Hi,

We had a client yesterday with exactly the same problem as you describe on Vista 64 - we simply uninstalled the download - cleared all traces and re-installed with all applications - virus - spyware etc turned off and it worked as normal

A warning is given to ensure no other application is running as this is a big driver package

The reason Creative calls the X-Fi is called XtremeGamer is because of a rationalisation of the range of cards they had prior to Vista when they had some cards doing almost the same job - they incorporated the best of audio creation and gaming and because gaming was 83% of sales they called it X-F- Xtreme Gamer with the description to state that it replaced the audio creation and gamer features in one card

I have never had a problem with Creative over 8 years of use and we rate it as the best value for money card giving the widest range of features - to date we have installed some 600 cards without problems

jazzman

FYI, I just bought a new laptop, an HP Pavilion DV7-1285dx 'Entertainment Center', with Vista-64 bit on it. I'm also beta-testing the new Windows-7 Release Candidate/64-bit O.S.

I installed 64-bit/Windows-7 last night, and I downloaded and installed the new beta driver for the X-Fi, USB_W7DRVBETA_US_1_01_0092.exe, and it's working extremely well. I got BIAB/2009 working on it pretty well... I did notice one weirdness: I had to install the Coyote/ForteDXi package, and as it was installing, I saw all of the various instruments flash by as they were being installed. When I actually started up BiaB and went in to configure the MIDI options, and selected the ForteDXi, the only thing showing up for the channels in the config window for the Forte was the line marked "Drum Kit"... All of the other instruments on the channels were not showing up.

So far, all of the songs that I have "frozen" work just fine, and all of the styles where I've tried the built-in Demo work just fine. I don't notice anything weird... But it strikes me as odd that none of the channel information shows up on the Forte/DXi...

Just thought I would pass it along...

(I don't play any games, so I don't know if the new Win-7 driver works with those or not, but I haven't noticed anything else unusual...)

8 years here on an old M-Audio delta 24/96 card no issues , just update the driver every now and again, and the mon mix feature is great. Having a card that was designed for recording from the getgo is worth the few extra bucks. Sound fonts are nice but with the good font players and better GM sets today not necessary. Just sayin'

When you've got a laptop that only takes PCMCIA/Express-54 form-factor cards, and you want something better than the built-in mediocre sound-card, you make do... Just sayin'.

How nice for you that you found something that's worked for 8 years...

That can be a problem, but there are loads of options for laptops that avoid the creative issues, and have better mixer software setup, and better convertors.

But if the creative cards are working them great, but i see on just about every forum related to this subject people are having fits getting decent drivers and such, so why endure it when there are options. there is no reason to make do, when there are a plethora of options, i love that word Plethora!

M-Audio surely has had some driver issues, but they seem to always work them out.

I tell you what... You come up with a M-Audio card that fits into an Express-54 form-factor for a new HP laptop, and find drivers for it that will work with Windows-7, and you got a deal...

This is kind of my point, If i have to shut down the antiviurs and then download a driver bare on the net, no thanks! I have already had a virus wipe me out once.

If creative would make a driver that worked great, but so far they continue year after year to cause grief.

As far as windows 7, I for the life of me can't understand why someone would want to be a guinnea pig for microsoft, If this is just a curiousity fine but this is my main hobby, and a true passion. I still do not track in Vista, XP is rock stinkin' solid, I will upgrade to window 7 when it is likewise. I understand Gary cause he loves to experiment, and has th resources to do so, but be clear he still has other options available to get things done, not relying on Win7 entirely. When they call it a release canidate that is because it might be ready to release and this is the best so far, but it is not done yet?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

If all one has is one laptop, why jump into the pond on every new idea, or driver set, or interface that comes rolling by, they all need maturity before true reliability is there. There is a reaosn that noone else has a PCI express card, what it is i do not know, but on almost every forum i go to there are tons of folks suffering with creative driver issues.

The reason i still track with an 8 year old M-Audio is that in those 8 years it has never crashed, not once. When a new driver is needed they work it out in time. there is something new coming out all the time, the forums are full of people trying to get their new3 toys to work with their systems. Grief by the tons, not for me.

