Creative SB Live! Series (WDM) output volume is too high

[MWAKA]

Am not sure whether it is my speakers or the operating system trying to make me deaf. I am using Creative SB Live! Series (WDM) with Vista OS. When I wear the headphone sometimes its output volume increases suddenly very high though it keeps it on 3 out of 100. I suspect it is the driver creating problem. Anyway, can anyone suggest me any fix of the same? Thanks in advance.

[SurnameS]

Even I have similar issue with Creative Live! 5.1 SE. I tried to search the web for drivers or any possible fix for the same but came to know that creative don't have development plan for vista driver as of now. So the only thing left for me is to use Windows XP drivers with Vista but that wont work proper in Vista. It creates some sound of echo, although the volume is at normal level. So, is there any kind of alternate solution for the same?

Can’t Microsoft release some kind of driver or fix to provide option with which we can turn down the volume settings in Vista ?

[MWAKA]

I don’t think so SurnameS, don’t even think of Microsoft providing any such solution. Considering the same last night i thought to run the Windows update but found that Microsoft has completely removed the Creative SB Live! Series (WDM) driver from their windows update. Damn. In case you format your hard drive and reinstall Vista again, you are no longer going to get the sound on your operating system as there is no more sound card driver. I don’t understand instead of fixing the problem Microsoft has just removed the driver from windows update leaving the hardware totally dead.

[Eduards$]

Hello friend, let me make you understand. It is not Microsoft who removed the Creative support from Windows update, but it is Creative itself. FYI, they have announced the end of support for Creative Live! Series hardware. So, if the manufacturer has stopped the supply of certified drivers than from where Microsoft will provide you through updates ? I think you should contact Creative directly (that will be of no use) or just buy a new latest headphone

[techman]

Yes, that s true. Creative is no more providing any support or drivers for Live! Series hence it is difficult or nearly impossible to make it work on Vista. So, as an advice what I can suggest you is instead of trashing the headphone, you can use it OR sell it to a user who is still with Windows XP, isn’t it ? I don’t think he would be facing any problem because it comes with CD having drivers for Windows XP.

[Techguru01]

I think there is no need of trashing or selling the live headphone because I found a procedure describing to make these headphones work on Vista as well without any problem. Here it is:

• First of all you will need to download XP SB Live driver. Just google with the term “LiveDrvUni-Pack(ENG).exe” and locate a result with Creative site. Download the same, it should be of 23.3MB in size.
• Once downloaded, run the installer as an Administrator.
• This will bring you up a CRC window saying it cannot find the SB card. Don’t panic and leave the window as it is.
• You might be knowing that before reaching to this point, the installer has already unpacked the driver and files on your HDD and if the installer closed, it will remove all those files again. Hence let the installer opened with those error messages.
• Just open Windows Explorer and got to the Temporary folder (%USER%\AppData\Local\Temp).
• Here sort the folders with dates and look for the recently created directory.
• Once you found the same, double click and you will see an Audio\Drivers directory under it, navigate to this
• directory.
• Now copy this directory location/path from the address bar.
• Open device manager, select the Audio device showing ‘Unknown’, right click the same and click on Update driver.
• Click option “browse my Computer for software” and paste the path we copied above for the Audio directory under temp folder.

That’s it, now wait for few minutes and let the windows install the drivers. That’s it you are done.

[jcmeredith]

Dude that works. Thank you soo much

none of those other fixes would work
gateway e-4650 upgraded to vista
and Im going to keep it.

J Meredith