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Audio cmi8738 problems
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Posted by: $p1aT
Please, I need some help. I have recently bought a CMI8738/C3DX pci sound card which I am finding very difficult to install.
My current spec is:
Leadtek K7NCR18D Pro 2 Nforce2 Motherboard (onboard sound)
AMD Athlon 2800XP
Radeon 9800 pro
512 mb pc3200 DDR 400
This is how I have installed the new soundcard.
I have booted into BIOS and disabled the on-board sound
I have booted into safe mode, device manager, and removed all entries in the sound and game controller section. Then, I shut down, installed the card into a free slot, restarted the co puter and installed the drivers from the disc which came with the soundcard. The installation of the drivers then freezes, requiring a restart of the computer. At this tage, the comp reaches the 'loading windows XP' screen and gives up. I have to reboot into safe mode and remove the 'PCI Audio DEVICE' driver before the comp will boot up correctly.
I have tried downloading the latest drivers from the manufacturer's site, but the same thing happens - the drivers hang during installation..
I have replaced the soundcard, thinking it may have been faulty, but the same thing happens - the driver hangs during installation.
It might also be worth mentioning that the soundcard has a game port on it. On the one occasion when I managed to restart the comp correctly after the drivers had hung (without first removing them), the device manager showed that the CMI8738/c3dxpci device was working properly but that the game port was not. However, when I tried to test the soundcard, the comp hung again.
I have tried everything I can think of to sort this problem out. I have searched the web for forums and comments, but I can't find any details regarding this problem.
Might there be a conflict somewhere? Does my hardware not like the driver software?
Please - any ideas?
Posted by: goranpaa
Hi!
Have you tried to move the soundcard to a PCI slot as far away from the videocard as posssible?
Try a registry repair software.
Enable the onboard soundcard again in BIOS, together with the new one. It may be so, that the onboard soundcard automatically, gets shut down, when you insert a new sound card. On some of the newer mobos. This thing is taken care of automatically, when inserting a new videocard. So maybe it is the same with soundcards?
Flash a new BIOS.
Edit: It is a pity, that you cant install the drivers for that card. As you happend to have the bad luck choosing the very sound card, that got many crash issues with XP! And reading treads on the net. The best solution, for your card is to update the drivers. This have solved many issues with this card and conflicts with Win.XP.
Have you tried installing the driver via Control Panel + "Install new hardware"?
Or are this uppdates self extracting?
Maybe, if you cant find a soloution to the problem. The best soloution is to return the card to the retailer and get a Creative Sound Blaster instead? They are really cheap at Walmart for instance.
And Creative, is the biggest and best manufacturer of PC soundcards. I have never had any issues with the 3 different ones I have got , since my first computer. Among them, their cheapest "Soundblaster SB Live".
Now I use a Creative, 2 NX USB 2.0 external. 24 bit. 7.1 surround soundcard, and I love it!
Posted by: $p1aT
Yes, I have tried different PCI slots - 3 to be exact. I've tried installing it thru 'install new hardware', and I've tried it with the on-board sound still on. LOL. Thanks for your help and suggestions. The one thing I haven't tried is a registry repair, but I think your last comments are the most pertinent. I bought a low price sound-card thinking I was being clever, but what I got was a card that obviously has all sorts of probs attached to it. Think I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a decent one.
Thanks again
Posted by: it_waaznt_me
Umm.. I read you downloaded updated drivers.. But still did you downloaded from the manufacturer's site or from Drivershome et al ..?
I too have the same sound card but its build onboard ... It works smoothly in WinXP .. Can you post your hardware profile ..? I think there is some conflict with other hardware ..
Posted by: $p1aT
My hardware profile is:-
Leadtek K7NCR18D Pro 2 Nforce2 Motherboard (onboard sound)
AMD Athlon 2800XP
Radeon 9800 pro
512 mb pc3200 DDR 400
Windows XP Home
Maxtor 6Y120L0 hard drive
Artec RW
ATAPI DVD ROM
HID Compliant Game controller (USB)
Razer Diamondback Mouse (USB)
NVidia NForce2 SPP/IGP ATA Controller
Speedtouch 330 ADSL Modem
And that's about it.
Yeah, I was thinking that there must be some sort of conflict - especially as the driver installs right up to the last file which is when it hangs. I tired the driver from the disc which came with the card, and I also tried the latest driver which I downloaded from the manufacturer's site - same thing happened. Conflict is probably right, but what could it be conflicting with? I've spent days looking at this and it's driving me barmy. if u have a solution, I'd love to hear it, otherwise this card is going back to the shop.
Incidentally, I bought the card becasue the mic-in doesn't work on the on-board sound. *rolls eyes* What ya gotta do to get some sound around here? 
Posted by: goranpaa
Hi again! I really cant say where this conflict is? But in the about 7 posts I read yesterday, about that soundcard. It whas conflicts with Win XP. that seems to be the mayor problem. And many of them, whas fixed, by updating the driver. And It seems to me, that the manufacturer of that soundcard, have happend to make a card, that Windows happens to "dislike" in particular.
So, I still think you should return that card and get a Creative soundcard instead.
Here is one suggestion: CREATIVE Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit. $29.00 at newegg.
But I'm pretty confident, that you can find it even cheaper down at the mart.
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