After having problems with my xfi-gamer card on winxp sp2, especially with mediumdistance sounds from apcs and helicopters, i googled for a while and found this:
1. check bios for settings for your onboardsound, must be
disabled.
2. download latest driver for x-fi card from
Creative | United Kingdom | Customer Support: Downloads
should be version 2.15.0006 for all cards except of the x-fi-audio, which uses different driver.
3. run installation with automatic deinstall of old drivers.
4. once the new driver is installed, open up Creative audioconsole and do (following infos can be different for every x-fi-card and os)
4.1 click the (loud)speaker tab.
uncheck the "synchronize with ms windows system". choose your loudspeakers. i strongly recommend to use stereo headphones to have best results. set SVM off.
4.2 click CMSS-3D tab.
Check CMSS-3D Headphones. Macro FX automatic, highfilter on.
4.3 click the EAX effects tab.
Check activate Eax effect, set slider to around 2.0dB
4.4 click the modus tab. set to
gamemodus.
4.5 click X-Fi Crystalizer, activate it and set slider to 70%. this will enhance the intromusic

.
5. now open up the
windows soundcontrol-panel and set the loudspeakersetup to
5.1 or 7.1.
6.
reboot your computer.
7. set ingame sound to eax and ultrahigh.
so what have we done now? the game generates surroundsound cause of the 5.1 or 7.1 setting in windows, out of this your x-fi-card generates the virtual surroundsound in your simple stereoheadphones (called CMSS-3D). this works really well and enhances the gameplay alot!
please give me feedback if this guide works for you. i will try to make it unspecific as possible.
Edit:
found more information about the openal-update.
1. download and execute the openal-installer as suggested before.
2. go to folder windows/system32 and find the OpenAL32.dll, copy it.
3. browse to your battlefield 2-folder and find the BF2OpenAL.dll, rename it to BF2OpenAL.bak (your backupfile now).
4. paste the OpenAL32.dll into the battlefield 2-folder, rename it to BF2OpenAL.dll.
5. start pr and enjoy!
please give feedback for confirmation!