winxp unable to install sb live! 5.1 after cdrive format
Hi everyone, I recently fixed the sound problem on my PC. I had formatted my c-drive and observed the following:
- windows detected my Soundblaster Live! 5.1 Digital (SB0220) as as Audio Multimedia Controller
- when I inserted the soundcard installation CD and run, it will error out saying it was 'unable to detect Soundblaster hardware' on my system
- the same error results if I downloaded and d-clicked on LiveDrvUni-Pack(ENG).exe from the Creative software support site. It will extract files and eventually errors out with the above message
- changing PCI slots did not help
- onboard sound was disabled via BIOS
- took the soundcard and tried to install it on another WinXP system. This system also detected it as an Audio Multimedia Controller. Used the install CD: No problems ==> soundcard hardware and CD OK !! Instead of erroring out, the installation program first asks you to select the region.(I am located in Asia)
When I rebooted my PC many times during this frustrating period, I noted that Windows detected only 512mb of DDR-RAM on my system, when I actually have 2 pieces of 512mb DDR-RAM sitting on my ECS L4S8A2 motherboard running on Intel P4 2.4ghz. I power-off the machine, disconnected the power cable(important!), and remove the RAM modules. Performed dry cleaning of the golden connectors at the edges on the RAM modules and soundcard. I also clean out the PCI slots and and reinserted the RAM modules and soundcard firmly.
When I rebooted the PC, it detects the 1gb RAM as expected(Good!). Then, when WinXP starts, it still detected the soundcard as an Audio Multimedia Controller. However, when I run the installation CD, the error message DID NOT APPEAR. Instead I got to the stage of selecting my region ! It is then I know that everything is just gonna be FINE ::
Finally, I got my drivers installed properly, including the Creative applications. Under Control Panel>Sounds and Audio Devices>Audio, the default device is listed as "SB Live! Audio". Under Device Manager>Hardware>Sound, video and game controllers, it is listed as "Creative SB Live! Series"
Though I can't confirm that a bad connection of one RAM module is causing the failure to install, it sure is a weird phenomenon that is not mentioned in any of the forums that I've visited...