Author Topic: IRQ sharing and conflicts (Read 2682 times)

-ammo- · « **on:** August 16, 2001, 10:09:00 AM »

I dont know alot about the inward working of a PC. But this is what MSinfo32 says. First, a little background. My PC is very unstable right now. I have to reboot the thing at least 2 to 3 times a day to keep it running properly. This is a new developement. The one thing I have added is a DSL connection. Before I was a RR subscriber and then I moved. I then used a dialup for a brief time till the DSL came through. When I run AH, (i have to reboot before so AH will actually start) it runs fine. But when i close it I get an error, an invalid page fault. I can now not start AH again. I have WB3 on my machine for the AUG free trial. It will not work after I run AH. Basically I have to reboot again after I run AH to get the machine stable. I have other symptoms too. I use opera as my browser and outlook as my eamil client. Today opera gave me an error and then my PC started freezing up. Not a complete lock, but frames freezing on the screen. I Cnt+alt+del to see what is not responding, says outlook is not responding...Outlook is not open :)I never opened it. However Opera is setup to retrieve my email through outlook. Eventually the machine locks solid and I hard reset. This machine has become very unstable.

Heres the IRQ's that are conflicting/sharing--

Heres the other IRQ's-

Couple of notes, I use 2 USB devices, A mouse and a scanner. I have a yellow "?" on the Ps2 mouse device because I dont have one hooked up.

Heres a list of my components.

I am contemplating just doing a reformat on the machine, what do you think? If I donrt have to to make this thing run well then I wont.

[ 08-16-2001: Message edited by: -ammo- ]

Defiance · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2001, 12:01:00 PM »

Hiya,
OK just look inside pc (remove side or whatever) and note what cards are in which slot.......
Now what tends to happen on some mobos (motherboards) is when certain cards are added you get probs that don't show in system as conflicts (ctrl panel/system/general tab) as these are hidden l'il critters that windose can't figure out

Squinting at ya irq setup i see SB card is sharing ! baaaaad news as creatives caused me 3 probs on 3 pc configs so far, but are easily fixed by doing this.......

Your s-card and MX vidcard share an irq (the horror !) Find which pci slot your sb-card is on and also check mobo make/model if poss
If you have Via chipsets (north/south bridge square chips, North will be near cpu south usually 45 degree from it somewhere on mobo
If mobo is via place sb/card in say slot 3 or try another slot that's free.......
Now the fun part

......

Boot into bios (usually delete key) hold down til bios opens up, Find part for pci/irq's and whatever slot number you placed sb/card in assign IRQ 5 to that pci slot, Goto exit bios and use Save & Exit

Reboot and maybe this will help stop the prob

This is preliminary idea as i need mobo make/model to come up with a fix

PS where mouse has a ? by it click right on it or whatever and delete/remove it

Post mobo specs etc asap so i can work on it

Hope this helps

Have Fun

Def

bloom25 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2001, 12:15:00 PM »

Your soundcard is sharing with the video card. That's not good. Open the system up and make sure the soundcard is NOT in the first PCI slot (the one nearest to the video card). If it is, remove the soundcard in device manager and then shut the system down and move the card to a different slot. Depending on your system that will either be slot 2 or 3. ( 3 is normally free on systems with a promise controller built on.)

You may also have to reinstall your creative drivers.

Lephturn · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2001, 01:38:00 PM »

Heh... easy to see the problem there.

What model mainboard are you using? Do you use COM1 for anything?

qts · « **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2001, 03:20:00 PM »

Your sound and video cards are sharing. This is bad news. Go into the BIOS and turn off the mouse port. This will give you an extra IRQ. Then open your motherboard manual and find which PCI slots share IRQs. Rearrange the cards such that no IRQs are shared. If some must share, ensure that the video card does not.

Be warned that when you restart Windows, it will redetect much of your hardware.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2001, 03:58:00 PM »

ammo, I posted an answer to this in the Internet Forums, where you brought it up. Think the title was something about Microwarps.

-ammo- · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2001, 04:06:00 PM »

See I did this mess myself

I upgraded vid cards last year and dumped the ole Diamond viper. Additionally the old DV card was connected to the Harddrive controller or something by a wiring harness. Of coarse the MX card did not have the male end to connect. Nevertheless it still fired up and ran great.

With the exception of these probs Im having and the "tearing" I experience in AH sometime. Also this probably explains the scfeen freezes when I fired my guns in AH sorties. Ahhaa says the once blind man.

Defiance, is there a way for me to tell what brand and model MB I have without searching the MB itself? I mean a file or help, system info?

I tried to open DXdiagnose tool and it crashed

OK I will open the case and report back.

Thx Leph, qts, defiance, bloom

Defiance · « **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2001, 05:11:00 PM »

Hiya,
Only way without a look at the mobo itself is a combination of what....

cpu type
ram type (eg ddr or pc133 or funky expensive pen type ram, this eliminates several mobo's)
a fail safe way for checking via chipsets is see if you have any Via 4in1's installed on ya pc

To actually check the mobo is a simple task as long as you don't go at it like a bull in a china shop

Also look for known makes of drivers in system config eg via intel etc etc

As you look at front of pc you need to remove left side cover (assuming it's a tower) these usually unscrew at rear lip/edge and go backwards then off OR frontwards to come off (a type i like are front bezal off then sides come off frontwards

)

Real easy maybe need a tease with both palms of hands to ease it a bit to see which way she gotta come off
Generally follow sides to rear edge if any screwbolts ther she gotta come off backwards and that's it you can then take a good lokk at the guts

Power off to be safe n don't go rubbing ya sweaty mitts all over those silicone chips !!!

Hope this helps a bit more

Have Fun

Def

-ammo- · « **Reply #8 on:** August 16, 2001, 06:33:00 PM »

OK more info for you guys..

I posted this in response to skuzzy's post in the internet con forum.

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Good info skuzzy, i appreciate the long and detailed response. On the other thread i list all the components in my machine. Of those I do not know which i can get away with no using. I think it would be best to make my machine as lean as it can get considering the limited CPU and RAM I have (P3 500 mgh, 128 mb RAM)
Now I have a factory built Micron Millinea Max 500. The machine came with a Diamond Viper 550 AGP. I have since replaced the vid card with a off brand card with Nvidea Geforce2 MX chip. This is the only thing different about the machine othger than software additions. The com ports I guess i dont need. I am now on a DSL connect using an ethernet card. Does this preclude the use of a com port? Also under system Properties it only shows 2 ports, LPT1 for my printer and COM1 which I guess my 56K modem is using in the case that I need to use it. Now if I need the extra IRQ I will sacrifice COM1 and my use of the 56K modem for the benefit of having my IRQ's sorted correctly. Good idea, bad idea? Also i have an SCSI device, a promise ultra hard drive controller. I believe this device may or may not be used now. It was connected by wires to my old DV 550 vid card, but there was no male end for the Geforce card to attach the wire harness to. So I left the wires disconected in the case.
Also, under msconfig utility, system INI, boot there is NO comm.drv listed to uncheck.
heres what is listed.

Im gonna post this over on the other thread in the hardware forum too.

Once again I appreciate your imputs! thx skuzzy
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