Go to soundblaster.com and download the latest web drivers.

What I've found most often with Creative products is that their
CD drivers never work properly.

Try this direct link: http://us.creative.com/support/downl...ame=Windows+XP

Also, make sure your on-board sound (if any) is disabled in your motherboard's BIOS. If you have other PCI cards installed as well (NIC, modem), try moving them to different slots then installing your soundcard. That might straighten out any IRQ/System resource conflicts that may be arrising.

If that doesn't work, I'd suggest sending it back for a replacement. Reinstalling Windows may work, but I doubt it's a sure thing in this case.

Good luck.