SB Pro? CT 4810

[LadyGrey]

Ok Gurus I'm at a total loss here. For the last two weeks I've been donating my time and what knowledge I have to help The ARC with donated computers that are fixed up and sent out to families that have differently challenged young adults and adults to run programs on for money, math, spelling, life skills, and any other programs that may help them. In most cases these computers are not internet capable. They don't need to be, nor should they be. I've worked on old old Dells 1980s, HPs and now I'm working on an Infinity. It's this computer that is giving me fits with the soundcard. It's very difficult to give accurate specs as these computers go through another person before they get to me so I'm really starting from scratch.
I'll give you what I know and what I've done.

C. 1990s Infinity
Windoze 98 SE , that is the preferred OS
TYAN Trinity K7
AMD Athlon 700 MHz
128 MB RAM
Two WD HDD 4 gig and 2 gig
NO onboard anything, all done with cards.
All available updates for 98 SE, does have USB ports so got it online wireless.
I have googled and searched and found all kinds of drivers for the card. I've tried every way I can to install. The driver itself, add new hardware, device manager, nothing is working. It will start to install, then sometimes ask for the W98SE disk, which I have, then will freeze or crash when the grey screen says SB PCI (WDM). Nothing else, no error message.
Any help would really be appreciated as there is a family with a high functioning young adult like Donnie that is waiting for this one. In this case the computer can have online capabilities and it has a modem and an ethernet card but I'll cross those when I come to them.
Many Thanks,
LGhttp://www.pcguide.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Sylvander]

Am I correct in thinking that the problem is in bringing the sound card into use?

Yes, soundcards can be tricky.
And I'm no expert either, but did my son's Sound Blaster Live card.

What make/kind of sound card is it?
"SB PCI (WDM)"
SB = Sound Blaster?
PCI = It's a PCI card.
WDM = Windows tried to install a generic Windows driver [not so good as the OEM version; do you have the manufacturers driver for the card?]

"The driver itself, add new hardware, device manager, nothing is working."
What you really need is the manufacturers installation instructions.
And the correct installation program [if that's what is used].
1. Sometimes they say to run installation program BEFORE fitting the card in place.
2. Sometimes to fit the card then run the program.
With my son's SB card it was number 1.
If yours is the same, then you need to...
a. Either go to "Add/Remove Programs" and remove the sound card software; or boot into safe mode and go to Device Manager and remove all the "Sound, Video & Game Controller" devices.
b. Then shut down the PC and remove the sound card.
c. Then boot the PC and install the sound card software/drivers.
d. Then shut down the PC and fit the card.
e. Then startup the PC. The new card should be detected and the driver wizard should run and either ask to be given the driver, or else find it automatically and install it.
"then sometimes ask for the W98SE disk" means it is looking for the generic Windows driver held in a CAB file among the Windows installation files. Only give it the [files on the] CD if you intend to use the generic driver [not the best].
The important file the wizard is looking for is the ".inf" file.
Are the driver files you have a set including and ".inf" file, or is it an installation program that puts all the settings in the registry and the files in their place on the C: partition?

[LadyGrey]

Hi Syl, Thanks so much for the answer.

The card is, and this is what is says on the card,
CT 4810
On the chip it says
Creative CT5880 DCQ
Everest reported it as a Soundblaster Pro, but in my research I've seen it listed as a Vibra and an Ensoniq both Soundblasters I believe.
There is no disk, this computer is very old that's why I've been doing all the searching for drivers and it went through another person working on it before I got it too.
I will try your suggestions. I've already pulled the card and restarted. I've been into the registry and gotten anything Creative there. I've been into device manager and gotten everything there. So I'll try the put in the drivers first and then the card and see what happens.
The two different drivers I've found that I think should work are both auto-installs as far as I can tell. I think I'll try to install the card in Safe Mode too and see what happens, couldn't hurt.
Thanks again,
LG;)

[Sylvander]

Did some searching [aint it fun :) ]

At the Creative support site I searched for CT4810 and the result was that it was past the "End of Service Life" and it directed me to the Creative forum.
Searched there for CT4810 and someone gave a link to a download file.
Downloaded SBAudioSetup_W9x.zip and unzipped it...
Result = 2 files as shown below.
One of those an installation executable [SoundBlaster Audio Setup, US version I suppose].

[saphalline]

Also try a different PCI slot. Or try going into the BIOS and messing around with the IRQ allocations. It sounds like Windows is recognizing it and trying to install it, but is having problems initializing the device.

[LadyGrey]

Thanks so much for all the help. I've decided that I'm going to do a tear down on this little devil. It is not only the sound card issue, but now it will sometimes recognize the HDDs and vid card and sometimes not, flaky little thing!:D So I'm going to just take it all apart and put the mobo on cardboard and start adding things and see where the problem is, could be just a lose wire or card. It's a midrange tower so not really much room to work. If it's the mobo itself that will really be a problem as it's an old old slot A, slot 1, whatever those old processors are that look like a black box.
I'll let ya know how things go. I'm working on an old IBM flat top now. Yeah I know, given my past experience with IBMs amazing the sledge hammer hasn't come out!!!:D :D It's actually a nice old thing. Has it's own speaker so no external speakers are needed, onboard video, little old 350MHz P2, only 64MB of RAM:eek: but seems to be trotting along quite nicely with W98SE.
Thanks again for all the help, oh btw Syl those are the exact same drivers I've been trying to use, and I so appreciate you taking the time to go and look for me!!!
LG;)

[saphalline]

AMD used Slot A ("A" for AMD I always say). Intel used Slot 1.

Well, good luck with the tear down. I hope it doesn't turn into a burn-up! :eek: ;)

[Sylvander]

Keep on having fun. :D :cool:

[david eaton]

The same advice given in so many threads lately. Get a new CMOS battery!