Problem with Creative Sound Blaster Zx sound card and Windows 10

My Creative Sound Blaster no longer works with my desktop system (which was built last July, following a recent Windows 10 update. I contacted Sound Blaster support, and talked to them on the phone, trying to find a solution. They could not help me solve the problem. In the end, I removed the sound card (now on a shelf), and switch to motherboard sound, which is "ok", but not as good as the Sound Blaster.

 

Any help here? Thanks, Chief

The problem could simply be that the Win 10 update included a new incompatible driver.

 

First - ensure that any SB related drivers have been deleted, re-install the card and install the drivers that came with it. Reboot the PC, using the RESTART option and then test.

 

Then go to the SB website and download/install the latest version of the appropriate drivers. Reboot and test as before.

 

Once you have the card working you can then consider whether you want to stop Win 10 updating the driver. You can do this as follows:

 

1. Right click on the Computer desktop icon and select Properties from the resulting menu. A system overview window will open.

 

2. Left click on the Advanced system settings option located at top left hand of the window. A System Properties window will open.

 

3. Left click on the Hardware tab.

 

4. Left click on the Device Installation Settings button.

 

5. Select the NO option and then on the Save Changes button.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE - using this method will stop Windows from downloading MOST drivers for ALL installed 3rd party products - e.g. video card, printers etc and also motherboard related items such as USB controllers, storage controllers etc. It will NOT stop non-driver security related files that MS issue on behalf of such products providers.

 

If a future Win update does stop the SB (or indeed any other item, say the video card) the first thing you should try is to roll back the driver to the previous version as follows:

 

1. Right click on the Computer desktop icon and select Properties from the resulting menu. A system overview window will open.

 

2. Left click on the Device Manger option located at top left hand of the window. The Device Manager window will open.

 

3. Expand the relevant entry (e.g for the SB it would be the Sound, Video and Controllers entry).

 

4. Right click on the required item and select Properties.

 

5. Click on the Driver tab and then select the Rollback option.

What do you mean by: "no longer works with my desktop system"

?

As in the sound coming from my speakers from the sound card is completely distorted. Win 10 update broke it. Prior to the update it was perfect. After the update it is broken.

Follow the instructions verbatim given by Longbreak. This is in fact how you do it. Never ever let Winblows 10 update your drivers. Always use the manufacturer's driver.

Did all the above, even with support tech from Creative on the phone with me during each step. Sound card will no longer work with my system, period.

Test-install it in a different pc. It might just be broken.

 

Or bring it to a pc repair shop and have them test it.

Lots of online reports of this same problem, if you take time to research. One successful fix seems to be driver installation in Windows Safe Mode, and installing only the driver and control panel, no extras - see url link below.

 

"Winblows" ??? Come on, get real. Windows works with thousands of hardware devices with no problems. You can't say that about Linux ... or, in its day, DOS either, LOL!

 

https://www.tenforums.com/sound-audio/119552-soundblaster-driver-issues-no-sound-after-windows-10-feature-update.html