This download is a beta driver providing Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows XP support for Creative Sound Blaster Audigy series audio devices. For more details, read the rest of this web release note.

Take note of the following:

• THIS IS AN UNSUPPORTED BETA DRIVER. There is no technical support for this driver.
• We recommend that only experienced users install this driver. Do not install this driver on a system used to perform critical tasks.
• Users who are looking for stable drivers should wait for the final release. When this happens, user should install the latest Sound Blaster Audigy series driver available. 

This download supports the following audio devices only:

• Creative Sound Blaster Audigy including Platinum and Platinum eX series
• Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 including Platinum, Platinum eX, and Value series
• Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS including Platinum and Platinum Pro series
• Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro and Sound Blaster Audigy 4
• Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook PCMCIA

Added Features:
To find out if your audio device supports the following features in Windows XP, click here.
For systems using Windows Vista

• Dolby Digital and DTS driver decode re-established for sound cards that included decoding in their Windows XP drivers.
• DVD-Audio playback re-established for sound cards that included the application in their Windows XP software suite (For Windows Vista 32-bit only).
  Requires the latest Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player Beta software. Click here to download.

Fixes:

• Resolves issues of intermittent and random application/system crash when playing games or running applications that use EAX, DirectSound, OpenAL and/or ASIO features.
• Resolves issue of system crash when running DTM - Device Path Exerciser test in Windows Vista 64-bit.
• Resolves issue of volume mapping leading to very soft volume level in systems using Windows Vista with Service Pack 1.
• Resolves issue with distortion and noise occuring in systems with 4 GB of RAM or greater.
• Resolves issue with OpenAL playback of multichannel formats.
• Resolves issue of system crash when performing immediate system shutdown after exiting Battlefield 2.
• Optimizations to OpenAL to improve performance in Unreal Tournament 3, DiRT, and other games.

Known Issues:

• Applications from the original Sound Blaster Audigy CD will not work with this download on Windows Vista. 
• Users are advised to use Audio Console included in this download to change speaker configurations.
• Gameport is not supported in Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.
• 6.1 speaker mode is not supported by Windows Vista.
• No analog audio output in Windows XP due to "Digital Output Only" setting enabled by default.
  To restore analog audio output: Launch Play Control Panel, click the Advanced button, then uncheck Digital Output Only.
• When using 5.1 Speaker configuration, no audio output from the Center/Rear channels.
  To restore audio output in Windows XP: Launch Play Control Panel, click the Speaker Volume button, then click the Restore Defaults button.
  To restore audio output in Windows Vista: Launch Windows Sound Control Panel, select the Playback tab, select Speakers, click the Configure button, complete the setup for 5.1 Surround, then restart your computer.

Requirements:

• Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 or Window XP MCE 2004
• Creative Sound Blaster Audigy audio devices listed above.

Notes:

• DO NOT install this driver for Sound Blaster Audigy LS, Sound Blaster Audigy SE, or Sound Blaster Audigy Value.
• To install this driver
  1. Download the file onto your local hard disk.
  2. Double-click the downloaded file.
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen.