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View Full Version : Audigy 2 ZS help, random lockups when sound playing


eigna
11-04-2004, 11:27 PM
Bought an Audigy 2 ZS Gamer (probably doesn't matter as it just has a bundle) a few weeks ago and have had it lock up 4 times due to sound. 3 times on the Jedi Knight Jedi Academy game and once on just playing a windows media movie file, which has since then just run fine. When it locks up there's a continual buzzing type sound coming out of the speakers. I thought maybe it was the EAX extensions in Jedi Knight but I turned off EAX in the games settings and it still locked up. Twice it locked up just after starting and the third time was further into the game. At which point I just got frustrated and uninstalled the game. But then the other day it happened to me in Windows itself. Any clues, hints, advice? I used to have an SB Live, but took it out for the new card and also uninstalled all it's software/drivers. Then followed the directions on installing the Audigy2.

Here's what IRQ's are being shared from device manager. It's the only thing I can think of right now. But maybe I have a defective card that needs to be RMA'd. Hope I'm allowed to post that image it's only 64k. If not let me know and I'll just make it a link.

http://www.naples.net/~nfn05348/snap0054.jpg


Motherboard has 5 PCI slots. Starting from the bottom. The first 2 are taken up by the 2 modems, the next one is empty, the next is the Audigy2, next one empty, then the AGP slot. I don't think putting it on the AGP slot is a good idea b/c I think then it may share the IRQ with the AGP.

The Conexant is the bottom slot, it's a software modem that isn't used right now, the modem I currently use is the USR and that's a hardware modem.
The IEEE 1394 controller is on the Audigy 2 itself. Audigy 2 drivers are the latest that are from Creative's site.

Mister X
11-04-2004, 11:39 PM
Pull the USR modem and install the Sound card in that slot.....
Remove the Software modem and install the USR in that slot.
Are you using the com port for anything?
If not turn it off in the bios (if you can)... that should get you headed in the right direction

eigna
11-07-2004, 11:05 PM
About to make the moves, I can't turn off COM1 b/c it's used for my UPS diagnostics/shutdown control. Alternatively what about only moving the sound card to the bottom or is there some specific reason you outlined it that way? Thanks for the reply.

E4g1e
11-07-2004, 11:20 PM
The best reason for moving the sound card to the bottom or next-to-bottom PCI slot is to move the sound card away from sources of added noise. The way you have it right now, your sound card's electronics are too close to the CPU and video card fans and the motherboard voltage regulators and transformers for comfort - and all those components nearby can (and do) add a fair amount of extra noise to the sound card's output, which will then be amplified through the speakers! :eek:

Mister X
11-08-2004, 12:09 AM
E4g1e's reply is part of the reason... the other is that slot doesn't doesn't apear to be shared with anything else in the system. :)