound Card, Model “SB0226” -OEM would be another good choice and it’s only 29.00 + shipping.

5

Ahhh, how well I remember the feeling.
I installed XP on a 98SE box in September 2002, and found my modem wouldn’t work. :eek: :smack:

It co$t me many hour$ of long di$tance conferring with M$ tech $upport. Eventually they decided that my problem was worthy of a second tier support person, who called me for our sessions of “now try this.” Eventually they found a work-around.

6

Thanks very much for the help. I did call the guy back, and because he forgot to check the sound card compatibility when he first set up my system, he said he’d come back and fix everything free of charge. I’ll need a new sound card, because XP doesn’t have drivers for the one I have now, but he won’t charge me anything at all for his time or the installation. He told me it would be under 30$ for a brand new card.

tygerbryght - XP doesn’t like my modem either, as I just found out after going to check after reading your post. Since I have a cable connection now, it doesn’t matter so much… but he said he’d try to fix that too in case I ever need it.