Driver Causing Computer to Crash

I recently decided to install Windows XP Pro SP1 on my Vaio VGN-SZ140. I've had it for over a year and decided a fresh install would be nice, everything was going fine until I tried to install the audio driver from Sony's website.

The "SigmaTel® High Definition Audio Device Driver" is causing my system to crash immediately after installing. Everything seems to be going fine, up until I restart, expecting to get sound from my speakers, but alas nothing.

Crash isn't even the right adjective, what it really does is completely trash my install and I have no idea how. Once I restart it (as required after installing the driver) my computer is basically unusable, most programs stop working, and everything is horribly slow.

I remember this happened a year ago when I installed this copy of Windows, but it happened with the bluetooth driver so I assumed it was a fluke and since I didn't need bluetooth anyway I didn't really care, but now it's the exact same problem and with the sound driver, which I definitely cannot go without.

So, anyone have an idea what could cause this? Would installing SP2 help? It's just weird that I didn't have a problem installing this same driver a year ago, and now I do. Nothing has changed: same driver, same install CD, same computer.

I'm getting tired of having to reinstall windows (3rd time today, it took a while to pinpoint what was causing it) so if anyone can provide some insight that would be wonderful.

Thanks.

 

Why not try installing the latest drivers available for all the devices by downloading from the SONY website.... It might change things....

 

What? That's what I said.

 

what about rolling back the suspected driver?

 

There is no older driver to roll back to... this is a fresh install.

 

Probably, but don't just stop there. Install all the Updates, and then update your drivers. Good luck.

 

I followed your advice, this time when I tried installing the driver it didn't work, but it also didn't trash my system, so I guess that's progress.

 

Try deleting the driver completely and then a reinstallation. And if a driver is available from the builder of the device you may have better luck using it than what's available from Sony.

 

hjay12, did you install the original SZ1 series driver?

For the SZ2 series Sony included a hotfix with the driver and from the SZ3 onwards there was just a driver. Seems like Sony discovered a problem with the ealier drivers, hence the hotfix, and fixed it later.

Try the latest drivers from SZ5/6 series as the soundcard is the same.

 

it maybe the latest driver require SP2 to be pre-installed in order to work. So you could either fresh reinstall XP and proceed with MS UPDATE (update ur XP to SP2) and then install SZ drivers.

OR.. remove sound driver in safe mode and then reboot. Run MS UPDATE to get SP2 and then install SZ drivers.

OR.. Slipstream SP2 into your XP CD and do fresh install. then install SZ drivers.

 

Well, somehow it miraculously started working. I have so many different driver packages installed and now don't want to remove them. I'm not quite sure what did it. I did the same thing I had done before, uninstalling the driver with the code 10 error (cannot start) and then re-installing the sony sigmatel driver...

the only difference was I took Mujja's advice and tried a different series (240) and that is apparently what did it. How, I have no idea, I'm just happy to have sound again. Thanks to everyone who spent their time replying to this thread.