Creative Audio Center

Which  option is it?

 

"Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy Advanced HD Audio" software

 

or

 

X-Fi Extreme Audio express slot card -- a hardware card that goes into a slot in the side of the computer.

 

 

 

If it's the "Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy Advanced HD Audio" software, there are 2 audio devices that the software needs to see. The laptop's own integrated Sigmatel audio and driver must be fully functional, and there should also be an Audigy driver installed (to support an imaginary SB card). I'm not sure which of these the message refers to.

 

If it's the hardwarecard, the card has to be in the slot and then its driver installed for the bundled software to work.

 

Jim 

 

Hi Jim,

 

I am referring to the 1st option  -- the integrated SB Audigy Advanced HD Audio.

 

I'm pretty sure I have the Sigmatel driver installed b/c it says "Sigmatel" when I open up device manager.  As far as the Audigy driver is concerned, I thought that was installed also. 

 

Do you have a link to these drivers, as well as a procedure to ensure it is installed properly?

 

Thanks

To save you some time I will try to address various scenarios and you can decide which fits your situation.

 

If you have XP here is the E1505 drivers page. Use the dropdown box to select a different OS. 

 

 

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a. Install Dell Notebook System Software (click the + sign next to System Utilities). Restart.

b. Next install the Intel Mobile Chipset driver (click the + sign next to Chipset). Restart.

 

c. Finally re-install the Sigmatel audio driver  (click the + sign next to Audio).

 

d. Only after making sure that the Sigmatel system is working correctly, install Creative Labs Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio driver. This might be the one the software was looking for.

e. Creative Labs Integrated Audigy Invitation (+ sign by Audio).

But if you have received a cd-rom from Dell with the Creative software on it, use that instead of the Invitation. If no CD then use the Invitation.

 

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If your Sigmatel audio is currently functioning (i.e., can play music files) then skip a, b, & c.

 

 

If Sigmatel isn't working but you have not recently re-formatted the hard drive or re-installed Windows, then skip a & b and just do c. If you have reformatted then do a, b & c.

 

When the Sigmatel system is functioning, see if you still get the error message when you run the Creative software. If you do then try step d. 

 

If you already have the Creative software on the computer, skip e., because that just links you to a page where you have to pay to download it. 

 

 

Jim 

 

PS, in your initial post you said something about 5.1 sound. The Creative software does not give you any surround functionality beyond the limited amount inherent in the Sigmatel system. That functionality is if you connect the computer via spdif (digital connection) to a surround decoder, you can get surround sound if the original source material had it encoded in the audio, for example a dvd with a surround sound track. For the spdif connections see your owner's manual, somewhere around page 62. You can't get true 5.1 from an mp3 file but you might have a surround music system that can emulate surround from a stereo source.

 

The computer has 2 limitations here ... it doesn't have a built-in surround decoder, and it doesn't have the physical connections for the 5.1 speakers. The Creative software doesn't negate these limitations. But if you want to use the spdif output you don't need the Creative software to do so.