Author Topic: reformat and clean install (Read 1020 times)

-ammo- · « **on:** September 01, 2001, 10:06:00 PM »

Hi, i have decided to do the nasty. I have a shared IRQ prob ( SB Live and Geforce) and my machine is just plain cluttered and disheveled. So I want to reformat. Now my machine is a factory Micron Millenia Max 500, with the exception of the Geforce card. I have soundblaster live, Win 98, DVD rom, Zip drive, one scsi device-- a promise ultra IDE controller, and tons of worthless software that has to go.

Now, what I need to know is what commands in dos do I type to reformat my machine, and what order do I reinstall everything. Is there any tricks that can ensure a lean machine and no future conflict? Also how do I assign the vid and sound cards to seperate IRQ's? What else Am I missing? I am going to back up all my documents, updated vid and sound drivers, Joystick profiles, gunsights, Bookmarks, address books, passwords for everything,. etc.. what am I missing?

thx everyone

Maverick · « **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2001, 11:21:00 PM »

Ammo,

Unless you are letting windows assign IRQ's formatting won't help shared ones. IRQ's should be assigned by jumper or bios. Check your bios settings to see if you can assign them manually or let the bios do it automaticaly if it was already set manually.

As for the format. Mkae a startup disk in windows. It should contain fdisk and format on it. By using the startup disk you should regain CD drive support after the HD is formatted. You'll need the CD to reinstall windows.

Use the floppy to do a fdisk on the HD and delete then set the partitions on your HD. Then format the sucker. Reinstall windows per the instructions.

Another considration is to remove all cards from your computer except the video card. Then do the format and install. Reinstall each card one at a time and set the drivers for them. Shut down to install each one. By not doing more than one card at a time it will help get them set up properly with less chance for conflicts and glich's. See if you can have the latest drivers on a floppy or a Zip disk so you don't have to be online to download them after the install. It will save you time.

On my last format the other day I set up all my peripherals then installed DX8. So far so good. If you don't need DX8 yet don't use it. Stay with DX7.0a or whatever the latest version of DX7 is, I forgot.

If you have win 98 use the msconfig to set your startup programs to your liking. Since I fould that McAfee anti virus was a major conflict for AH I have it set for manual start up only. That way I can play AH without having to try and shut the virus software down first.

Last note. Make damn sure you backup all your critical files and word processor stuff so you don't lose it. I like using a zip drive to save the stuff I want.

Good luck to you!

Mav

SKurj · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2001, 08:47:00 AM »

Ammo... have you simply moved the soundcard to a different slot?

I have an ASUS A7V KT133A mobo. The manual lists which slots share which IRQ's. I was able to then just put the souncard in a non shared slot.

SKurj

-ammo- · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2001, 03:13:00 PM »

skurj, all, this is the motherboard I have in my machine. motherboard

can you tell me if it is easy enough to reassign IRQ's? what is involved? is it as easy as as just physically moving the sound/vid card around and restarting the machine? is it more in depth than this?

Guinness · « **Reply #4 on:** September 02, 2001, 04:58:00 PM »

1 word of advice before you format everything. Make sure you have every driver for every device. Get all your CDs out for your SB live and your graphics cards and make sure everything is there. And make a boot disk. Ive had so many problems with my mates computers because they rushed the format and didnt prepare, ending up in them having to buy new hardware at times. Although most drivers are available on the net for download, not good if your modem isnt working.

Russian · « **Reply #5 on:** September 02, 2001, 06:33:00 PM »

Ammo did you try to change IRQ manually.
Left click on My Computer and go to proparties. Click on device manager and find device that uses same IRQ. Lets say its your Video Card and SBLive (which it is

). Go to display adapters and select your card, then go to properties. Click on resources and find out what couses problem. Lets say it uses Interapt Request 5. Uncheck "Use automatic setting" and try to change it to anyother IRQ that is free. If you can't change Video, try changing Sound(Actually try sound first) If you can change IRQ to free one, just live it on maual.
If all IRQ's are taking select one like "LPT1". Then go to "LPT1" proparties and select that "LPT1" will not be using same us SBLive. If you can't find free one for LPT1 and you don't have printer or any device that uses it just desabile it. (I had to do that)

I have problem with SBLive IRQ setting too. Had to do basic trouble shooting with my comp. Removed all cards exept video and started putting evething back. One by one I put everything back, each time restarting computer and checking that no problem coming up. From bottom up, Video, sound, modem, lan.

If need any help just ask

SKurj · « **Reply #6 on:** September 03, 2001, 12:41:00 AM »

It doesn't really say anything in there Ammo.
What you can try is:
In windows uninstal the soundcard. shut machine down, move card to a diff slot, reboot, let windows install drivers etc, and then check to see if its changed the IRQ.
It could be as simple as that

if not, we move to the next step... checking to see what we can do in the BIOS

SKurj

-ammo- · « **Reply #7 on:** September 03, 2001, 12:46:00 PM »

OK, update, and need advice..