I do not use beta drivers, i wait till they are release versions. Like Mac said, i go for what plays nice with my software.

Yeah, but that is not very helpful Robh and this is not a BETA driver. Creative really do have the best specs for a soundcards, particularly if you want comprehensive midi functions and control. I did not have any problems over the years I used a Soundblaster Live and the Audigy in my laptop runs fine. You were quite wrong about the 'XtremeGamer' name. I selected that particular one on advice from jazzman after I had foolishly installed the XtremeAudio, which sounds like it should be the right name for a music soundcard. It wasn't, as John pointed out!

I know from listening to my mates' systems that there is nothing quite like the wonderful sound of Band-in-a-Box playing through a correctly functioning Creative soundcard. Either using their synth or Forte.

You are however quite right about the diabolical record they have with drivers for the XFi range and how unapproachable are their support. I don't know in which country they are located for the Asian region but I can tell you it definitely ain't Australia.

But I am still having problems uninstalling the new driver. Jazzman?

Firstly i never said that, what i pointed out is the Win7 IS not ready YET, and i have no doubt that it will be a good system, and drivers will be made for it, some are now, but it is not there YET. I am not self centered, but pragmatic. I know what works, i do not just hang around here, i have been doing this for over 10 years now since before Cakewalk came out of midi only on floppy disk. I never said you did not know squat, i am sure you do! To be clear and done with it, I said the jumping forward to every new OS and every new driver that pops up is not the best path ...... wait for it, for most people. Because MOST people do not want to beta test and lead the sharp edge of the bright new world. Most people i have talked to in this environment over the last 10 years just want stability, and to make music. conventional wisdom has always been to wait till something matures before taking the plunge.

I am not afraid or worried about the future, i use Vista at work every day, and have from the first 6 months it was out. It works just fine. Never have an issue with it. But from my experience on this forum, the cakewalk forum, over at audiominds, the old N-track forum, talking with folks at Reaper, The good folks that use MTS, 8 years association with Acidplanet is that Creative Products have a Looooong history of issues with mulittrack recording, that said i have helped many people get them up and running. They can do a very good job, I have known of several that install them for just what Graham said, to use as low latency synths, heck i started on a sound blaster. Had loads of problems, bought a delta card, problems stoped from install to now. I have used sound fonts for years. They are nice, some are superior, there are some better synths out there today, but i still use them at times.

Who ever wants to pioneer the field and use the latest beta, release issue can do that if they want. I am not putting you or anyone down, just speaking freely the other side of the coin. The fact that Creative can be problems, it always has and unless they learn to respond always will. For it's sound font abilities it is great. But i believe and always will that there are better choices overall.

I can say that, believe that, and if you do not, great. I have respect for your opinion and experience. But getting combative with me, and incinuating i live in the past will not change mine, and frankly puzzles me, since we are all allowed to have an opinion, and express it if we want. That is last time i checked. I never made it personal with you, i just stated a point, in your own post you stated you used beta drivers and the as you put it worked pretty well except some weirdness. Bingo you make my point i bet there are not a handful of musicians here that want to fuss with weirdness. Then want to record. If you do great go for it, but don't put me down for prefering not to, and expressing that view!

Hi Graham,

I have been away on tour and just logged in

We found the best way is to go to - Device Manager > Sound Video and games > Creative SB X-Fi Proerties > Driver - and either Roll Back Driver to the previous one OR Uninstall to remove the lot with "Delete the driver software for this device" checked if you feel comfortable with re-install - this is what we do

After reboot make sure that ALL applications are closed including those which go active at start up - like virus - spyware - etc before re-install of the driver update

jazzman

1) Download the driver with antivirus scanner still turned on.

2) SCAN the dowloaded file immediately using your antivirus program's manual scanning (many allow that with a rightclick).

3) Shut down the Antivirus program.

4) Install downloaded software safely.


--Mac

I still reckon Creative should have hired Daniel K. instead of vilifying him...

