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View Full Version : How to force IRQ change in Win98

MardiM2
03-03-2003, 05:22 PM
I am a new A+ tech. I have a sound card (Sound Blaster Live! Platinum) and new video card (ATI Radeon 8500LE) which insist on using the same IRQ but will not share, thus system freezes.

Device Manager will not let me modify the IRQ assignments, so I need to force it somehow. I tried diddling with the BIOS, but to no avail. Is a registry hack my only alternative? I've already tried numerous things, like getting updated drivers and putting different cards in different slots.
Budfred
03-03-2003, 10:37 PM
Did you try unchecking "Use automatic settings" before changing the IRQ setting???
MardiM2
03-03-2003, 10:41 PM
Yes. Also, at this point I have updated the BIOS and downloaded latest version of 4in1 Drivers.
Budfred
03-03-2003, 10:50 PM
IF you have the manuals, you can check to see if there is a jumper or other hardware setting on the cards themselves that can change the IRQ. I have seen this in the past, but I am not sure if these cards would have it.
MardiM2
03-03-2003, 11:12 PM
Jumper reconfig apparently not an option. Thanks for trying to help, tho! = )
gwallen4
03-03-2003, 11:15 PM
What's your motherboard Mardi?
classicsoftware
03-03-2003, 11:22 PM
have you tried a different slot for the sound card?
MardiM2
03-03-2003, 11:46 PM
Yes, sound card is in a different slot now (leaving Slot 1 open, just in case).

Motherboard is an AOpen Ak72 with latest BIOS (just flashed it a few days ago). It has an AMD 750 chip.
gwallen4
03-04-2003, 12:12 AM
In your bios under PNP/PCI Configurations it looks like you can assign IRQ's to PCI devices.

Under Resources Controlled by Auto/Manual - select manual to get to the screen where you can assign IRQ's. The Aopen Ak72 manual doesn't go any further in its explanation, but maybe you can figure it out from there.
MardiM2
03-04-2003, 12:16 AM
All you can do from there is to select PnP or Legacy. You cannot assign a specific device to a specific IRQ (that I can see). Just for kicks, I changed IRQs 5, 7, 9 and 11 to Legacy, hoping to free them up, but Windows98 interpreted them as unavailable and jammed everything into the remaining IRQs. (sigh)
gwallen4
03-04-2003, 12:29 AM
I know you've done this but I started to wonder if you have disabled the onboard sound and whether that would do anything.

Also, you could try taking the sound card out, removing the drivers in device manager using Safe Mode, then reinstalling it. Don't hold your breath on this one.

Sorry. I've got no other ideas.
malcore
03-04-2003, 12:52 AM
Do you have PnP OS enabled in BIOS or are you letting the BIOS handle IRQ assignments?
CuratoR
03-05-2003, 04:07 AM
Why don't u try to disable all the com & lpt ports thru the BIOS if u don't use them and then see if it helps. If not try changing that IRQ(the one which is shared among the two) to legacy and see what happens.
MardiM2
03-09-2003, 02:28 PM
(BIG sigh of relief!!)

Taking a little of most everyone’s advice (gleaned from this and other trouble-shooting sites), here’s what I did:

I read somewhere that SoundBlaster REALLY wants IRQ 5, so I freed as many IRQs as I could.

I disabled on-board sound by changing jumper (which freed IRQ 11);

In BIOS, disabled serial port #2 (freeing IRQ 3);

In BIOS, disabled parallel part (freeing IRQ 7 (or 5, depending upon which reading you look at));

In BIOS, disabled onboard sound (freeing IRQ 5);

In BIOS, disabled onboard modem;

Pulled ALL cards except video and Sound Blaster;

Uninstalled all device-related software;

Reloaded SoundBlaster and it WORKED! (It took IRQ 9 and 10, but what the heck.)

Also, I figured out that the main probable reason the system was freezing on startup was because the wireless NIC card was installed prior to its software installation (installation manual says install software first, but who reads directions? <grin>).

Thanks for EVERYONE’s advice and suggestions!! Just shows to go ya that teamwork really helps!