Audigy 2 ZS Driver Installation Guide I have always felt that installing the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS drivers were the most tedious and confusing part of reinstalling Windows. Creative supports their drivers very little, and they probably will not plan to simplify or integrate the driver installation process. Thus I would like to provide one method I use in order to simplify installing the latest drivers yet be able to obtain all of the functionality. I am going to divide this guide into two parts. The first is on finding the right updates and the second is on how to install them. Finding the right drivers in the first place (if you want the latest) is a byzantine and rather relatively difficult task. The first part is universal for all Audigy 2 ZS cards and applies for everyone. The second part is subject to question. By no means this is the "right way" to install the drivers. However, I have found that it is the most logical way to install them. If you have other (and better) methods of installing the drivers, please add this to this thread. One advantage of using this method, for example, is that you get the new-looking silver MediaSource Go! skin. MediaSource Go is just that toolbox/loader appears on the top of your screen. Also you get nonredundancy of driver install. I want to stress nonredundancy (for Creative drivers especially) because doing a normal install, by installing your CD drivers doing and then installing the online updates, installs your drivers in such a strange order that by the time you are finished patching, God knows what version you've replaced and cross-overwritten, and you don't know whether if you've just installed an older version over a newer one (e.g. DTS Neo 6 Functionality) Although I have a Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro, this nonetheless applies to all Audigy 2 ZS cards. Creative has stopped supporting and hosting drivers for regular Audigy 2 and Audigy 2 ZS cards and thus makes it all the more important that one gets the right drivers if you're aiming for the features and updates of the latest drivers. So those of you that own a Audigy 2 ZS or and Audigy 2 ZS Platinum, go here and nab those drivers for the Platinum Pro, all of them are them are the same regardless of what specific soundcard you have, except those that are Platinum Pro only. Part 1: Downloading the right drivers First, go to the Creative site and get the latest drivers. http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/ (Goto Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro section since there is no Audigy 2 ZS section) The files you need are: Driver Files: SBAX_WEBUP_LB_2_08_0004 (Driver) SBA2_WEBUP_EAXC_031230 (EAX Console Update) SBA2_WEBUP_THXCON_1_00_16 (THX Console Update) SBA2_WEBUP_DTSCON_1_00_06 (DTS Neo 6 Update) Not sure if the DTS is necessary since I think it is included in the latest EAX/MediaSource update, but Creative puts it on the download page and has never bothered to remove it unlike some other older drivers that were later incorporated. MediaSource Files: CMS_PCAPP_LB_3_30_21 (MediaSource) CMS_GO_PCAPP_LB_3_10_15 (MediaSource Go) DVDA_PCApp_LB_2_00_75 (DVD Update) CMS_BURNER_PCAPP_LB_3_10_18 (Burner Plugin) CMS_MDC_PCAPP_LB_1_00_58 (MD Plugin) CMS_RMT_PCAPP_LB_2_30_02 (Remote Control, Audigy 2 ZS Platinum and Plat Pro only) That's a lot isn't it, for the latest drivers? That's why Creative is so notorious for their irresponsibility as a monopoly. Part 2: Installation Order Instead of installing the driver in the Audigy 2 ZS Driver CD first and then later overwrite the older one why not install it first. 1) SBAX_WEBUP_LB_2_08_0004 Then install the driver software utilities on the Audigy 2 ZS CD. When you run the autorun setup on the CD and get to the menu where you can put a check on either driver or MediaSource, indicate that you want to install the drivers only. You can change what is installed later at the custom menu. When you get there, Don't install: -Driver -Product Tour -Remote Control -MD Plugin -Burner Plugin Now install the latest version of MediaSource MediaSource: 2) CMS_PCAPP_LB_3_30_21 3) CMS_GO_PCAPP_LB_3_10_15 Don't install the Mediasource skins if you don't want them. Once Mediasource is installed, you can install more driver control components that is part of Mediasource. Drivers: 4) SBA2_WEBUP_EAXC_031230 5) SBA2_WEBUP_THXCON_1_00_16 6) SBA2_WEBUP_DTSCON_1_00_06 Cleaning Up Now you are technically done at this point! If you want additional functionality of your soundcard you can download these optional plugins: MediaSource: 7) DVDA_PCApp_LB_2_00_75 8) CMS_BURNER_PCAPP_LB_3_10_18 9) CMS_MDC_PCAPP_LB_1_00_58 10) CMS_RMT_PCAPP_LB_2_30_02 On a last note, delete those annoying AOL icons on your desktop, start menu, favorites, and links. You may delete the folders AOD, ProdCat, Product Registration in your Creative folder in your Program Files. Also, disable the useless registration startup service called "UpdReg" that takes up system resources. Go to the Statup tab of msconfig and disable it there. Then go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and delete that key. Finally, adjust your settings to your preference, and enjoy! :cheers: You can install Vienna SoundFont Studio 2.4 if you want to.
