I'm having a problem uninstalling my sound driver, so...... HELP!!!

[Ronn_Bman]

I'm running XP Home on a P4 2 GIG with 512MG of Ram.

I have a Creative Soundblaster Live! Value, and I was trying to install a newer driver, but after I un-install the old one, I'm instructed to reboot. After the machine boots, it detects "new" hardware. The problem is, it re-installs an old driver without asking, then it pops up a box saying "software for my new hardware has been installed". The one it installs is older than the one I've removed!

Why doesn't it stop to ask me about searching for the best driver,etc.?

Also, Windows update found a new driver for this card earlier this winter. I installed it, and it worked fine, but now when I go to Windows Update it doesn't offer the "new" driver despite the fact that the one that I can't stop from auto-installing is from September of '01.

[andrewas]

Try installing the new driver without removing the old. XP is a pain when comes to things like this, as I found out when experimenting with 3rd party drivers. Keeps re-installing what you had last, rather than the one you want to try.

AS far as windows update not working anymore, maybe M$ dosent know about the new driver. This could happen if its very new, or if its an uncertified or beta driver. Update wont install things that might not work.

[Jeffi0]

If it is uncertified or new then it comes up with a message informing you that the software may not work and gives you the option of continuing or cancelling, and he didn't say that happened. I have an early version of XP Pro, so maybe it's different, but I doubt it.

[Animal]

I'm using a Live! card as well (5.1 mind you) and ran into the same problem. I finally said -expletive deleted- it and just installed the newer driver on top of the old one. Worked like a charm, with no problems.

[Ronn_Bman]

The driver that auto installs itself is from September of '01. It's older than the driver I un-installed.

The driver I mentioned getting from Windows Update was from the past three months(Oct'02 if I remember correctly), so it's much newer than the one that auto installs. It's certified because Windows actually offered it for XP. What I can't understand is why Windows Update doesn't detect that the driver I have now is older than the one it has previously offered me, and why it doesn't offer it again.

I wonder if it's recorded somewhere that I already have the driver Update offered and that's why it doesn't offer it anymore?

I can find the listing for the Windows Update driver in the "what's been previously installed list", but when I go to specifically search for a driver from their Update library, it doesn't list Creative as one of the manufacturers? This despite the fact I can find a Creative Media Driver listed in the previously installed list.

I've tried to install the new driver atop the older version and the sound either stops working, or the driver listed doesn't change version depending on the computers mood.

Right now, I'd be happy to have the driver from Windows Update back, but as I've said......

EDIT - Animal, was your card OEM or did you order it? The tech people at the site said the drivers on their site may not work with mine and to contact Dell. That seems stupid, should a SB be a SB? I know different manufacturers offer different perks, but shouldn't the company basics work for all?

[ 01-13-2003, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

[WillowIX]

Fiddling with your registry again Ronn? Seriously though I might have a solution. When uninstalling my old graphics card, it crashed and burned, I had to remove the driver manually. When you remove it from your device manageer the driver is still there in you windows\system32\drivers folder. Check your device manager and choose properties on your saound card. Click the drivers tab and then more info. You´ll get a list of all the files this driver´s using. If you remove those, the unwanted driver ought to be removed from the windows database. You have to disable the sound card first though. This is what I did with my graphics driver (removed it completely). Some feedback on this might be needed before you try though.

[ 01-14-2003, 06:47 AM: Message edited by: WillowIX ]

[Ronn_Bman]

Thanks Willow, I'll have to try it. I've seen that list of files and considered doing just that, but I didn't want to try it without being sure. On a serious note about the registry, I'm wondering if there isn't information saved there saying I have the driver from Windows Update (because I got it once) and that's why it doesn't offer it again.

So I disable the card, uninstall the drivers, and then manually remove the files before rebooting? I still can't understand why XP likes that driver so much. It isn't the one that came on the machine or anything. Maybe it's the only one I've ever installed correctly...lol.

I actually got the new driver to work. I uninstalled the old driver, and installed the new one before rebooting. I figured it would melt my soundcard, but it didn't. The only problem I can see is that it doesn't list the driver version. It lists the date of the driver and that it's MS certified, but no X.XXX.X.X version. I think I'll try some more..... [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]