Greetings,
For Firewire audio devices to work properly on Windows XP, you need to have Service Pack 1 or 1a installed, it is a free update from Windows that is an update to the operating system software. To check if you have this, go to your START MENU in the lower left, and then RIGHT CLICK on MY COMPUTER and select PROPERTIES from the list. This opens up a systems properties window and it will say what version of Windows you are running. On the 3rd line it will say Service Pack 1 if you have it. If you don't....
Go to
www.windowsupdate.com and make sure you get the most recent windows update (for XP its Service Pack 1a, although if you already have Service Pack 1 you don't need 1a)...just go to that page and hit the green arrow in the middle of the screen and scan for updates. Then download and install any necessary updates.)
Restart the computer after getting the service pack.
It could possilby be an IRQ conflict. What IRQ is your firewire IEEE 1394 controller on? To check:
Go to : START --> RUN --> type "msinfo32" --> OK --> Hardware Resources --> IRQ's
If your Firewire port is sharing an IRQ with a number of other devices, it can cause it to have a lack of resources available and possibly lead to this sort of issue. It is usually not possible to reassign the IRQs of a Firewire device, unless it is a PCI Firewire card, in which case you can uninstall it and try reinstalling it in a different PCI slot. What you will have to do is try and free up some system resources, going through and disabling any devices you are not using.
Also, you may want to try optimizing your system for audio. There are some very helpful tips at the following websites:
http://www.musicxp.net/tuning_tips.htm
http://www.pcaudiolabs.com/setuptips.asp
Make sure you are selecting the appropriate driver in Cakewalk, and make sure the sample rate matches on both your FW410 Control Panel and in Cakewalk. If you are going to make changes to your sample rate in the FW410 Control Panel, you must first quit all audio applications.
Hope this helps. There is also an extensive KNOWLEDGEBASE section on our website under SUPPORT that has answers to main frequently asked questions. (
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.kbase )
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
best,
SN
Tech Support
M-Audio Technical Support
techsupt@m-audio.com
626.633.9055
7am-7pm PST Monday-Friday