Update *Creative Labs Slams Door on User-Modded Vista Drivers

I think Creative is going to go downhill from here. What do you think?

Let's face the truth here,personally I haven't had to experience the problems Creative Labs users have been having on Windows Vista. However, the sound cards, which work fine on Windows XP, yet lose some functionality on the new Vista operating system. Forum member Daniel_K made some modifications to the code used to run the sound cards, and released drivers of his own that allowed Creative Labs users to take full advantage of their sound cards on Vista.

Daniel Kawakami has been modding Windows Vista drivers for Creative Labs products. While Creative Labs insisted that features such as Decoding of Dolby Digital and DTS signals and DVD-Audio which worked fine in WinXP, would not work on Vista.

Daniel_K was recently able to "fix" many drivers, enabling the "incompatible" features as well as fixing some bugs. He made a few mistakes, however, as in asking for donations. Making a profit off his modded drivers was asking for trouble. Now Daniel_K probably shouldn't have sought donations for his work - that's the main thing that most likely attracted attention to his efforts. But otherwise, he was only trying to ensure that other users like himself were able to get their sound cards to work properly on the sometimes-unstable Vista OS.

On Friday Creative Labs put a stop to the driver modding, by posting the following on their forums, as well as removing links to his modded drivers.

Daniel_K:

We are aware that you have been assisting owners of our Creative sound cards for some time now, by providing unofficial driver packages for Vista that deliver more of the original functionality that was found in the equivalent XP packages for those sound cards. In principle we don't have a problem with you helping users in this way, so long as they understand that any driver packages you supply are not supported by Creative. Where we do have a problem is when technology and IP owned by Creative or other companies that Creative has licensed from, are made to run on other products for which they are not intended. We took action to remove your thread because, like you, Creative and its technology partners think it is only fair to be compensated for goods and services. The difference in this case is that we own the rights to the materials that you are distributing. By enabling our technology and IP to run on sound cards for which it was not originally offered or intended, you are in effect, stealing our goods. When you solicit donations for providing packages like this, you are profiting from something that you do not own. If we choose to develop and provide host-based processing features with certain sound cards and not others, that is a business decision that only we have the right to make.

Although you say you have discontinued your practice of distributing unauthorized software packages for Creative sound cards we have seen evidence of them elsewhere along with donation requests from you. We also note in a recent post of yours on these forums, that you appear to be contemplating the release of further packages. To be clear, we are asking you to respect our legal rights in this matter and cease all further unauthorized distribution of our technology and IP. In addition we request that you observe our forum rules and respect our right to enforce those rules. If you are in any doubt as to what we would consider unacceptable then please request clarification through one of our forum moderators before posting.

Phil O'Shaughnessy
VP Corporate Communications
Creative Labs Inc.

Some users have posited that Creative Labs has been artificially removing features;

O'Shaughnessy's statement "If we choose to develop and provide host-based processing features with certain sound cards and not others, that is a business decision that only we have the right to make" seems to point to that conclusion.

As I said, Daniel_k was definitely breaking the EULA, and asking for donations probably drew Creative's ire.

However, Creative's announcement, as well as Daniel_k's indicating he was quitting the modding business drew still more ire - from Creative's customers.

For example, this one:

I am sure I am not alone when I ask this. Once and for all, we want the truth:

After your disrespectful messages to Daniel_K, will you be fixing your own drivers? Or are you going to leave it as it is?

I'm happy to announce that by your recent actions AGAINST your customers I have decided NEVER to purchase a Creative product again. I'm also happy to say that within 30 minutes of your horrible news I've managed to convince 3 people to NOT purchase planned Creative products.

It's indeed not a lot but at least I'm doing something.

Can we (Vista and X-Fi users) request for a refund as Creative has failed to deliver the necessary drivers and materials in order for the Sound Card to work as advertise?

The funny thing is that you are faster "protecting" your technologies and intelectual properties than providing improved drivers and softwares for your customers.

