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Ask the Doctor

Soundcard Interface Woes

Posted 01/28/10 at 04:15:12 PM  by The Maximum PC Staff

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Ask the Doctor LogoI have a problem with my X-Fi Platinum setup. It worked fine on my old Dell 8200, but I recently upgraded my mobo to an EVGA nForce 780i and now the front ports don’t seem to work. What gives? I reinstalled the drivers several times and nothing. The main card works just fine, but the drive bay interface is the whole reason I bought the card in the first place.

—Rocco Nicoletta

Since the card works with the rear ports for both output and input, the Doctor is going to assume it’s something as simple as a loose connection or damaged cable that occurred during the motherboard move. You should power down and unplug your system. Open the side up and find the ribbon cable that goes from the I/O front panel to the X-Fi Platinum. Those old ribbon cables are easy to mess up and plug in incorrectly. Unplug it on both ends and then reconnect, making sure you have firmly plugged into the card and the auxiliary panel. Also, make sure you have the front panel’s four-pin power connector (the same as a floppy drive’s) plugged into the PSU.

 

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION Are flames shooting out of the back of your rig? First, grab a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. Once the pyrotechnic display has fizzled, email the doctor at doctor@maximumpc.com for advice on how to solve your technological woes.

 

COMMENTS:2
TAGS: soundcard, ask the doctor, EVGA nForce 780i
COMMENTS
avatarThe fix

Submitted by dukki7 on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 9:47pm

I have a 680i and experienced the same problem with a Fatality card that had a front panel.  Creative drivers are fickle.  The only way I could get everything to work is this.  First, go into the BIOS and switch off the onboard soundcard.  Next, reinstall windows.  Now, this is the really, really important step.  Install the Creative soundacrd drivers first, before the display drivers, before anything else.  Don't even update Windows until you've first installed the drivers from the Creative CD.  Finally, do not ever update the drivers from Creative's website.  Even if it's the first thing you do after installing Windows and the Creative OEM drivers, updating will screw up the card's functionality.  This solution applies to Windows XP for sure.  Probably the same deal with any other OS. 

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avatarAre the sliders for the I/O

Submitted by strykyr on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 10:53pm

Are the sliders for the I/O panel showing up in your volume control panel?  Line In 2, Mic 2 and Aux 2?  That ribbon cable is a pain in the ass.  Power cable not such a big deal cuz it kinda locks in place.  I'm using a 680i.  No issues with that.  I can't recall as to if the cd asks if I'm using a platinum or not.  I haven't had to use the cd as much since I got the FPS Platinum.  The Audigy 2 cd did.  The first Audigy did too.  Never had a Live! Platinum.  LOL...Had the first All In Wonder AGP in that system too...Hated ATI ever since.

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