I tried installing a Sound Blaster Audigy X-FI Etreme sound card in my rig , that was running smooth as silk with Vista32 when on booting up for the first time with the new sound card i got a blue screen half waY thru windows boot with a message   IRQ -   EQUAL OR LESS ??????????. I tried rebooting ,   same thing , so figuring its a Vista thing I reformatted and put XP PRO back in . Still no sound and now everything i try to do , even open simple programs ,even web browser is slow as hell . I have reinstalled new drivers for every piece of hardware in the system and still everything slow ,slow ,slow. BTW  went back to onboard sound and still have only a hiss and crackle sound now.
 I have checked every stick of ram one at a time  , changed  vid cards ,, checked heat sink and fan , made sure every part was firmly connected to the mobo and still  no difference with anything i try .  WTF !!
  Any ideas would be GREATLY  appreciated.
 
My Specs
FX-57 PROC
A8N SLI PREMIUM MOBO
4 GIGS OCZ PLATINUM RAM
EVGA 8800GT  
500 THERMALTAKE PSU
 
Could this sound card have screwed up my mobo ?    Pulling whats left of my hair out here !!!!!!!!!!

try moving the sound card to a different slot, if it ends up sharing a IRQ with other hardware problems may arise.

So even without the sound card installed the system plays up now?

Yes the system boots up into windows now but runs about as fast as an old Commador  286.
This PCI x1 slot has never been used for anything either so I dont know why i would get conflicting IRQ`s

Reflash to the lates mobo bios......you may have a bad sound card also

xp only recognizes 2 gigs......take out 2 sticks...even vista 32bit will run better on 2 gigs

Google that error message and you will solve your problem.
 
Jackieboy neither OS runs better with 2GB Vista will benefit more though.

Let me get this straight....
 
You buy a new device and install in on Vista.  Vista was running perfectly before you put the device in.  After installation Vista has problems with errors/crashes. The only thing that changed was the device and it's associated Drivers  And yet...  somehow.....  it's a *VISTA* problem????  And the only solution is to reformat the computer and install XP??
 
WTF??    
 
Man....  Microsoft needs to hire the marketing people from Creative....  Seriously.    
 
 
 
I'll tell you what the real problem is:  Creative fired all their software (driver) developers years ago, and are now using thousands of rednecks to write the code.  Creative puts up huge signs along the highway, and the rednecks drive round and round the block, shooting at the signs with shotguns.  When the signs are full, the code is done.  Unsubstantiated reports from the Blog~O~Sphere indicate there may be quality control issues centered around translating the code from Braille into C++...  But these are just rumor.  
 

Thanks to those that replied . Problem has been solved using an old 939 mobo i had , I may had static charged the other board , not sure as I`m usually pretty carefull about these things but for what ever reason the board was bad  Thanks again

I don't think there was ever a commodore 256

No but I still have my old commadore  64   and I think you got my meaning lol