Author Topic: Dell XPS dual-processor and SB X-Fi soundcard squealing blows monkey chunks (Read 701 times)

gofaster · « **on:** February 19, 2006, 09:42:17 PM »

Specifically, Dell XPS with the MS XP OS seems to barely pick up my microphone, even though it worked just fine under Dell Dimension with MS Windows ME. WTF? They call that an advancement in technology?

I tried another microphone, same problem. Under Windows' "Test" program, it barely registers, but when I run under one of the Creative Lab panels it picks it up just fine. WTF?

Sliders all the way up.

Ideas?

OOZ662 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 19, 2006, 09:49:29 PM »

Dual core+WinXP=Teh sucks. It's only been posted a hundred times.

gofaster · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2006, 10:12:25 PM »

Apparently I didn't get that memo.

OOZ662 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2006, 10:23:42 PM »

Sorry about sounding kinda rude there.

There are threads here, and especially on the Hardware/Software forum, of people complaining about this. Pretty sure there's a sticky in the H/S about it too.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 20, 2006, 06:44:33 AM »

Uhmm,..if you have all the Creative Labs utilities loaded on that computer, you will have problems. Also note, by default, there are many, many programs/utilities loaded at boot time on that Dell which need to be disabled.

Look in the Windows Task Manager, under the Processes tab. Should be about 19 to 21 processes listed (look in the lower left corner for the total). My guess is there are probably around 40 to 45 loaded. I hope I am wrong, but it seems OEM computers have taken the direction of loading up as many programs as possible during boot time.

gofaster · « **Reply #5 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:28:08 AM »

Total Processes: 60

The kicker is that the mic works fine under the Creative panels. Its the Windows mic volume and hardware test that blows monkey chunks.

Would disabling the Creative processes really improve the mic volume for Windows?

used2bz · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:32:11 AM »

I had the same problem with my new Dell.

Try going to Control Panel>Sound and Audio Devices>Playback Control>Advanced Controls for Microphone.

Click on microphone + 20db boost on the bottom of the page.

Worked for me.

zrex

gofaster · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:44:06 AM »

Yeah, I did that. The mic is now so sensitive that its picking up the clicks when I'm typing this message. I can hear myself breathe through the headphones.

But when I go over to Windows Start ->Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices ->Sounds and Audio Devices ->Voice Recording -> Test Hardware and it tells me that it can't detect my microphone unless I'm swallowing the *&@ thing. WTF?

Also, what is "What U Hear"? I can't find any documentation on that "feature".

gofaster · « **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:48:53 AM »

Here's a new wrinkle.

So I'm poking around the "Help" titles and I find the following instructions:

Quote

To adjust the voice input volume

On the Options menu, click Properties.
In the Properties dialog box, click Other.
Click Voice Commands.
Select the check box next to the device that contains the volume you want to adjust, and then click OK.
Drag the Volume slider up or down to increase or decrease the volume.

In my menu box, the "Other" field is greyed out so I can't get to "Voice Commands". Do I need to do something to enable it?

used2bz · « **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:11:40 AM »

I don't know. It's grayed out on mine also. On the sound and audio page when i click on volumne on either playback or recording i get sliders to adjust. On the record control page I have selected microphone. On the playback control page I have auxiliary muted. I've had my computer since last spring , but I remember going through this BS. I couldn't believe not only all the processes that were running, but also all the crap software they had installed on it. G/L

zrex

Skuzzy · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2006, 12:30:21 PM »

Unfortunately, once you load the Creative utilites, they cannot be removed. Very invasive programs and they cause more troubles than you can imagine.

So Dell has kicked up the number of garbage processes to 60. New record. I think HP/Compaq are only at 48 right now. If they see Dell at 60, they will be forced to add more to be in the race for the "Most Ill-configured Computer in the Market" award.

Krusty · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2006, 12:44:05 PM »

Skuzzy, I had a second-hand SB Audigy 1 and I could get drivers from it, from the creativelabs online autoupdater, but I could not get any control over the features of the card (it was basically a sound blaster) until I found a long, convoluted way of installing SB Audigy 2 files onto my Audigy 1. I didn't have the CD so I had to download something, and there was no official version anywhere..

It was a pain, but I got it working. The main reason was that I could not toggle to digital output without these drivers.

From an uninformed end-user point of view, they don't seem that invasive. They install to a simple directory, don't seem to scatter files into the system folders or anything, and don't seem that annoying. All I did was disable some start up processes it installed.

Should I be worried about these files? What have you heard/what do they do that's shady?

Skuzzy · « **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2006, 12:57:26 PM »

Krusty, Creative drivers (at least for all of the Audigy line) can be installed as a separate option. The problem with the utilites is they change many Windows system registry entries so they can take over the sound card.

The remover does not restore those altered entries.

Krusty · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2006, 01:15:08 PM »

aahhhhhhhh.... I did notice that my sound icon in my system tray is the creative one and not the windows one. I think I saw a toggle option "Use creative sound control" but that's only for when the software is still installed.

I'll have to be careful if I ever uninstall this.

I guess, then, that the only fix is a repair re-installation of Windows?

Skuzzy · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2006, 02:24:58 PM »

Pretty much Krusty. I installed the stuff once, just to see if I could clean it out. It could be done, but you need to have a thorough understanding of the Windows registry and values of various keys before you can even attempt to repair it. (i.e. you have a printout of the previous entries so you know what they should be at, before installing the Creative utilites).