ES1869 Soundcard driver for Windows XP & Windows .NET Server Workaround. To following steps has worked for me in configuring an ES1869 soundcard on two systems running Windows XP and Windows .NET Enterprise Server. The two systems are Compaq Presario 5204 (with the ES1869 on-board) and a custom built 800MHz AMD brand respectively. 1. Shut down your system and install the ES1869 soundcard. 2. Download Windows NT 2000 driver for the ES1869 soundcard from the following link on ESS Technology, Inc. website: http://www.esstech.com/techsupp/drivers.shtm 3. The file name to download is NT20124.zip. After the download unzip/expand it to a local folder. 4. Right click on “My Computer” and select properties. 5. Select the hardware tab and click on “Device Manager”. 6. Expand the following device, “Sound, video and game controllers”. 7. Disable the following devices, “ES1869 Control Interface (WDM)” and “ES1869 Plug and Play AudioDrive (WDM)”. Note: If you uninstall the device, if will be re-installed by Windows next time you refresh the devices or reboot your computer. Therefore, Disable them rather than uninstalling them. 8. Close the “Device Manager” window and click on “Add Hardware Wizard” from the system properties window. 9. Click on “Next” and select “Yes, I have already connected the hardware”. 10. Click on Next, scroll down and highlight, “Add a new hardware device”. 11. Click on “Next” and select “Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)”. 12. Click on “Next” twice and highlight “Sound, video and game controllers”. And click on “Next”. 13. Select “Have Disk” and navigate your way to where you extracted the downloaded file in step 3 above. 14. Select “OEMSETUP.INF” and click “Open”, then “Ok”. 15. Highlight “ES1879/1869……/1888 AudioDrive 2.01.24”, then click “Next”. 16. You may get the following message, “The following software you’re installing for this hardware has not passed Windows Logo Testing…..”, Select. “Continue Anyway”. 17. If prompted for ESS I/O Address, you may either enter the following info or click on cancel to let Windows assign them automatically: ESS I/O Address Base = 230 Capture DMA = 1 Capture IRQ = 5 MPU401 I/O Address = 320 Playbacck DMA = 0 18. Close all the windows and restart your system. 19. Note: If your system has a buildt-in ES1869 Soundcard, the chances are your CD-ROM will not support digital CD audio as well. Which means you need to go to your CD-ROM properties in the “Device Manager” and uncheck, “Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM device“. GOOD LUCK! Rolly radeniyi@hotmail.com