Game freezes with SB Audigy

[spyders]

I've posted this on the .co.uk forum and haven't yet managed to solve it, so I thought I'd try here instead.

I recently got a new SoundBlaster Audigy card and every time I try and use it in OFP it freezes the game and the PC such that I have to unplug the machine to reboot it.

I've tried Codemasters' suggestion (reduced the hardware acceleration on the card and changed the priority of the ADCPM Codec) but it didn't work.  I've tried it with XP reference drivers, the drivers that come with the Audigy card and Creative's new XP drivers with no siccess.  I've upgraded XP with all the most recent Windows updates, and I've tried moving the card to diferent PCI slots (away from the AGP slot.  None of these things work.

If I play the game with original Santa Cruz Turtle Beach sound card, it works perfectly.  I can play it with the Santa Cruz, but it sounds much better with the Audigy and I was looking forward to trying the FireWire port for netwrking gaming with my mate.

Has anyone got any other ideas what might be causing this problem?

For info (in case any one else reads this post) I have a Dell Dimension 8200 with the following spec:

1.8Ghz Intel
384 MB RDRAM
60GB HDD
Nvidia GeForce 3 ti 200 Graphics
Windows XP Home
SoundBlaster Audigy Player Sound
DirectX 8.1

I have OFP 1.3.

[TeAcH]

Doesnt freeze with my Audigy and Win98SE. You oughta look at Avonlady's FAQ for a few tricks to try.

[spyders]

I should have pointed out in my original post that I have scoured the forums extensively over the last week and I have checked the Avonlady's FAQ.

I appreciate the answer though--even if it was "it works OK on mine".

[CHFlanker]

Wich SB Audigy-Card do you have? Gamer?

[spyders]

Audigy Player.

On another note, I've read a few bits and peices recently that suggest conflicts between Geforce video cards and SB Live!/Audigy sound cards. I'm not sure if this is the issue. My machine doesn't report any conflicts.

I installed the Gold upgrade today and it froze on the autorun screen--the first time it's ever done that. It also froze when I tried to select the Red Hammer campaign. I'm going back to my Santa Cruz sound card until I can work out what the problem might be. I'm getting fed up with unplugging my machine so often.

[TeAcH]

I have the Elsa Geforce3 with my Audigy OEM (Gamer) and WIN98SE. DX 8 and a 1.4 gig Tbird running on v.107 bios Asus A7v133 board with Visa 4in1 4.34 final.

[spyders]

I'm just replying to this to kick back on to the first page of the forum again.

Come on guys! Surely someone out there has some ideas about what might be causing this. I'm open to suggestions.

[theavonlady]

Have you check whether Creative has since posted newer drivers? Just asking.

[spyders]

I downloaded new creative XP drivers last week. I'll double-check they haven't added even newer ones tonight.

I also just updated my Nvidia Detenator drivers as well (I didn't realise the machine came with older reference drivers), but I haven't had a chance to test that yet. I'm not sure it'll do any good as I'm not yet convinced that the problem lies with a conflict between the GeForce and Audigy cards.

I read an article somewhere recently about APCI potentially causing problems when sharing IRQ, but again, I'm not sure if this is a problem. If it is, I doubt I'll do anything about it as it seems it'll require a complete overhaul of the system to disable the feature.

Please keep those ideas coming. I'm open to suggestions right now.

[spyders]

I think I've fixed this issue. I didn't realise until recently that my machine shipped with Microsoft reference drivers for the GeForce 3 Ti 200. I updated to the latest Nvidia DetonatorXP drivers and, fingers-crossed, it seems to working now.

I even managed to start Red Hammer, which wouldn't work at all before.

Sorry if I wasted anyone's time. I usually check all my drivers thoroughly. In this case, as it's a brand new machine, I assumed the drivers that shipped with it would be up to date. Live and learn.

Thanks to those that offered suggestions.

[Mister Frag]

In the case of NVIDIA, there's no way that any OEM could conceivably keep up with all of the leaked drivers.

I got a Visiontek GeForce3 Ti200 less than two weeks ago, and was impressed that the drivers on the CD were no more than six weeks old. The CD actually contained two drivers sets, one that is WHQL-certified, and a more recent one for those who don't mind being on the leading edge.

By the way, NVIDIA officially released new Detonator XP drivers today; they are now up to V23.11, available for all Windows playforms:

http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=drivers

[spyders]

Thanks for the update.