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Sound Card Locks Computer

By nobby57 ·
Hope this isn't too basic but it has me
buffaloed: HP PPro 200 with 160MB RAM, one
open ISA and one open PCI slots, ATI Rage II+
PCI video card, Belkin USB PCI card, external
US Robotics 56k modem, Win98SE in new
install; apps include Microtek 4800 software,
Norton SysWorks, IE&OE, Nikon camera
software. Problem is this: since fresh install of
98SE on reformatted HD sound has not
worked. Old sound card was an ALS 120 ISA
card but after new OS installed constant
lockups seemed to be related to card in that
sound did not work and, when card was
removed, computer operated OK. Got a SB ISA
card and although Windows reported (when I
could get that far) that there were no problems
with the card, computer usually locks on
Windows fanfare or later when some event
triggers sound (like buttons in Norton which
click when you mouse over them.) Same
behavior with a second SB 2940 card. ALS
card was removed from system both
physically and from Device Manager. I have
checked for resource conflicts and not only
does Windows not report any but I cannot see
any by inspection using System Information
and Aida32. Just removed the second SB
CT2940 card and now computer runs fine. It is
a problem with the computer or the software,
not the cards, right? Seems the odds would
run against three bad cards in a row. Thanks
for your help!

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by milton.selva In reply to Sound Card Locks Computer

Dear Friend:

I think that you haven't any problem with those card, however it would be interesting to install these components on another machine ( Of course with the same OS and hadware configuration).
In the other hand, I believe it's a software problem. In this point we have two cases:
1. Operating System Problem ( Installing, Configuration and/or HW Requirements).
2. Mutual incompatibility ( Device driver).
Please, check the HP Homepage for similar cases.
Good luck,

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by nobby57 In reply to

Poster rated this answer.

Thanks for the input, Milton. I am closing the question, even though the problem was never solved. I still think it is some sort of resource conflict but can't find it. Thanks again!
Reid

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by nobby57 In reply to Sound Card Locks Computer

Dear Milton,

Yeah, I think so too. Install went well and the
driver called for on the Creative web site is the
one included with Windows. There is no BIOS
upgrade available from HP. Anyhow, the card
was made about the same time as the
computer, back in the dark ages, they kinda go
together! What is more standard than a Sound
Blaster sound card? That's why I got it. Thanks
for the input!

Reid

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by Chris910 In reply to Sound Card Locks Computer

You probaply have a conflicting IRQ or Port that you are unaware of. As I recall the cards you are talking about are not fully "Plug and Pray" and require either a Jumper to be set or a configuration program to be run on the card in order to configure the IRQ and PORT for the hardware. Then you need to manually configure the software settings in device manager to match the hardware.

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by nobby57 In reply to

Poster rated this answer.
Chris910, thanks. It didn't lead anywhere but I did make a more thorough check than I had done previously. As stated above, I believe it is some sort of conflict but damned if I can find it. I may try one more thing, which is to physically take out and remove from Device Manager the USB PCI card (because I noticed that when the lockups occurred, the USB mouse didn't get found, and when I took the SB card out again, the computer found the mouse without trouble). Then I could reinstall the SB sound card and see how it worked. If it was OK, I could reinstall the USB PCI card, a Belkin, and maybe it would configure itself around the sound card -- I see no conflict reported anywhere, but maybe it is a setting I can't see. If it works, I will post here.

Reid

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by nobby57 In reply to Sound Card Locks Computer

Dear Chris910,

Yes, that was my first thought too -- card was reported as assigned IRQ5 DMA1 DMA5 & I/O 0220-022F, 0330-0331, 0388-038B -- none of which are reported as being in use anywhere else by my own visual inspection using Aida32. Windows reports no conflicts. I have the card out now and see no jumpers/DIP settings on it. Creative site mentions no configuration software although the card is about 9 years old and maybe they discontinued it. If anyone knows of a source for such software, if it is required, please let me know!

Thanks, Reid

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by pierrejamme In reply to Sound Card Locks Computer

What is showing up in the "Device Manager"?
Do you have any yellow exclamation points or red X's? Does your PCI steering bridge show up. Win98 doesn't usually have drivers for your chipset, for example "Intel 82801 EB PCI Bridge", "Via PCI Controller" etc or something similar, they have to come from the motherboard manufacturer. without a working PCI device you will have problems installing PCI cards.

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by nobby57 In reply to

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Pierrejamme,

Again, not a direct hit, but your suggestion led me to comb through the Device Manager and eventually find the phantom conflict alluded to above, under "io read data port for ISA Plug and Play enumerator" which may not have been causing the problem but which I was able to eventually rectify. It was not marked with yellow or red but a note in a subwindow, and I don't find any evidence that it really existed, but maybe there are some settings we can't see. Thanks!

Reid

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by esimelaro In reply to Sound Card Locks Computer

Try this but change the sound scheme in your os. It could be a bad sound file.

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by nobby57 In reply to

Poster rated this answer.
esimelaro,

Something I hadn't thought of, could have been it, but it wasn't. I thought it was a good point, though. Thanks!

Reid

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