First, My floppy drive seems inoperable. When i try to access it the machine freezes and for ions it seems I wait. Eventually after the freeze and stuttering pointer, I get the "a: drive is inaccesable" message then the machine works again. however I have no floppy drive support. However I am not sure that it is the drive itself that is bad, it may be related to the screwy stuff this machine is doing.

second, OK I have the cover off and I have 7 expansion slots, but there are 3 types. There are 4 slots that are white and have PCI 1, PCI 2, PCI 3, and PCI 4 labled on the MB next to them. I have 1 slot that is longer and black in color and it has AGP labeled next to it, it has my geforce card in it. The soundblaster is in PCI 1, right under the geforce card, but again the slot says PCI 1. OK under the sound card in PCI 2 is the SCSI device, a promise ultra IDE controller. Under that in PCI 3 is another card which has video out and audio out holes on the outside. I am really not sure what it is, however under device manager there is a cinemaster device, I belive it goes with my DVD. PCI 4 has my ethernet card, and under that is 2 more slots, one has my US robotics modem in it, the other is empty. These slots look much different than the PCI slots and the AGP slot.

Thirdly, what should I try? I dont really have another slot to use, right? Do I just switch the cards around? also, the promise ultra card... do I really need it and if I dont, how do I set the mnachine up to work without it. And, will the Geforce card work in the PCI slots?

Thx

SKurj · « **Reply #8 on:** September 03, 2001, 05:35:00 PM »

The floppy drive... does it do all that with a floppy in the drive? One that you know is a good disk? You say you don't have floppy drive support.. what do you mean?

GeForce card will only work in the AGP slot, the one its in.

You have an ethernet card and a modem... do you use both? What do you have for a connection?

With the soundcard in that PCI 1 slot directly beneath the video card it seems to make sense then that the two are sharing an IRQ.
I have the promise Ultra ide type thing in my system as well, however its built into the mobo on my machine. I don't know whether you can remove it or not.
With the number of devices you have in there, its obvious that some sharing is going to take place. It becomes a case of which will work the best. The current setup with the soundcard in PCI 1 is probably the worst setup for gaming at least.
I know if it were my machine I would just start moving the cards around lol +) But its not, and you may find that gets you into more trouble.
A reformat and reinstal won't help you in this case.

I guess the next step... do you need the ethernet card?

SKurj

[ 09-03-2001: Message edited by: SKurj ]

-ammo- · « **Reply #9 on:** September 03, 2001, 05:59:00 PM »

Hi skurj, thx for the reply. A new set of problems have occured. By "i have no floppy drive support" I mena the drive will not work with several known disks. The machine just locks up solid when I try to use a floppy disk/drive. Now, I just tried to use my zip drive and it was working fine. I then format a zip disk to backup some things. No problem there. Then I scandisk the disk and walla, it crashes my machine. Three attempts to scandisk the zip disk, 3 lockups, three hard resets. After the third reset the drive doesnt even exist on my machine. It even reassigned the drive letter. Now my CD rom uses the letter that the zip disk had. So recap..I have shared IRQ's..not good, also my machine is very unstable, 3.5" floppy op, and now Zip drive INOP.

I use the ethernet with a dsl connect.

Who builds computers at a reasonable price..and finances

SKurj · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2001, 09:27:00 PM »

hmm something isn't right for sure...

Have u virus scanned lately?

SKurj

-ammo- · « **Reply #11 on:** September 03, 2001, 10:08:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SKurj:
hmm something isn't right for sure...

Have u virus scanned lately?

SKurj

yea, did today. updated definitions first then scanned

Ghosth · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2001, 07:18:00 AM »

First off ammo if you have a DSL connect pull that modem out of there.

Next, try pulling the DVD card & moving the SB live to the new location. Worst case scenario you can live without the DVD for a bit.

It's likely going to be very very difficult to reformat & reinstall without a floppy drive. So I'd hold off on the reformat.

I suspect the scandisk issue is tied to the SB live card/irq problems. You might try pulling the SB, then reinstalling your zip drive.

[ 09-04-2001: Message edited by: Ghosth ]

-ammo- · « **Reply #13 on:** September 23, 2001, 08:43:00 PM »

update for those kind individuals that offered their advice. My floppy drive was the prob, replaced it for less than $20. My zip drive prob was only the disk itself.
Soo I got lout chep. Now I am back to reintalling and reassigning OS and IRQ's. I have another post on the same thing. I am going to build a new new machine too, but will need this one working for my wife

So while I collect the pieces for my new monster machine, I will fix this one. Win2K seems to be a real nice OS. I worked on one earlier this year at a temporary duty station. I have a copy now of Win2K and office 2K. Thx all for the advice!

Skuzzy · « **Reply #14 on:** September 24, 2001, 08:11:00 AM »

ammo, I would avoid installing the SBLive drivers from the CD. You cannot avoid the other garbage Creative Labs will stick on your system if you do.
Besides, the drivers on the CD are not up to date. You can get a "driver only" version for the SBLive at Creative Labs WEB site.

I hope I am not too late gettting this posted to you.