Great guide perhaps people could add installation instructions for different cards and we can compile and sticky all the information.
This is great, I've renamed the thread name. Anyone with other soundcards, X-Fi, M-Audio, Turtle Beach, Auzentech, or E-mu, add your threads in!
I think a Mod might need to do that, when you try to edit it does it allow changing of the title text?
Nice Guide... I did come across an issue that had me looking at Norton AV recently... If you run into Norton AV not enabling on Startup then uninstall and reinstall the Creative drivers according to the guide in this thread... apparrently Norton does not always play nice with Audigy cards/drivers. Here is the Norton error that finally showed after weeks of issues: http://service1.symantec.com/support/nav.nsf/docid/2004100114163006?OpenDocument&seg=hho&src=_mi&product=NAV&version=11.0&language=english&module=4002&error=517&build=STANDARD
Hey Guys, Thank you very much for a much needed thread, especially becasue I just barely finsihed a clean install of WinXP! I have alway struggled a bit with the install process of drivers/software on my Audigy 2ZS sound card! I never knew what order to install everything and just like you desribed I used to install driver/software from installtion CD and then download and install the updated versions of drivers/software. This is exactly the information I was and have been looking for, thank you very much Mod Enerjen, keep up the good work!
Thanks for the guide! Especially since they never specify what drivers you need, and the installation disk is useless for the most part.
Biggest problem I face when installing the 2 ZS drivers/apps is the constant pop-ups saying file not found and to go to the Windows XP CD/I386 folder or Creative CD to dig them out. And not all of them get copied, so I have to redo the install. A way around this is to gather these files from your Creative Drivers CD (the Audio\Drivers folder) and extract the rest from your XP CD beforehand and put them into the Windows/Temp folder. The files should be placed according to this folder structure: C:\Windows\Temp\CTZAPXX\Drivers\WDM\I386 Files are (and must all be placed in the I386 folder): 1394bus.sys ctac32k.sys ctaud2k.sys ctdvda2k.sys CTGAME.SYS ctoss2k.sys CTOSS9X.SYS ctprxy2k.sys ctsfm2k.sys drmk.sys emupia2k.sys enum1394.sys gameenum.sys ha10kx2k.sys haP16v2k.sys I263_32.drv ksuser.dll ohci1394.sys PfModNT.sys portcls.sys stream.sys wdmaud.drv Total number of files = 22 These are the problem files which I get a pop-up saying they're not found, but when I place them as described above, the installation goes smoothly and uninterupted. Hope this may be of help.
I haven't either had my Audigy 2 aking for windows files, but it's good to know where the driver files are actually being installed.
LOL, it appears its only me having this problem. But I've faced this issue every time doing the 2 ZS driver install. I wonder if its due to my deleting the Driver Cache and SP2 backup folders after a WIndows install thats causing it to ask for the XP CD, hmm.
hey can any1 tell me where i can get the complete drivers for my sound card as i have installed it from the creative site but my external unit is not working i got a Audigy 2 Platinum....
Well all you get from the Creative site is the Base sound card driver. YOu don't get any of the App or panels. A few guys in here know where the ISO's are kept. I am not sure.
Please help M-Audio sound card Dear friends can you kindly suggest what other hardware and software do i require to create my personal recording studio.... thank u
this post would not be appropriate here.. mods please edit it as needed. Otherwise, I am soon making a sticky on how to use a regular high end soundcard and use it in a recordinng studio, because so many people actually have access to the music industry now but don't realize it.
im having a strange issue with my audigy 2 zs plat. when i first bought the card and installed it worked fine, then i reinstalled win xp on a new HDD and now when i try to install the drivers from the disk it tells me that the hardware is not found. its shady because its the same disk that came with my card and it worked the first time. this happened about a year ago. ive been using the driver from their website and everything works fine, but i was just wondering if anybody else has had this problem.
Is this just for the ZS or other Audigy 2 cards? I believe mine is just a vanilla Audigy 2. I didn't buy it, got it from a friend, so I don't know exactly what it is.
