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Thread ID: 26000	2002-10-17 00:53:00	IRQ Conflict	B.M. (505)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
90054	2002-10-17 04:15:00	My system (win98se) is as Peter H's, but it has Via chipset, yours is Intel, but I think the same argument applies. However with a win95 setup in my backup computer, also with Via chipset but much older board, I cant remove the Standard controller, windows 95 keeps re-detecting it and putting it back. However disabling it in its Properties window in Device Manager removes its IRQ from the list, and the system doesnt need it. If you find you cant remove it permanently, just try "disable in this hardware profile".	Terry Porritt (14)
90055	2002-10-17 04:22:00	I didnt see your last post BM when I posted. If USB is disabled in the BIOS then Windows shouldnt try to re-detect it, but what we have to do is to get IRQ steering working so that IRQs can be shared if neccessary.	Terry Porritt (14)
90056	2002-10-17 04:24:00	Sorry Graham our posts crossed. Yes the machine works good as gold 90% of the time! The problem seems typical of IRQ and hardware conflicts, which is why I went looking in Device Manager. I guess there is no guarantee that having fixed the problem all will be well but history suggests there is a good chance.	B.M. (505)
90057	2002-10-17 06:39:00	Have been giving more thought to this, and am probably repeating things . . . . It is possible that the USB controller is the cause of disabling IRQ steering, if it isnt being reported by the BIOS in the IRQ routing table . IRQ steering in itself doesnt enable IRQ sharing, thats what PCI bus is supposed to do, but I 'believe' that when the steering is disabled even when the enable box is ticked, then it can lead to sharing problems . So if you are not using any USB devices, disable USB in the BIOS, Windows wont detect it, an IRQ will be freed up, and if you have any ISA or non plug and play cards, IRQ Steering may then hopefully work and do its stuff . The Standard IDE controller may find a home, if it does, then you can play at re-enabling USB and see what happens, and what IRQ is assigned to it . If you do need USB then just disable the Standard IDE controller in the hardware profile, as the Intel IDE controller is presumably doing the work . It is not essential to have the IRQ steering working, in fact disabling it can be a useful diagnostic tool in some instances, but I think it should be able to work properly when told to!	Terry Porritt (14)
90058	2002-10-17 08:19:00	We think alike Terry. I thought it might be the USB Controller too. Unfortunately I can’t for the life of me find where to turn it off in the BIOS. I even looked at my computer (remember this is the sons) and couldn’t find anything there either. Must be going mad and blind! Both are Award Bios configurations and very similar. I had a brainwave and went to start/programs/accessories/system tools/system information/Conflicts/Sharing and had a look at what IRQ’s were shared and what were allocated. Nothing hit me between the eyes as being untoward. Although interestingly, IRQ 10 is shared by S3 ViRGE & IRQ holder for PCI steering.. IRQ 11 is shared by Intel PCI to USB Universal Host Controller & again IRQ holder for PCI Steering. The only other address that our Hard Disk Controller was interested in was IRQ 12 which is held by the PS/2 Mouse. So, to summarise PCI Steering gets mentioned twice in dispatches and shares IRQ’s 10 & 11. There is no forced Hardware. In the meantime I’ve disabled the Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller in the hardware profile of Device Manager and still got a lock-up! Another sleepless night! Damn computers!	B.M. (505)
90059	2002-10-17 08:34:00	What I mean by shuffling IRQs is. I take it you have tried to change the IRQ of the conflicting device. I also take it that you know everything needs a different IRQ Each device usually has more than one IRQ that it can use. The IRQs are not always the same. For example of your problem (please note the IRQs are made up) Device 1 uses the IRQs 132 22f F43 and Device 2 the IRQ 132 4432 F43 Device3 132 22f F43 Device4 132 22f F43 now Device 2 is using 132 Device3 is using 22f and Device4 is using F43 Device 1 is missing out. But as you can See Device has other IRQs it can use. the only one free in this case is 4432. so you would change Device 2 IRQ from 132 to 4432 and then Change device 1 IRQ to 132 That is IRQ shuffling. I hope you understand all that :)	NathanTheKind (472)
90060	2002-10-17 10:13:00	Well, I think I followed that Nathan, but real IRQ numbers would be easier :). The problem is often the difficulty of manually changing the IRQs, sometimes you have to change settings in the PNP/PCI configuration setup in the bios in order that device resources tab in device manager will let you go to manual change settings instead of automatic, to over-ride the 'settings cant be changed' message. However devices can share IRQs, they dont have to each have different IRQs, that is the purpose of the PCI bus and IRQ steering. When IRQs are shared then if you check under the Resources tab, I think the other resources are different for the devices. The IRQ Holder basically means the IRQ is reserved for PCI and is unavailable for an ISA device. I must admit to getting confused over all this though, so am happy to be corrected. In my Award Bios setup, the USB controller can be disabled in the Integrated Peripherals section, whilst in PNP/PCI Configuration setup, Assign IRQ for USB can be disabled. This would free up an IRQ. Even after all this the lockups you get BM every now and again may be nothing to do with the Standard IDE controller setting :)	Terry Porritt (14)
90061	2002-10-17 20:37:00	Well Terry after a night of IRQ’s to my sleep I’ve got a couple of things I going to try. However, the machine has become totally unstable with the Standard Hard Disk Controller turned off in the Hardware Profile. Sometimes these things work even though they’re shown as not working properly. To the BIOS. My PNP/PCI Configuration page is very short and sweet. It goes: PNP OS Installed : Yes Resources Controlled By : Auto Reset Configuration Data : Disabled PCI IDE IRQ Map to : PCI-AUTO Primary IDE INT# : A Secondary IDE INT# : B That’s it. If I change the Resources Controlled By to Manual there is just a list of IRQ’s & DMA’s in numerical order all of which read as follows. IRQ-3 assigned to : PCI/ISA PnP Etc Etc The alternative to the PCI/ISA PnP is Legacy ISA. Those sites Babe Ruth provided threw some light on the subject and there appears to be a known fault within Win98. Question is why does one computer work perfectly on the same OS? As you say Terry you shouldn’t need a separate IRQ for every device. In fact you can’t have one for every device. An old problem used to be COM1 & COM3 sharing the same interrupt. If you had a Mouse on COM1 & Modem on COM3 and you moved the mouse whilst the Modem was working sorry data. This was overcome by changing COM3 I/O address usually to IRQ5. That’s the other thing Nathan there is a fair bit of “Convention” as to what should be where although the above is an example of two devices not being able to live together and a shuffle as you put it required. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted as to what damage I’ve managed. Bob	B.M. (505)
90062	2002-10-17 20:53:00	Hi, Go into your cmos setup utility and disable one of your unused COM ports. Reboot. alt click my computer, select properties then device manager. select your mouse, uncheck "use automatic settings" (or something that achieves same result - haven't used win98 in a long time), assign the freed up IRQ (IRQ3 or IRQ4) apply the new settings and restart. this should fix your problem.	rage32 (2268)
90063	2002-10-17 21:32:00	That was close rage32. Thought that would crack it myself. Unfortunately, when I went to change settings I got the dreaded message “No Modification Allowed” ! “This resource setting cannot be modified.” PS/2 Mouse seems very happy in his little hole and ain’t moving! Where’s the Cat?	B.M. (505)
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