You purposedly crippled and ruined the Audigy/Live! (Emu10kx) and the Audigy LS/SE/Value/Live!24-bit (P17) drivers for Windows Vista.

This just proves you don't really care about what your customers and what people think about you.

Note to Creative labs, you are killing of what is left of your high-end soundcard userbase.Immediately following their VP's blog post, the rants against Creative Labs begin - and as of this writing, continue for60 pages - almost 600 comments - nearly all of them negative. Most posters are saying that they will either return their Creative Labs product, or that they will never purchase or recommend the purchase of a Creative Labs product again.

What Creative Labs does not seem to get is what they have been hunting themselves, it's called ROI, return of investment. Something the folks that who have invested over $200 for a high-end Audigy card with a breakout box did not get back when they moved to Vista.

Horrible, horrible marketing. My advice to Creatibe Labs, Support your customers with what they paid for, and the rest will follow.

Source: Creative Labs

copyrights of www.guru3d.com

:| :evil: The worst part is is that I still need an X-Fi based sound card (looking to get the Auzentech Prelude) because I still need a card that could still do EAX for when I move to Vista.codezer0

there are other cards capable of eax(which isn't even that wonderful), i believe asus has some cards that can do that

there are other cards capable of eax(which isn't even that wonderful), i believe asus has some cards that can do that

Demo24

This doesn't surprise me one bit. Creative is one of the worst companies IMHO. I think I prefer MS to Creative.

I have swore not to buy Creative products for a long time now, this just reinforced my opinion.

:| :evil: The worst part is is that I still need an X-Fi based sound card (looking to get the Auzentech Prelude) because I still need a card that could still do EAX for when I move to Vista.codezer0

There are ways of still getting EAX. i have a Audigyzs and i can use EAX in all games

[QUOTE="codezer0"]:| :evil: The worst part is is that I still need an X-Fi based sound card (looking to get the Auzentech Prelude) because I still need a card that could still do EAX for when I move to Vista.WOP_4_LIFE

There are ways of still getting EAX. i have a Audigyzs and i can use EAX in all games

Creative deserves this, from crappy quality on all products

but if you guys are looking for soundcard alternatives, overclock.net is flooded with that topic

my suggestion, look into Xonar cards

[QUOTE="WOP_4_LIFE"]

[QUOTE="codezer0"]:| :evil: The worst part is is that I still need an X-Fi based sound card (looking to get the Auzentech Prelude) because I still need a card that could still do EAX for when I move to Vista.codezer0

There are ways of still getting EAX. i have a Audigyzs and i can use EAX in all games

No i have vista 64bit, i use something called ALchemy, it adds the files for EAX in the games that use it.

[QUOTE="codezer0"][QUOTE="WOP_4_LIFE"]

[QUOTE="codezer0"]:| :evil: The worst part is is that I still need an X-Fi based sound card (looking to get the Auzentech Prelude) because I still need a card that could still do EAX for when I move to Vista.WOP_4_LIFE

There are ways of still getting EAX. i have a Audigyzs and i can use EAX in all games

No i have vista 64bit, i use something called ALchemy, it adds the files for EAX in the games that use it.

No i have vista 64bit, i use something called ALchemy, it adds the files for EAX in the games that use it.

WOP_4_LIFE

[QUOTE="WOP_4_LIFE"]

No i have vista 64bit, i use something called ALchemy, it adds the files for EAX in the games that use it.

codezer0

The program is free for X-Fi cards. I found it to be a waste of time though. Mostly old games need it and to me it's better to use something like dolby or discrete 5.1 than to deal with the program. The difference is tiny.

The program is free for X-Fi cards. I found it to be a waste of time though. Mostly old games need it and to me it's better to use something like dolby or discrete 5.1 than to deal with the program. The difference is tiny.

Deihmos

[QUOTE="Deihmos"]

The program is free for X-Fi cards. I found it to be a waste of time though. Mostly old games need it and to me it's better to use something like dolby or discrete 5.1 than to deal with the program. The difference is tiny.

codezer0