About to install Vista 64bit. Advice very welcome!

[scorpio05678]

hey

i am going 64 bit in about hour (burning on DVD now) on my Dev desktop. It's brand new kit, i build yesterday.

i don't play games very much (used to), main reason fo going 64 bit is i want to use 4 gig ram i paid for and also to get the feel of it.

reading earlier responses i think i am going to problems with x-FI on board drivers, fingers crossed with everything else.

hints and tips welcome as usual.

Thanks

SC

[Blitzen]

Best thing i did was download ALL the drives i needed before the install. That way i could install them all as soon as the OS install was complete.

All latest chipset stuff/GPU/Wifi/Sound/Etc

[scorpio05678]

DVD burned (with nero) but won't install.

rebooting doesn't start windows setup.

and running setup from 32 gives error

"The version of this file is not compatable with the version of windows you are running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need x86(32 bit) or x64 (64-bit) version of the program and then contact software publisher."


what's wrong now, i am going to use DVD+RW now before it was DVD-R.

my Dev desktop should be able to support it


any suggestions????

SC


update:

i got it working. The boot order in the BIOS was set to HDD and then DVD so it never went to DVD.

[med2003]

Anyway, I have a C2D E6600, 2gig of DDR2, 8800GTX, SoundBlaster X-Fi Music Edition, and a few hard disks. From what I've read, there are drivers for all these things, and it should all work. So here are my questions anyway.

Hey there

I'm intrigued how you got on with the install? I have a similar build (E6600, 4GB of DDR2, X1900GT, Soundblast X-Fi Music Edition). I was doing one around the same time and had a hell of a job getting the Soundblaster working properly. It just kept coming out with crackling from the speakers. I think I finally licked it last night. I installed all drivers except the Soundblaster one's. Then let Windows do it's "update" then downloaded the two KB938979 and KB938194 patches and applied them and only then did I install the Soundblaster drivers, and the Alchemy software. Hey presto! The crackling seems to have stopped.

Just interested to know how you got on with the Soundblaster drivers?

[Agent]

I think I finally licked it last night. I installed all drivers except the Soundblaster one's. Then let Windows do it's "update" then downloaded the two KB938979 and KB938194 patches and applied them and only then did I install the Soundblaster drivers, and the Alchemy software. Hey presto! The crackling seems to have stopped.

Just to get proper sound working?
Jesus, that's riduculus!

[med2003]

Yeah, the Creative drivers don't seem to be quite up to scratch yet. Mind you there might be an easier workaround than what I did, but it was getting very frustrating. Before I managed to get them working last night I'd done about 3 full re-installs.

I'd be intrigued to hear how other people have fared with the Creative X-Fi x64 Vista drivers.

[scorpio05678]

X-FI is working for me, no issues so far.

[med2003]

X-FI is working for me, no issues so far.

Which one do you have? There seems to be 2 sets of drivers one for the X-Fi Xtreme Audio and the other for all the rest. The first is around 40MB while the other is 51MB.

I'm using the 51MB version as I have Xtreme Music card.

[simonfitba]

X-FI is working for me, no issues so far.

I have an x-fi music card and the right rear and left rear speakers are greyed out in the vista sound control panel. I still get sound out of those speakers but I'm not sure I'm getting the full 5.1 goodness. Anyone know how to fix this?

[Clunk]

I have an x-fi music card and the right rear and left rear speakers are greyed out in the vista sound control panel. I still get sound out of those speakers but I'm not sure I'm getting the full 5.1 goodness. Anyone know how to fix this?

Yep, get an Auzentech

[simonfitba]

Yep, get an Auzentech

I certainly won't be buying another creative card. Shocking driver support.

[med2003]

Agreed. Especially as you then need some further software and drivers (the Alchemy stuff) to make use of the EAX stuff.

[Agent]

Agreed. Especially as you then need some further software and drivers (the Alchemy stuff) to make use of the EAX stuff.

Which if you don't have an X-Fi, they want you to pay for

[Purple]

Does hardware accel sound work in Vista at all - without the Alchemy 'hack' (DirectSound)

Found the answer - unfortunatly the article is smug, as it is a competitor for DirectSound3D, but the issues with Vista sound are quite well explained. For me this is a disatater i like my legacy games like Half Life 2, and play them regularly, i am an 'audiophile' whatever that is - i like stuff to sound good, doesnt everyone.

http://www.openal.org/openal_vista.html

[Gr44]

If you have an OEM copy, not a retail one you won't be able to change your motherboard, only like for like. Re-activating is a bit more picky than XP, but not greatly so.

Is this true? I really hope not because I bought an OEM version thinking you could re-use it as long as you only had it on one machine? I change my motherboard quite a bit normally because I like trying out the newer chipsets.... I wouldn't class that as a 'new PC' but as an upgrade to my existing PC.

Can anyone clarify this for me please?!

Thanks!

[rox0r]

Afriad it's very true, if you change the motherboard it won't let you activate it.