Quick summary:

- Delete the cmaudio string from
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. This will get rid of the error on startup, but only because you're taking the command it uses to load this driver at startup out, thus preventing it from loading at startup. This part is a cosmetic fix, essentially.

- Do a Find in the registry (Start, Run, regedit) for all keys related to cmaudio and C-Media and delete them. Delete the string Cmcpls from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Cpls to get rid of the Control Panel icon.

- Delete the files

C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmirmdrv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmirmdrv.dll
C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmuda.dll
C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmicnfg.cpl
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\cmuda.dll
C:\WINDOWS\System32\LastGood\cmicnfg.cpl

- Download this remove utility from

http://ekiis.com/Freesoft/binary/remove11.zip

and run the file you find in the zip file - it can be ran without extracting it from the zip. Take out the C-Media Audio Driver line.

Reminder: This utility is for taking the name out of the Add/Remove Programs section only, and while it can be used for other programs in this way, it removes it from the program list ONLY and doesn't actually remove the program. But it is nice for something like this. (98/ME/2000/XP)

- Go to your Device Manager (right-click "My Computer", hit "Manage", then find Device Manager in the Computer Management console). Right-click the C-Media WDM driver under Sound, video, and game controllers, hit Uninstall. At this point, open up the C:\WINDOWS\System32 folder, make sure there are no blank spaces (View -> Arrange Icons By -> Name) so that any driver files that may get copied don't end up anywhere but at the bottom of the folder once you hit refresh during the re-installation.

- Tricky fail-safe re-installation: Right-click the top computer icon in the Device Manager, hit "Scan for hardware changes". You will need to hit refresh in the C:\WINDOWS\System32 folder window (right-click in the window, hit Refresh) CONSTANTLY during this installation. The files cmuda.dll, cmirmdrv.exe, cmirmdrv.dll may start appearing in C:\WINDOWS\System32 at the bottom of the folder, but MAY show up alphabetically. Delete them as soon as they appear - VERY IMPORTANT! You'll need to delete these immediately in order to head off the installation BEFORE it completes.

- C-Media should not be able to finish installing. It should leave you with the generic "Multimedia Audio Driver" with an exclamation point.

- New Note: Go back through the registry to verify the C-Media, cmaudio, and cmcpls entries have not returned, and delete any if they have.

- As long as you have the generic "Multimedia Audio Driver", run the setup.exe for Realtek AC'97 and it should install correctly.

- You'll need to do these steps for each user on the computer. Sorry, best I can do right now on that one....