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Update On An Old Problem
This is an update to my post at the following url:
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/For...ML/049151.html
I have found what is causing the problem but I don't know what to do about it. I installed my Creative SoundBlaster Live sound card this morning. Reboot. Message: "emm386 not loading...himem.sys not found...page frame base address not set...upper memory available 46Kb...." that's right Kb. I promptly removed the card's drivers. Of course,"Not all component's could be removed..you should manually remove...." This is of course a piece of software pissed off from being removed saying, "screw you, edit the registry yourself and get rid of me your own damned self. If you don't know how, well it sucks to be you don't it". Fortunately, I do. I removed all of about 2 dozen registry keys, searched for and renamed the config.sys file which creative created, {and was blank in the system configuration utility last night after a clean, error free format and windows re-installation--therefore not needed}and rebooted. Problem disappeared. A customer at work told me of conflicts with Creative sound cards and the Via 686 Southbridge controller chip, which could be causing this. He gave me a url for further info, which I promptly lost. The Creative website is of course no help since they would prefer to sell me another card, rather than support what I have. Ain't technical support wonderful?. UGH. Any ideas?
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
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try this url http://viahardware.com/686b_1.shtm
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Len
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One other thing that is really irking me at this point is the fact that I found out too late what was causing the problem. Ultimately my attempts to resolve the problem only made it worse, requiring a format, reinstall of Windows. Oh well, another lesson learned.
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
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wcwnet: excellent link!!!I guess if I don't find a solution here or can manage to create a fix myself, my only option is to change sound cards. I guess I should add that I have an Asus A7M266 Motherboard with AMD 761 and Southbridge 686B, rev. 1.04, as opposed to Southbridge 686.
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
[This message has been edited by rednek tek (edited 10-08-2001).]
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After having reviewed the link given above at viatech hardware, I will probably just get another soundcard. Some of the fixes suggested at this site, such as latest 4 in 1 drivers, and any available BIOS updates, are worthwhile for better overall system performance, while others are way too risky. I don't see the wisdom in running patches to accomodate only one problematic device, with the possibility of causing other way more serious configuration or resource conflicts elsewhere, including possibly trashing the BIOS. (I DON'T WANNA GO THERE!!!) Therefore, it seems that the only sane approach is to get another soundcard and return the one I have. I could have saved myself a lot of frustration had I known of the Soundblaster-VIA conflict when purchasing my hardware for the buildup. Thanks for the tips and suggestions.
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
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If you have no plans to play DOS games requiring sound, you should be able use sound blaster without the DOS emulation drivers attempting to load -- which is what is wanting emm386.exe
When you install SB, do a custom install and skip the Emulation component, or if you can go to the Device Manager disable or remove it.
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What the Dormouse said
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I'll try the custom install and see how that works. I know that simply disabling the legacy emulation drivers doesn't work--I've already tried that. What other sound cards in the price range of this one (SB Live MP3+) would be good bets--I have just now started doing online research for a possible replacement.
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
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You know just the old sb cards are just as good.. soundblasters series. I mean until you find a sound card you like. mach
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Rog: I believe the problem is solved. Using your tip, I custom reinstalled the card without the DOS drivers. Restarted. Hardware wizard. [cancel] The error messages didn't return. No MPU401 legacy emulation device in device manager, but Creative SB16 Emulation did install. Promptly disabled that, then restarted. Hardware wizard came up again. I determined that the SB16 Emulation drivers were causing this because the hardware wizard came up while tinkering with resource settings. Bill Gates salute (twice), because Windows tried to automatically install drivers without my approval. I would have none of that after making positive progress!!! I then deliberately installed incorrect drivers for Creative SB16 Emulation to fool Windows and stop the Hardware wizard from hanging the system during bootup. Having to be around to cancel the hardware wizard at every boot/reboot was going to get real irritating, real quick. Not to mention possibly causing corrupt installs with legitimate hardware in the future. Again, I was having none of that. I ended up installing drivers for an ISDN device--which I don't have or never will have---to avoid possible confusion in any future troubleshooting sessions. Rebooted. Hardware wizard didn't appear. Disabled my new (nonexistent https://discussions.virtualdr.com/ https://discussions.virtualdr.com/ https://discussions.virtualdr.com/)multifunction adapters---NetCommander ISDN, both parent device and it's child--in device manager to avoid any possible conflicts of real hardware with a non-existent device. None of the previous errors have appeared. So far all appears to be well, except for one thing that has me concerned. The Soundblaster and my video card are on the same IRQ--Windows says no conflicts, device(s) functioning properly, but of course I'm not now using my soundcard, so I have my doubts about that status in the future. Windows won't let me change resource settings. Irq 5 is available (with SB16 disabled and incorrectly installed. IRQ 5 is what I would like to assign to my video card (Radeon VE). Any ideas here?? Anyone??
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
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Sheesh, I had no idea that was going to be such a bear to custom install without the DOS emulation. Couple times I suggested it in the past for shutdown problems, all I got back was "cool... it worked". But where there's a will there's a way, and looks like you found one.
Can you assign/reserve the video IRQ you want through the BIOS?
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What the Dormouse said
http://forums.techguy.org
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I went into the BIOS and manually assigned PCI slot 1, where the soundcard is, to IRQ 5. checked video card and sound card properties in device manager. BOTH now on IRQ 5. Video card is Radeon VE 4x AGP. Do the AGP slot and PCI 1 share the same IRQ by design?? I gotta feeling I'm gonna have to go through that installation nightmare again with the Soundblaster in another PCI slot, leaving slot one empty. Hopefully the third time will be the charm, if I do in fact have to uninstall/reinstall. UGH. I wish I had known that Soundblaster would be such a bear to deal with--I would have left it on the store shelf. Bargain hunter that I am--I thought I was getting a deal when I found it at Walmart for $60. I guess not!!!
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
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No the AGP should have it's own IRQ reserved for it. That is what the BIOS should allow for. But you may have a conflict with a PCI device in Slot 1, you should try moving it over.
For AGP, I believe IRQ's 5,9,10, or 11 are preferred.
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What the Dormouse said
http://forums.techguy.org
[This message has been edited by Rog (edited 10-22-2001).]
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It's been a long, frustrating battle, but as far as I know, I have this issue resolved with no known issues or conflicts. I uninstalled both my SoundBlaster and ModemBlaster, so that I could edit the registry and completely remove all things Creative. I then moved both modem and soundcard down one slot, leaving PCI 1 empty. Reinstalled modem. Custom reinstall of soundcard. Deliberately installed incorrect drivers for SB 16 emulation as before. Disabled SB16 and "Netcommander ISDN Parent (phony device to fool Windows) in device manager. ATI video card now on IRQ 11, Soundblaster on IRQ 10, no known problems. Whew!!! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/ https://discussions.virtualdr.com/ https://discussions.virtualdr.com/ https://discussions.virtualdr.com/
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640K ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates
