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| Thread ID: 32875 | 2003-04-30 10:22:00 | IRQ conflict - sort of! | Bobble (3142) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 140311 | 2003-04-30 10:22:00 | I'm trying to play a game across the internet with a friend but when we try to connect my modem just isn't playing along with us, sometimes I get weird repetitive noises or a crash, but the modem wont pick up - or call. I've discovered the source of the problem (I think!) The sound card and modem are both using irq 5. According to all the soundcard/modem and system information there is no conflict, but it seems obvious to me that it's the problem. (?) The next step would be to chose a new IRQ for one of them, right? But when I try - with 'use automatic settings' unticked - it says: "this resource setting cannot be modified" Does anyone have any idea how I get around this? :D Bobble |
Bobble (3142) | ||
| 140312 | 2003-04-30 10:36:00 | Probably the best way would be to remove the modem from Device Manager, shut down and physically remove the modem, re-boot the computer and go into CMOS set up and disable COM 2 port (IRQ3). Re-boot fully then shut down. Re-fit the modem and let windows detect the new hardware. Hopefully the modem will be put on COM4, IRQ3. Leave the soundcard on IRQ5. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 140313 | 2003-04-30 12:02:00 | Actually, I would suggest that this is unlikely (but not definately not) to be the problem. I was caught out in the same way when I first bothered to look at the IRQ's my devices were using. Assuming you are using a version of windows that is 98SE or later, your operating system has a feature called "IRQ holder for PCI Steering" which basically lets your system operate more than one device on the same IRQ. For example, on my own system, my AGP graphics card, the modem, and the USB bus all share IRQ 11 and everything is hunky dory. Certainly try manually forcing the IRQ to 3 and if that solves the problem then all is well. If however that doesnt work, try instead removing your sound card from the system. If your modem still doesnt work, then IRQ conflict is not the problem. One thing that can (Im still not sure why) affect device performance is the physical PCI slot that cards are plugged into. I had a problem of the same sort, with devices not functioning properly and to solve it, I simply rearranged the PCI cards into different slots. |
Iain Walmsley (3372) | ||
| 140314 | 2003-04-30 21:17:00 | You make some good points there Iain, but it's a good idea in each individual case to read what the motherboard manual says about PCI slots and IRQs. Eg, a PCI slot may share IRQ signals with the AGP slot, other slots with USB, and say another slot with a raid controller. If the PCI card/driver doesnt support IRQ sharing then problems will/may arise. In my experience it's never a good idea in general to share modem IRQs, they are fussy enough as it is, and particularly not with a sound card, but as always there are exceptions to the "rule". |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 140315 | 2003-05-01 22:49:00 | Thanks for your ideas guys :) I appear not to have a com2... com1 +vga slot instead (I think) Something I've done has changed the IRQs to 9 - but since both of them changed, that's no help. I do have that IRQ sharing thing.. which is probably why they're fine for all other purposes. perhaps the problem is that this is a dos game? (warcraft II in that case that helps anyone) In my modem properties I found a tab that I'd never noticed before that let me allow dos support. I was hoping that was the magic trick - but instead I got an error: "this applications attempt to directly access the uart for com2 failed because the port doesn't exist or is in use" - enabling dos support created new settings (only for dos) using com2 and irq 3. nice.. but I don't appear to have a com2! I uninstalled and reinstalled both modem and sound at different times in the hope that some magic might occur... but of course it's just picked up the same settings. *sigh* any other ideas? I've spent more time trying to sort out the technicalities for this game than I ever will playing the darn thing!! |
Bobble (3142) | ||
| 140316 | 2003-05-01 23:04:00 | I wonder if it was me that blew Press F1, there is a huge empty space under my last posting :) Im sure you would have a physical COM2 port . Two things to check, in Device Manager, look under Ports and see whats there . In CMOS set up, look at PCI Peripherals or similar entry and look for COM2 with the address 2F8 . I dont think you said what sort of modem you have, if its a non plug and play ISA hardware modem then first of all the modem has to be detected as a Port, and then you install as a modem from the Modems icon in Control Panel . If you can find COM2 disable it in CMOS and try to follow the instructions in the previous posting . |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 140317 | 2003-05-01 23:23:00 | And the sound card sometimes doesn't listen to what the book says. "I'm a soundcard. I own IRQ5". :D | Graham L (2) | ||
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