Took 5 "interactions" with their tech department to get my Live! 5.1 able to send out a 5.1 signal again. Their suggestion was to reinstall the card. 4 times.
Didn't work.
What did? Well, finally the last guy says "raise your desktop resolution to as high a setting as your monitor can support and maybe you'll be able to find the 5.1 toggle switch."
So, I bump the resolution slider up about 3 notches, and there's my 5.1 toggle, way off screen, where it stayed even after uninstalling the drivers, totally wiping the system clean in both registry and folders of all driver traces, as directed to by Creative. The simplest solution presented on the 5th try. Woo. Hoo. Well, at least I could watch DVD's again in full surround.