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Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: RayB on September 11, 2005, 01:13:56 am

Title: *SOLVED* Simple SB DOS question
Post by: RayB on September 11, 2005, 01:13:56 am

OK I have a simple Soundblaster DOS question.... Should the DOS SB Emulation IRQ be the same as the IRQ reported in Windows device manager?

I had read all the info on setting up SoundBlaster drivers for DOS mode. In fact, I had it working. Then I didn't touch the computer for 2-3weeks. Tonight I boot up to do some more final edits to the MAME set-up only to discover that sound was no longer working when booting straight to DOS.

Tried booting to Windows, sound works in there. I tried setting the IRQ setting to each possible value and every time it just causes either lockups at boot. Or just initialization failures. ONCE I got SBEGO (the diagnostic tool) to work and play sound. So I went and tried MAME and I got some weird error about "can't allocate memory below 4 mbyte limit" or something like that.

One thing I am just not clear on, is whether or not the DOS IRQ setting must be the same as what Windows reports in the device manager resources? In Windows, it says the card is configured as IRQ 4. But in DOS, IRQ 4 is not available.

Title: Re: Simple SB DOS question
Post by: TheVengeance on September 11, 2005, 09:11:54 am

I believe windows will try to assign it's own IRQ setting for the card, making it more compatible via Plug&Pray

Title: Re: Simple SB DOS question
Post by: RayB on September 11, 2005, 01:57:55 pm

I've already followed most of those instructions, but I think I was reading a different set of instructions last time. I see there in the "more help" a few more tips which may help out. I'll try those.

One little question still left unanswered though, is should the IRQ value in the SB driver be set to the same IRQ that the PCI slot is set to? Or because this is SB "emulation" should it be a value DIFFERENT from that hardware IRQ?

Title: Re: Simple SB DOS question - *Solved*
Post by: RayB on September 11, 2005, 05:28:29 pm

HOORAH!
Turns out the problem was Plug n Play was enabled in the bios.
To make double-sure I also went in the System Device Manager and REMOVED all SB related entries. (The EasyCab instructions say to go into "Add/Remove Programs", which is wrong).

I also discovered that GameLauncher does not like certain IRQs for sound. I had to set the SB to IRQ 10 to have sound in GL.

yay