Audigy 2 Platinum install hassles

Has anyone else had trouble getting the Audigy 2 Platinum drivers to install?

Pertinent hardware details:
ASUS P4C800 Deluxe MB
Pentium4 3.0c processor
1 GB RAM
Windows XP Pro, SP1

Bios set for PNP OS, onboard sound is disabled.

Soundcards like to use IRQ 5, and IRQ 5 is available with no sharing.

I've tried two different PCI slots with the same results. The card is detected as an Audio controller, the Creative installation routine runs apparently to completion, and the card *stays* an "Audio Controller." I've uninstalled and reinstalled the software many times, including blowing away the registry keys put in place (but not removed) by the software installation.

This is very, very much like the games we used to play of "Find the modem" in Windows 95. Anyone seen anything similar?

What non-Creative soundcards do people like?

Aggravated,
Peyton

Howdy, Daniel,

I followed the instructions exactly, after closing the "found new hardware" dialog.

When I get home, I plan to uninstall the software and drivers again, blow away the Creative registry keys, shut down the box, remove the card, boot the box, shut it down, and reinstall the card in the 3d PCI slot from the AGP slot. From there, I will again follow the directions "to the T." If that fails, I'll be on the phone to Tech Support, and probably switching to onboard sound till they send me a new CD or whatever.

Reported problems with ACPI/Hyperthreading may or may not pertain. Sharky Extreme built their Extreme Gaming rig with the same MB, processor and sound card. Dell sells them that way. There must be a way to make it work.

Cheers,
Peyton