Hi Graham,

I am pleased to hear that you have cured the problem with a correct install proceedure - once you have a faulty driver install the best way is to uninstall it and start again - over the top of a faulty install does not really work 100%

There is nothing wrong with the drivers but being a large package of features and drivers,due care is needed

We deal directly with Creative and receive prompt attention - they do monitor the forum - I am afraid that the Creative forum have some who are blind to their own shortcomings and just want to blame something and some dubious ones like the few we have on here from time to time - no wonder Creative only answer sensible questions

It seems strange that we have made over 600 installations of the X-Fi range over many different computers without problems and you cannot do that with bad drivers

jazzman

I am sorry to drag up this old post but I feel some extra information might be useful to members of this forum using the Creative soundcards SoundBlaster X-fi series - in my case the XtremeGamer. And of course I have a Vista 64bit operating system, although the problem is probably more widespread than my setup specification.

What is the problem? Extremely long shut down of computer and possibly other associated problems.

After some suggestions from Jazzman in this thread, I felt the problem had been solved. But it kept returning. If you look at the thread on the Creative forum you will see that the problem is widespread and that several other solutions were proposed, all of which I tried, but they did not offer a long-term solution.

Creative themselves were very quiet on the subject but have recently admitted that there is a problem with the new driver. They are now offering to selected members of their forum via PM a bug fix for the driver. I am a bit loath to use it after reading the note which said:

"The following beta driver has been found to resolve the issue on delayed OS shutdown.

Before downloading this beta driver, please take note of the following:

* THIS IS AN UNSUPPORTED BETA DRIVER. No technical support is available.

* We recommend that only experienced users install this driver. Do not install this driver on a system used to perform critical tasks.

* Customers looking for stable drivers should wait for the final release and install the latest production driver when available."

I have been offered the new driver for testing but since my computer is used for critical tasks - i don't know too many that are not - I think I might wait for the final release.

I suppose I am still a bit surprised that Creative released a driver without proper testing in the first place.

I pass on this information for what it is worth. I know it has nothing to do with the Band-in-a-Box program itself but I am aware that many BB users have Creative soundcards. Hopefully not many with the X-fi series.

Disclaimers are necessary in today's litigational climate.

Feh.

You makes yer choice and you lives with it either way.

Soon it will likely be a full release candidate.

...Which may or may not work right either, given their track record...



--Mac

Well, this makes sense in that they say it's a beta driver. So, before releasing it in final form to the public, they want select users (who don't work for creative) to test it out in a real-world situation (different machines and configurations, etc). That way, when they do release it, they will have hopefully worked out the bugs.

If it were my machine, I would set a restore point and then take an image of my C: drive (which doesn't take very long); then install the patch and see if it works. If so, great; if not, it's easy to revert back.

Hi Graham,

I remain astonished to read of something that we cannot reproduce - we have used the previous and the latest update and the beta offering with no problems on all drivers regarding slow OS shutdown

Over the last few weeks we have had a deluge of MS OS and security updates and these have definately slowed down the shutdown of the OS

I have just done a series of shutdowns with and without Creative items in the start up menu and there is barely 1-2 seconds difference in the time - the only one we now leave unchecked is CTXfiHlp App as this has not worked fully since one of the MS downloads - this definately makes a slowdown as the activating/de-activating is held up by this now faulty app.

It happened before that an MS update has caused problems with various programs especially with drivers - as it is the drivers that can be the source of these problems.

As John states make a Restore Point then download and install the Beta and see if it does the trick - if not revert back

Remember to turn off virus and spyware before action and no other program open
jazzman

I too, have experienced long shutdowns and in some cases, slow startups, too, on machines where the recent microsoft updates have taken place.


Maybe there will be future update releases to solve that, dunno.


--Mac

14 pages of complaints and the releasing of a beta driver suggest that there is definitely a problem.

http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=soundblaster&thread.id=142502

I still think it is 64bit Vista which is particularly prone to the problem.

I suppose it is possible that the MS OS updates (I got another 8 this morning!) keep making that Creative driver redundant but is definitely the driver because when I tried reverting to the old driver, the problem went away. Actually my operating system is still claiming the old driver is in place, whereas the Creative update process says the new one is in place.

I am going to try the beta driver. I'll probably do it after work tonight - just in case anything critical is affected.