Can't install Intel Matrix ... drivers!

Nope...lol...DONT download it from Dell, they don't have the latest version which (could) solves the audio skipping issue.
One problem though, on the Intel site i never found "just" the driver, which is the iastor.inf file (or a name like it) I always got the Matrix Storage manager with it from their site and then it's not possible to manually load the driver through your device manager. You'll have to run the setup and if it doesn't work i dont really know a solution, sorry.

I wouldn't know why it wouldn't run as i have the 8.8 IMSM on my XP install too and never had problems. You still didn't say what setting your ATA operation is on in your BIOS though, let's start with that

 

it is now on ATA.should I change to AHCI?

 

Ok and do you and do you already have a IMSM manager installed?

What does your device manager say under IDE ATA/ATAPI-controllers?

 

AFAIR,no...and there I have 7 different things,which one do you mean?

 

Hmmm ok. Try installing an older version of IMSM first, get the 8.7 from Dell and run the installer, not just the driver but the whole software package. After doing that, in your Device Manager there should be an entry named Intel(R) ICH9M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller. If not please list the entries that are there.

 

I haven't tried it, but I'm guessing the IMSM driver will not install (the subject problem) until IRRT/RAID or AHCI is enabled in BIOS. And I wonder if switching from ATA to either will BSOD upon re-booting?

GK

 

@GK, true, but i know a way around that.

Xirurg will have to d/load the separate driver pack from the Dell site and manually load them through the device manager. But first i have to know the entries there....thing is those names change after loading the drivers and i can't remember what they were before i did this myself.

 

Xirurg has stated: "the reason that I want latest 8.8 IMSM is that it corrects audio issue..."

If we have concluded that he is not currently running an IMSM driver, then perhaps we have concluded that installing the most recent version will NOT affect his audio issue. Therefore, jumping through hoops to switch his system away from ATA mode may be a pointless exercise. Or, he may have other good reasons to perform a clean install, switching to IRRT/RAID or AHCI and perhaps Vista, too, all at once.

I think I'll leave it there.

GK

 

True again....but...lol

There seem to be loads of different reasons for the audio issue itself so, it is worth a try at least. The audio issue is always caused however by allocation of bandwith and maybe, just maybe...switching to AHCI and running 8.8 will fix his problems.

The only thing i know is that this config isn't causing me issues and i'm trying to get him the same

If only Xirurg was on more we could get this over with..LOL

 

sorry to switch the topic, but do you even need this driver for typical usage? i've read about the audio skipping issue - and i'm thinking of just removing it (add/remove programs) and never worry about it again.