PC problem

[seeker]

Dear Sir,

Iam having alot of problem with my PC (Win98se). My PC crashes so often and had to reformat C drive and reinstalled Win98se. This happened after connecting to SCV Cable modem.

I am using an A-Bit BE6 motherboard with Celeron 466 and 128MB Ram. Graphic card is 3D Creative Blaster RivaTNT 2. Sound card is Creative Sound Blaster Live! Value. IE 5.5 SP1 with MediaPlayer 7 installed. SCV supplied an USB SmartNIC cable.to be connected to their Terayon TJ110 Cable modem.

While serving cable my PC would suddenly go blue with some VxD VPICD(01) and VxD ISO (01) message. After rebooting, my PC will go into save mode.

Now the worse thing is I cannot reboot. I received a dos message stating ... Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter. The thing is after pressing enter for so many times and yet nothing happened.

Do you thing there is a system conflict somewhere or is IE 5.5 SP1 and Window MediaPlayer 7 causing this problem.

Please advise

Rdgs.

seeker.

[Paleo Pete]

I wouldn't think IE 5.5 or Media Player would cause all that, but I've seen plenty to convince me they're both buggy...

For the invalid system disk error, boot to a win98 start up disk, and at the command prompt, type sys_c: using a space in place of the underscore ( _ ). That will transfer the system files and make the disk bootable.

Then call the cable company, and see what they have to say, if all this started after their hardware installation, I would think it was related to their components or software they installed.

I can't find anything about VPICD on the MSKB without the exact error message, but VxD refers to a virtual device driver.




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Soon as I come up with all the answers...they change the questions!!

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[seeker]

Hi Pete,

Thanks and sorry, forgot to add that the cable modem with the USB connecter works fine on my Toshiba Notebook, running on 333MHz and with 96 MB EDO Ram. Do you still suspect the fault to be cable modem?

[scada]

The VPICD.VXD or "virtual programmable interrupt controller device" has services for allocating IRQ lines.

The "ISO" proably refers to the I/O Supervisor (IOS) which provides services to file systems and drivers. "ISO" is also indicated in many different network protocol stacks and file system structures.


I agree with Pete that it's your new hardware that's causing the problem. It's a safe bet to start looking there first.

Hope this helps http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif



[This message has been edited by scada (edited 12-08-2000).]

[seeker]

Hi Scada,
Tks for you message. Sorry, it should be IOS. Another question... when my PC reboots it shows this message... SB16 Emulator Driver not loading and SB IRQ conflicting with PCI IRQ. I have downloaded both Updates for my Creative 3D Blaster RivaTNT2 and Sound Blaster Live! Value. Could it be that I did not install them properly.

Would certainly appreciate if you could advice.

Rdgs.
seeker

[scada]

No, I wouldn't think so. It's proably your network card which has taken a IRQ or other resource that the SB wants. ( network cards,like the video BIOS, "initialize" long before the rest of your operating system.)

To check open the Device Manager then sound,video and game controllers. And see if any conflicts are reported. Then check your network card's resources by clicking the network adapters icon in Device Manager. See if it's using the same IRQ,memory range or Input/output range as the SB card.


If a conflict exist you could change the network cards resources here or boot to DOS and use a setup disk supplied with the network card. Or you could change the setup of your Sound Blaster. However, I would call the "cable guys" back out and have them take a look.


Good luck http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif



[This message has been edited by scada (edited 12-08-2000).]

[seeker]

Thank you Scada,
Found Creative SB Live! Value using IRQ 09 and Intel 82371 AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller is also using IRQ 09. When I checked Device List for both items, it showed (No Conflict).
Coming back to the SB 16 Emulator Driver not loading and SB IRQ conflicting with PCI IRQ, how do I go about resolving it. Sorry about it be I am actually a Computer illiterate but is keen to learn if you are willing to teach.
Once again Thank You for your assistance.
Rdgs.
seeker

[sleddog]

I'd try this: shutdown and power off, remove the SB card, reboot the system, remove the SB device/drivers, shutdown and power off, replace the SB card, reboot and see if plug and play assigns correct (non-conflicting) resources for the SB card.

[Paleo Pete]

sleddog Right procedure, wrong order...Remove the card from Device Manager first, in Safe Mode, (remove ALL devices shown, by the way) then shut down and remove it physically, reboot, shut down and reinstall.

If you try and remove the card first, you'll get an error message when you try to reboot. (Device was not found.)

------------------
Soon as I come up with all the answers...they change the questions!!

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[seeker]

HI Pete,
Tried to do what you advised, but still get the SB Emulator not Loading and SB IRQ conflicting with PCI IRQ. Really don't know what to do. Could my settings in CMOS is wrong? Thought of reformatting my C Drive and reinstall Win98se but do not know the actual steps. I have a Windows 98se Startup Disk created.
Do you thing it's advisable to do this.
Kindly advise if not to bothersome with the steps to reformat my C Drive.

