Question : Problem: Sound "sticks", video choppy (extremely difficult!)

This is an extremely difficult question. Microsoft and Creative could not help. I will provide all the info I can, but PLEASE do not respond unless you read it.

THE PROBLEM
I have never had a problem with sound on my computer. I have used Vista for a year and never had any problems, except one: a buggy wireless adapter driver kept giving me BSOD with the error message "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL". Eventually I got sick of this, and I bought a new PCI wireless card. I installed the new card, booted, and during hardware installation, my old adapter crashed my computer again!

I rebooted and everything seemed fine... the new card worked perfectly. But now my video and sound are messed up! I never get audio, and when I try to play videos they are very choppy. At best, I can get somewhat smooth video, but never any sound. I have checked out my videos with GSpot and I have the proper codecs installed.

Also, when I try to play sound in any program (iTunes, Fb2k, WMP) I always get the same result: the spectrum analyzer registers the correct sound at any point that I seek to, but it never plays. It seems to "stick" at that spot. The spectrum analyzer will jitter back and forth between the point I set it to and the next millisecond, but since it is such a small movement, the seek bar doesn't appear to move at all.

I think it's important to mention that I never once have gotten an error message because of this problem. Also, if I disable my sound card, all video playback goes back to normal.

THINGS I HAVE TRIED ALREADY
* reinstalling drivers for my sound card (repeatedly, uninstalled, reinstalled, different versions, Daniel_K's unofficial drivers, you name it)
* removing my new PCI wireless card and reinstalling sound card's drivers
* installing Service Pack 1 for Vista
* K-Lite Codec Pack, Vista Codec Pack, and no codec pack at all
* calling Microsoft (they told me to get the K-Lite codec pack)
* Windows Update
* System Restore
* system file checker (sfc /scannow in command prompt)

WHAT I THINK
I think I may have damaged my sound card while installing my new PCI card. I'm downloading Ubuntu right now to see if that OS can get my sound to work.

COMPUTER INFO
Polywell Poly Desktop
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+ (x86 Family 15 Model 35 Stepping 2)
ASUS A8N32 SLI Deluxe Motherboard
2x(2x1GB) parallel DDR RAM
nVidia GeForce 7800 GT

SOFTWARE INFO
Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit (all updates installed)
Audigy 2 Driver v. 6.0.1.1304
American Megatrends BIOS Date: 01/02/06 09:32:54 Ver: 08.00.12

Answer : Problem: Sound "sticks", video choppy (extremely difficult!)

It is a very big problem as noted throughout the web for creative drivers among others. the problem is so serious many users have rolled back to XP only now faced with XP being pulled off the shelf as we speak, "end of April" Mac windows and linux are now rubbing the hands together offering windows compatible software to get you off the Microsoft band wagon.
http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2007/02/14/creative-vista-support-causes-people-to-fume
Vista has been a huge let down since any small problem will cause a complete format to rectify them.
This site  in my opinion is one of the best for guides on how to install re-install all windows OS, teh guides have brilliant illistrations.
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/indexwinvista.htm

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/indexwinvista.htm#Windows_Vista_Ultimate_Uninstalls,_Upgrades,_Installs,_Diagnostics,_Reinstalls_and_Repair_Guides.