As of right now, I am going through a testing regiment concerning the use of Creative Labs' SoundBlaster software in Vista's Audit mode. We cannot sell computers to customers that want Vista and an X-Fi card of any sort, unless we can agree to certain delivery methods that I won't get into. Here is the facts that we can start with:

1. Creative Labs does not test their sound cards with the on-board audio enabled or another sound card present.
2. Creative Labs does not support the above configuration.
3. Creative Labs' primary customer focus is the end user and not system builders.
4. The X-Fi drivers (stand-alone) and/or software suite does not survive Sysprep from Vista Audit mode.

Here is the current hardware configuration:
- MSI G31M3-F motherboard
- Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3GHz CPU
- 2GB PC2-2400 DDR2 533MHz RAM
- nVidia GeForce 7300 LE PCI-Express x16
- PCI Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 24bit
- PCI Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi
- PCI 1x Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi
- Windows Vista Ultimate

There are multiple issue with this config. The first is that the drivers for the PCI-E X-Fi are not made available on Creative's website. Oh I know what you are thinking, yes there are drivers you can download there... This card supports Vista x32 and x64 and XP Pro x64, but the drivers from the website will not actually install the INF for the card in ANY of the OSes listed. Only the CD the card comes with works.

This config also originally had 2 PCI X-Fi cards in it, but they weren't playing properly. When different sound sources (CD or MP3) were used at the same time, the audio got all garbled and started playing too fast. The customer informed us that they had gotten a similar (ie XP Pro x32 with SB Live cards) config working fine. I talked to our Creative rep, and while he couldn't actually help me out, he did say "maybe there is a problem using the same driver" which is why there is an Audigy card in the config now. As a test, I loaded up the PC with Windows XP Pro x64, and installed all the drivers. Using Winamp and a program called MK1, I was able to successfully play multiple files through multiple soundcards simultaneously without a problem. However the issue is that the customer did not order XP 64bit, although we might change his mind.

So right now I am testing the process of installing Vista Business 32bit, which works the same as Ultimate as far as sysprep goes, only because I have a generalized image of it up on the WDS and I don't for Ultimate. The bottom line here is that when you install the X-Fi software in Audit mode, and then run a sysprep, choosing generalize or not, or choosing OOBE or Audit on reboot, Windows has some problems. Those problems (from memory) are:

1. drivers and/or software are removed after unseal/welcome
2. Windows reports error and prompts for reinstall.
3. Windows reports error with SB software and prompts for reinstall.
4. Windows never completes the sysprep phase.

This thread is to be used to document all testing results. Products to be tested are the SB Audigy software, X-Fi PCI and X-Fi PCI-E software and Sysprep. I should note now that using Service Pack 1 does not change the results, although I will likely be testing this out also.

Process - shared
- Deploy Vista Business x32 image from network using PXE/WDS
- Unseal image
- install sound card software and restart
- verify sound card can play an MP3 using customer supplied software
- check for errors
- reseal using posted method
- step through welcome, restart and retest software
- document errors

Test 1
Software: Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 24bit driver package SB24_VTDRV_LB_1_04_0077
Sysprep method: sysprep -audit -restart
errors: none
result: PASS

Test 2
Software: Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 24bit driver package SB24_VTDRV_LB_1_04_0077
Sysprep method: sysprep -oobe -restart
errors: none
result: PASS

I am working on the third test now. I may also consider retesting all results using -generalize pass as well.
Comments, ideas, whatever are welcome.

A couple other things I'd like to note about the image. It is a generalized image and has OfficeReady (Office 2007 60 day trial) and Nero 8 Essentials Suite 2 pre-installed.

Round 2 - Harry Belafonte

Test 3
Software: Creative SoundBlaster X-FI PCI driver package XFXA_PCDRV_LB_1_04_0079
Sysprep method: sysprep -audit -restart
errors: none
result: PASS

Test 4
Software: Creative SoundBlaster X-FI PCI driver package XFXA_PCDRV_LB_1_04_0079
Sysprep method: sysprep -audit -restart -generalize
errors: 1
ERR01: This error was actually present in all the tests, and can be fixed with Service Pack 1. There is also a VSS (Volume Shadow-Copy Service) error that appears but I won't be listing it.

Source: ACPI
Event ID: 6
Description: IRQARB: ACPI BIOS does not contain an IRQ for the device in PCI Slot 0, function 0.

result: PASS

Test 5
Software: Creative SoundBlaster X-FI PCI driver package XFXA_PCDRV_LB_1_04_0079
Sysprep method: sysprep -oobe -restart
errors: none
result: PASS

Next up, Same process as above, but install all drivers. Since this driver package caused the errors before and I am not getting them now. So I will do these again but with the video card and motherboard drivers and see what happens.

Round 3 - Ray Charles

OK I am starting to get annoyed/confused. Last time I tried to use an X-Fi PCI card in a Vista image (Business) it blew up and I had to recreate the image no less than 8 times. This time everything is working.... It might be because I am using an MSI board now instead of an Intel one, but all the other hardware/drivers are the same. So anyways, here are the results of installing the MSI Chipset INF, onboard sound and Video card drivers. Video card drivers are nVidia 175.19.

All three of these situations passed:

Test 6
Software: Creative SoundBlaster X-FI PCI driver package XFXA_PCDRV_LB_1_04_0079
Sysprep method: sysprep -audit -restart
errors: none
result: PASS

Test 7
Software: Creative SoundBlaster X-FI PCI driver package XFXA_PCDRV_LB_1_04_0079
Sysprep method: sysprep -audit -restart -generalize
errors: none
result: PASS

This test (7) had the following other results:
- X-Fi driver was blown away but sound worked at startup. Windows prompted for software and it installed automatically.
- video artifacts (incorrect colors, inverted gradients) appeared on the dock, the clock and the clock's transparency alpha layer was visible. This corrected after a reboot.
- The Realtek HD Audio driver was removed.

Test 8
Software: Creative SoundBlaster X-FI PCI driver package XFXA_PCDRV_LB_1_04_0079
Sysprep method: sysprep -oobe -restart
errors: none
result: PASS

Windows Defender blocked Nero Startup (setupx.exe) which is a program that prompts the user to complete the registration. I used a silent install of Nero 8 in the image so we do not have to type in the serial number. The method used is similar to installing the demo silently, but this is the full version instead. This is interesting because the OOBE method did not block the Nero Startup app without the video and motherboard drivers installed.

My next test will be the same as this round, but to do the complete job. This means installing the two other sound cards, and verify if they work simultaneously. I will do a generalize but I might have to reinstall some stuff, like the onboard audio.

I was really hoping for more errors here, but it is beginning to look like there are certain motherboards where its software conflicts with the Sound Blaster software. This is good to know, at least, but this also means we will have to re-evaluate the X-Fi card with all of our motherboards with Vista...