Appreciate.
Rdgs.
Seeker

[seeker]

Hi Pete,
Sorry, I forgot to add that when my PC boots up I hear a single beep sound which was quite normal, but when the Flying logo with the Windows 98 appears there is another beep sound which I don't think is normal. Could this happened because of the SB16 Emulator Driver not Loading?
Rdgs.
seeker

[Paleo Pete]

Don't reinstall yet, it might not be necessary.

Is the second beep just one beep or a pattern?

The main problem here is a conflict with IRQ 9, which is in use by 2 devices.

Open Device Manager and highlight Computer Click the Properties button. You'll see a list of the IRQ's currently in use. Normally sound cards use IRQ 5, see if it's open. Write down all open IRQ's.

Go to the sound card properties, click the Resources tab. Write down the IRQ, I/O and DMA currently in use for the sound card. Uncheck the radio button beside "Use Automatic Configuration". Go through the available options, and see if you have one that allows IRQ 5 with the same I/O and DMA addresses that are currently in use. Change to that one.

In some cases you might also have to change a jumper on the card to let it use a different IRQ, check the documentation with the card to be sure.


------------------
Soon as I come up with all the answers...they change the questions!!

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[seeker]

Sorry Pete,
This is going to be a long list :

Setting Hardware Using Setting
00 System timer
01 Standard 101/102 Key or MS Natural Keyboard
02 Programmable Interupt Controller
03 Com Port (COM2)
04 Com Port (COM1)
05 Creative SB16 Emulation
06 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
07 Printer Port (LTP1)
08 System CMOS/real time clock
09 Intel 82371 AB/Eb PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
09 3D Blaster RIVA TNT2
09 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
09 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
10 HPT 366 Ultra DMA controller
10 HPT 366 Ultra DMA controller
10 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 Adaptec AHA-152X/AHA 1510 SCSI Host Adapter
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 Numeric data processor
14 Intel 82371 AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
14 Primary IDE Controller (dual fifo)
15 Intel 82371 AB/EB PCI Bus Master Controller
15 Secondary IDE Controller (dual fifo)

As you can notice, for IRQ 09, there is 4 items sharing, IRQ 10, 3 items, 14 & 15 two items each.
I tried to change the IRQ for Creative SB Live! Value which shares the same IRQ (09) with Intel 82371 AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller and was warned with a dialogue box saying NO MODIFICATION ALLOW! By the way when I look at the Conflicting Device Settings, it showed No Conflicts.

What should I do now. Or is it possible that I do not understand what you are trying to teach me.
I MUST TRY HARDER TO UNDERSTAND.

Thank You

seeker

[Paleo Pete]

OK, now I'm running out of ideas...

The main thing I see is no open IRQ's. Unless you're using 2 mice, you can free one by disabling the one you're not using in BIOS. That would be either COM1 or PS/2 mouse, depending on which...PS/2 uses IRQ 12, COM1 uses IRQ 4.

That's why it wouldn't let you change settings, no available IRQ to set it to. If you have a serial mouse, disable PS/2 support in BIOS, and try it again, maybe you can change the setting to IRQ 12, but you may still have problems in other areas, since some games only "see" certain IRQ's for sound...

The Creative listing on IRQ 9 looks like the video card...unless I'm mistaken, which is not only possible, but probable...The Creative SB16 Emulation sound card is already on IRQ 5 where it should be..3D Blaster is video...I think...

A call to the cable company has been recomnmended, have you done that? I strongly suspect this is all related to hardware they installed and didn't thoroughly check out...If it happened as a result of their installation, I would think it would be in their better interest to fix it, especially if they want to keep their customers...and not get a bad reputation...then again, I'm not sure if I would want someone working on my computer again who has already been into it once and left it in this kind of shape...

At any rate, a call to the company might not be a bad idea, they might have some ideas we haven't even thought of.

------------------
Soon as I come up with all the answers...they change the questions!!

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[seeker]

Thanks Pete,

I want everyone out there to know how much I appreciate you and your team-mates' response to my predicament. I managed to get in tough with the Creative Technical Support people and they told me to Disable the SB16 Emulation in IRQ 5. After doing that I rebooted my PC and the conflict between the SB IRQ & PCI IRQ was eliminated. When I went back to locate the IRQs in Device Manager, both SB & PCI still share the same IRQ-05. You were absolutely correct, the SB that was conflicting with the PCI is a video card(Creative 3D Blaster Riva TNT 2)

Once again, allow me to say a big THANK YOU for you kind assistance and I shall endeavour to visit this PAGE as often as possible to pick up on my PC Knowledge. A great page to visit.

Rdgs

seeker

P.S.
Do not know how to us the Bold icon. Care to enlighten me.