Audigy 2 ZS Drivers?

[hiimlarry]

I still have an Audigy2 ZS i bought a while back that i haven't been able to put into use because i can't seem to make the drivers work as it was OEM and did not come with an install CD. I've tried creative's website but it seems the driver i'm downloading is either wrong or i cant make it work.

Can anyone help on giving me exact instructions on finally making this awesome sound card work?

 

[Alex]

cant send you a link because of creatives silly site...

but really, just go to www.soundblaster.com | SUPORT | Driver Downloads

Soundblaster -> Audigy -> there's a ton of 2 ZS options including one that just says "Audigy 2 ZS"
i'd try that one...

for my Audigy OEM i used the driver that just says "Audigy" and it worked fine...

 

[Navid]

You must be able to download the CD image from here.
http://hosted.filefront.com/BadBoyforum

 

[Oyeve]

If you pay for shipping I can send you a copy of my Audigy 2 ZS cd.

 

[Brian48]

I'm not sure what driver you are downloading, but I've had no problems using the latest version (v02.08.0004 - 34.26 MB) on a wide assortment of Audigy based cards. I haven't needed to use the CD for a long time time now.

 

[jackschmittusa]

My wife has an Audigy Gamer in her rig. The updated drivers do not work with her card. Driver installation fails to a black screen, reboot and says can't find a compatable card. Original drivers work fine except in one old game.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Brian48
I'm not sure what driver you are downloading, but I've had no problems using the latest version (v02.08.0004 - 34.26 MB) on a wide assortment of Audigy based cards. I haven't needed to use the CD for a long time time now.

same here

 

[SparkyJJO]

I got a ZS without a CD off ebay and I had heard that the drivers from the site are only upgrades so without installing from the CD first certain things wouldn't work. My friend burned me a copy of his CD, I used that and haven't updated the drivers from the download yet. Already it sounds much better than my onboard realtek azalia HD audio. I didn't think there was gonna be that big a difference but even just music is clearer. I don't even have a premium speaker set, just the logitech z-2200.

OP I can mail a copy of my CD if you want, just pay shipping. Or, if you have AIM I can transfer it over that - college has a good connection and I've sent stuff over AIM up to 150KB/sec before

 

[Navid]

There is a link where he can download it from already posted in this thread.

 

[Old Hippie]

My install CD is 566 mb. Looks like this is the closest in size to the full install.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie
My install CD is 566 mb. Looks like this is the closest in size to the full install.

The original post asks about 2 ZS. So, this should be the right one.

 

[Old Hippie]

The original post asks about 2 ZS. So, this should be the right one.

Yep, you're right. Looks like my link adds a buncha other stuff.

 

[hiimlarry]

wow thanks for the replies guys.

okay well i have downloaded the audigy 2 zs drivers and mounted with daemon. i try to install the sound card drivers and it says it cannot detect any audigy 2 zs on my computer. under my device manager, my sound card was deteced as multimedia audio controller. i try to update it and have it search the cd drive for the drivers and it turns int Creative Audio (WDM) something like that. I don't know what the WDM means, but after i did that i tried going back to the cd and installing again. it still says that it cannot detect the creative product on my computer. the funny thing is, i could now select creative as one of my sound devices and go into volume settings etc etc but no sound came out.

am i doing something wrong here?

oh and btw EVERY driver i have downloaded up to this point also said it cannot detect the audigy 2 zs. i know for a fact that this sound card is working good because i lent it to my sister and she used it fine somehow. can someone tell me some instructions on how to install this card properly or are the drivers bad again?

 

[maluckey]

You just install the drivers, reboot, go to the hardware manager and manually install them.. I use the most current all-in-one on my Audigy Gamer without a hitch.

Your problem is that you have already, for whatever reason. had a failed driver install. Now you have to do it yourself.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I've read about this problem before and HERE IS THE PROBLEM (I can almost GUARANTEE IT!)

You got an Audigy 2 ZS OEM, perhaps from ebay? Anyway the thing is it is an OEM for some computer brand (Dell, HP, what have you) and creative did something VERY stupid with it - specialized it slightly for the OEM computer maker! Model number is the same yes, but for example, if you notice the model number is THE EXACT SAME on an audigy 2 as the ZS. So if you google the serial number (I think it is, or one of those numbers on there other than model at the top edge of the card) you may come up with a link to Dell, HP, Gateway, etc. Download those drivers from there and those will work!

Don't ask why creative did that but it is VERY stupid. I didn't realize this until after I bought my card off ebay, fortunately it was a standard retail card.

Before anyone gets any funny ideas, the OEM cards from newegg are NOT AFFECTED because they are plain old audigy 2 ZS cards. Only the OEM cards from an OEM builder like Dell, HP, etc. have that problem.

Hope that clears up the problems you are having. Google it. There is a way to make the drivers from creative work (hack somehow) but not exactly sure. Google it

 

[DerelictDev]

Hmmm if you're right ^^, thats a pretty good thing to know for future reference

 

[Navid]

Do what Sparky suggested (search on the web for your serial number to see if you can find out what brand it is associated with).

If that does not work, use WinRAR to extract the drivers and in device manager update the driver and navigate to the extraction folder and let it install that way.

 

[Raider1284]

Well you could always softmod it to an audigy 4.... I softmodded my audigy 2 to an audigy 4 and its great! I lost my driver cd but this softmod worked beautifully. I get a "crash" error when I'm messing around with the speakers settings, but I have full functionality, and it only "crashes" when I close the program. I would defineately recommend it! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[hiimlarry]

Thanks Sparky. I have read something similar to that but my sister's bf helped her install the card and he found some drivers that worked. but i will try googling the serial number and finding the drivers that way. Thanks again for the replies, u guys make anandtech great.

 

[John]

Heh, I just typed out what Navid posted so I had to delete it. His directions will allow you to install the card.

 

[hiimlarry]

sooo you're saying if i can't find the appropriate drivers depending on my serial then just use the drivers linked from filefront and rar them?

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: hiimlarry
sooo you're saying if i can't find the appropriate drivers depending on my serial then just use the drivers linked from filefront and rar them?

It sounds like you have mounted the 2 ZS CD image that you downloaded using Daemon tools and updated from the device manager and navigated to the mounted CD to the WDM folder where the .inf files and .ini files are and it still did not work.

If that is the case, try to find out if your card is OEM by what company by searching on the net as Sparky suggested.

If that fails, download the latest driver update for 2 ZS from the Audigy web site. It will be in a .exe form. Use WinRAR to extract that .exe file. You should get a folder containing drivers (.inf files). Try those.

 

[Raider1284]

if your just looking for the drivers, those will be on the audigy website... It's finding the EAX, speaker settings, volume control, etc thats teh hardpart; the actual software.