CDROM Audio & PCI video card

[Ayman Altounji]

Judging from earlier posted threads, the Forum moderators probably won't comment, though I hope they will. Therefore, anyone who has run into the following, please comment and assist.

* P120 w/ 212Mb RAM (maxed out). BIOS (E15 family) upgraded w/ ROMPAQ v.404 Rev A. and the System Config Utility w/ v.2.53 Rev A. I've successfully installed Windows 2000 Professional onto this machine, and successfully added an external SCSI 4Gb HD for more space. The following I can't figure out:

1. Audio CD not playing through the sound card.
* SoundBlaster 16-bit PnP ISA card, model CT2940, OEM similar to CT2959. MP3s, WAV, radio, etc come through just fine. However, when playing a music CD, the sound won't come through the sound card to the external speakers.
* An audio cable is connected between the SCSI CDROM player, CRD-254V, and the SoundBlaster card (two MPC2 connectors at each end). A continuous series of "fixed, repetitive clicks" comes through the speakers while playing the music CD.
* Any ideas why? Do the jumpers on the sound card or CD ROM player need to be configured a certain way? Or will CD audio from a SCSI CD ROM player not work when played through an IDE sound card? Or will the CRD-254V not be able to play music CDs?

2. PCI video card.
* I am trying out a Magic Video 3D-EP 8Mb PCI video card made by I/O Magic, model # DR-DP500 to achieve higher and more stable resolution.
* I've "Enabled" DIP switch 1 (the "On" position) in SW1 in order to "disable" the built-in video controller. However, after saving the added PCI video card into the BIOS config, Windows 2000 does not allow me to update the Adapter settings for newer video drivers (it's grayed out and not available to change).
* Has anyone been successful adding a third-party card as such and make it work? What did you have to do?
* Is there a way to disable Video Cache and Snoop, etc in the BIOS? I couldn't find them. Can I disable the built-in video controller in Windows 2000 prior to "adding" the new video card during the next shutdown & restart?

Thanks.

[Ayman Altounji]

A follow-up to the Video card problem..

* In the system BIOS, under Examine Switch and Print report / System Prosignia 300 System Board, the System Config file reads that SW 1-6 (all) needs to be in the OFF position (manufacture's settings). Is there a way that I can change it so that the config will read DIP switch 1 be ON, so that the built-in video controller on the system board is disabled? Or does flipping DIP switch 1 to ON disables it, but this reporting tool is not correct? I get the feeling that I'm missing 1 or 2 steps away from making this work.

* Also, something called VGASAVE popped up (in Device Manager) during the initial attempt when I installed the video card and booted W2K. Ever since that, Blue Screen will appear during the boot sequence, just before the log-on screen. This stops, once I remove the video card, resave the BIOS settings w/o the card, and reboot.

* My next attempt is to Add New Hardware to install the video drivers for this card (SiS 6326 chipset), it'll read w/ a "!" in Device Manager, Uninstall the Compaq video adapter, Shut down, install the video card, flip the DIP switch, and power on. More to come..

Thanks for any input!

[Ayman Altounji]

Did you run System Configuration Utility and create a cfg-file for your ISA sound card, where you tell the system, what resources the card uses? I think the system is not aware of the card before that.

I have Prosignia 300, too, but I haven't tried PCI display adapter in it.

[Ayman Altounji]

The SoundBlaster 16 ISA sound card is not a true plug and play device in a Windows 2000 OS environment. The SoundBlaster ISA card requires that you run the diagnostic DOS utility that comes with the sound card and manually set and verify the IRQ, hex address, DMA channels and I/O memory address that is used by the card first. Write down all of the hardware resource setting that show up using the SoundBlaster utility.



Next you run the Compaq system configuration program and install a generic ISA device. You have to manually edit the resource setting for the ISA device to be a perfect match to what was shown in the SoundBlaster diagnostic utility. The Compaq system configuration utility cannot be used to change the hardware settings on the SoundBlaster sound card. You are just mapping out and reserving the resources that are being used so you will not have a hardware conflict with another device in the system. Make sure that none of the SoundBlaster resource settings are being used by another device. If you find a conflict, change the configuration of the sound card using the SoundBlaster utility. Then re-run the Compaq system configuration program. Save the new hardware configuration for the generic ISA device to CMOS.



When you install the SoundBlaster 16 drivers into the OS you must verify that the resource settings used in the OS are a perfect match for the settings that showed up in the SoundBlaster diagnostic utility. I have a SoundBlaster 16 ISA sound card working perfectly with Windows 2000 using these manual configuration procedures.

[Ayman Altounji]

I'm no certification expert, but I was correct in my previous hunch, and was able to make the PCI video card work with Win 2000 Professional. Here it is a step-by-step of what you need to do:

1. The trick is some how REMOVE the Cirrus Logic 64xx/542x Graphics Adapter from Device Manager, and use whatever PCI W2K video adapter you purchase. Check Microsoft's HCL for compatibility. The idea is to install the new software drivers for the new video card (first) before you physically install it. In other words, don't depend (or let) W2K's plug-n-play feature try to find your new video adapter.

2. Logged in as Admin, run through the Add/Remove Hardware to REMOVE all of the entry(s) for (Display)video adapter that pertains to Cirrus Logic, VGASAVE, and Monitor. It appears somehow the Monitor (type) is linked to the Display video adapter. Make sure that you enable the Show Hidden Devices check box to see everything.

3. Next, run through to ADD New Hardware, your new Video Adapter's software. Apply the supplied software drivers with the video card. When it finishes, you'll see the yellow "!" next to that card. The error should read that it "could not be started" (that makes sense for now until you next power cycle with the adapter installed). Turn off your ProSignia 300.

5. I assume here that you have the latest BIOS and System Configuration Utility already upgraded and installed. Flip PIN 1 of (DIP) SWitch 1 on the motherboard to the ON position. This position does not allow the Cirrus Logic video adapter to be seen by the BIOS.

6. Install your new PCI Video card and reconnect the monitor cable to the new VGA port. Power on.

7. Don't press F10 to save your newly added PCI card just yet. Allow W2K to boot completely. You want to make sure that it sees the new video card. You know you are successful when you click on the Adapter Tab of the Default Monitor in the Advance Button of the Display Properties in Control Panel, and you see all of the properties of the new card. And you can also change the Refresh Rate and Screen Area (resolution) size.

8. If you made it this far, go back into the Add/Remove Hardware and REMOVE the Cirrus Logic Display adapter. Shut Down completely.

9. Power On and allow W2K to boot completely again to make sure that the screen size resolution remains where you last shut down. If so, upon your next reboot, press F10 to Save the newly added PCI card into the System Configuration file.

Now you can work with W2K Professional on this server-based machine with the ability to change to your taste the screen resolution. If you run into problems, more than likely they will be:

Check for newer or even try one release older of software drivers from either the ChipSet maker of video card. I ended up going to the SiS web-site in Taiwan to downloaded their drivers. I ended up using their's instead of I/O Magic's supplied drivers in the pre-packaged CD ROM that was included. Be prepared for lots of trial and error, and frustration.

Next, tackling the CDROM. The ISA 16bit sound card is playing radio music from the internet, WAV and MP3 files, etc. There are no conflicts that I could find in Device Manager, I do realize that this card is not a true plug-n-play device. However, W2K did pick all the "right settings" so that there would be no conflcts. It's not that high priority at this point to make this work. The video display problem was.

I'll look into this more carefully with your suggestions, Mljokkoi and Rob.
Thanks, and good luck with this particular video card work-around that I concocted!!