Installing WinXP with manual IRQ assignments?

[Berrern]

Due to a serious IRQ conflict between my graphics card and soundcard, I want to install Windows so that I can choose/manage IRQs manually.

When booting with the Windows-CD, and pressing F5 right at the start of the setup screen, allows me to select the system I wish to install. The list of available systems are:

• ACPI Multiprocessor PC
• ACPI Uniprocessor PC
• Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC
• Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible PC
• MPS Uniprocessor PC
• MPS Multiprocessor PC
• Standard PC
• Standard PC with C-Step i486
• Other

Now, ACPI is the 'normal' Windows option, where XP itself manages the IRQs. I assumed that I needed an MPS installation in order to change IRQs myself.
The problem is that when I select MPS Uniprocessor PC, Setup wont complete. Right after loading all drivers, when the message "Starting Windows" is displayed in the lower corner, the computer locks up.

I've had a look at the different options in the BIOS, as I read somewhere that I had to turn off APIC, not ACPI - as APIC was the IRQ manager.
I found only one option related to APIC; APIC Mode, which can be set to Enable or Disable. When Enabled, you can select the MPS Version Control for OS, the options here are 1.1 and 1.4. I've tried both Disabled, 1.1 and 1.4 - all with the same result.
Also, when I disable this setting, my normal XP installation wont boot.

I also tried fiddling around with the ACPI settings in the BIOS, I found these options related to ACPI:
- ACPI SRAT (options: enabled/disabled). Default: Enabled.
- ACPI Function (options: enabled/disabled). Default: Enabled.
- ACPI Suspend Type (options: S1&S3 / S1(POS) / S3(STR).
When disabling the ACPI SRAT, the BIOS automatically resets itself on boot. Disabling the ACPI Function resulted in WinXP setup hanging on the same place as before. Also, my normal XP wouldn't boot with this option Disabled.

I also tried hitting F7 at the beginning of the XP setup, which is supposed to force a non-ACPI installation. Same result here; the computer hangs when it says "Starting Windows".

Now, does anyone have any advice for me? How can I install WindowsXP without automatic IRQ assignments?

I hope someone can help..

My hardware:
DFI LanParty nF4 SLI-DR - Bios 06/25/2005
AMD FX-57
2x 1024MB Corsair PC3500 LLPRO (2-3-2-6 1T)
2x WD Raptor 74GB (RAID0)
2x XFX 7800GT (SLI)
Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty
LITE-ON Dual Layer DVD RW
Levicom 450W PSU
- everything running at stock speeds.

 

[kobymu]

1. try moving the sound card to a different pci slot , if not ->
2. try to disable IRQ sharing globally
3. try Standard PC (drv)

 

[Berrern]

Thanks for your reply.

There's only two PCI slots on my motherboard, and if I move the soundcard to the other slot, it conflicts with the other gfx card at IRQ 18.

I've tried Standard PC, but the some problem arises, it locks up at "Starting Windows" during setup.

As for your step 2, can you be a bit more specific?

 

[kobymu]

Originally posted by: Berrern
.... As for your step 2, can you be a bit more specific?

link 1
link 2

/edit 1
some general info

The Plug and Play operating system settings in the computer BIOS do not generally affect how Windows XP handles the hardware. However, Microsoft recommends that you set the Plug and Play operating system setting to No or Disabled in the computer BIOS

/edit 2

a trick that sometime work is to release an irq like unused parallel port, serial port, unused usb etc (disable from bios)

 

[MrChad]

How did you come to the conclusion that you have a "serious IRQ conflict"? Almost all PCI devices (and especially all modern devices) support IRQ steering on the PCI bus.

 

[Berrern]

Yes, a lot of devices support this, but it's sort of a "rule of thumb" that two components as influential as this shouldn't be sharing.

As you can see I've got a pretty good system, but am suffering from lag in a lot of games, and a lot of troubleshooting and benchmarking shows that the only thing "out of order" is this IRQ conflict.

@kobymu; I've already disabled everything I can in the BIOS. Thanks for the links, I'll give it a shot!

 

[Googer]

Try disableing all of your onboard devices, like serial ports, parallel ports, onboard audio, SATA controllers that are not being used, PATA/IDE controllers that are not used, disable any extra LAN ports you are not using, then disable IRQ Steering/Bus Mastering. By doing those you should free up a few IRQ's.

 

[Berrern]

Thanks Googer, but I've already done that.

I just tried re-installing XP (on a different drive), with APIC disabled in BIOS. I did let it chose normally this time, instead of pressing F5 - as neither of the selectable options would boot Windows Setup. It chose 'Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)-PC'.

Anyway, that didn't help much. My X-Fi and 7800GT are still colliding, only this time on IRQ10. A lot of other devices are also stacked into IRQ 4 and 10.

On my normal XP installation, Windows is using the "Standard-PC". When I go to Device Manager -> Computer -> Standard PC, and select Options then IRQ Management, the following three options are displayed (all checked):
Use IRQ routing
- Fetch IRQ table by using MS specification table
- Fetch IRQ table by using PCIBIOS 2.1-call in realtime

If I uncheck the "Use IRQ routing", the other two options are greyed out.
Any chance any of these options can help me?

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: Berrern
Yes, a lot of devices support this, but it's sort of a "rule of thumb" that two components as influential as this shouldn't be sharing.

As you can see I've got a pretty good system, but am suffering from lag in a lot of games, and a lot of troubleshooting and benchmarking shows that the only thing "out of order" is this IRQ conflict.

@kobymu; I've already disabled everything I can in the BIOS. Thanks for the links, I'll give it a shot!

Well, good luck in your pursuit, but I think your lag problem lies elsewhere. That "rule of thumb" may have been applicable 10 years ago, but it's not really relevant anymore.

 

[Nothinman]

Yes, a lot of devices support this, but it's sort of a "rule of thumb" that two components as influential as this shouldn't be sharing.

Then you have to move slots, the IRQ lines are hardwired to the slots. The numbers you see in Windows don't necessarily correspond to anything related to how the hardware is connected.

 

[Jeff7]

What kind of lag exactly? Low framerate? Stuttering?

Some of my IRQ sharings, from threads of the past:

IRQ 16: TV Tuner, VIA Rev5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
IRQ 19: Radeon 9800 Pro, VIA Rev5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
IRQ 20: nVidia APU, OpenHCD USB Host Controller
IRQ 21: nVidia codec interface, IEEE 1394 controller, Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
IRQ 22: nVidia NIC, OpenHCD USB Host Controller

On my laptop right now, IRQ 10 is being used by the modem, the NIC, the Firewire controller, and the cardbus controller.
IRQ 5 is used by the videochip, USB controller, and the soundchip.

On my main PC right now, IRQs 11 and 12 each have 4 devices.
I don't get any kind of lag. However, I too suggest moving cards to different slots. I did once have a problem with my TV tuner - I don't remember what it was sharing an IRQ with, but I guess it didn't get along. Now it's on IRQ 12, along with the videocard, Firewire controller, and some nForce PCI Management device. Works just fine.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Just some quick thoughts - APIC (not ACPI) is a *good* thing. Advanced Peripherals Interrupt Controller (IIRC), is a way for the system to have more than the standard 15 IRQs. In legacy mode, it mimics the original PC-AT interrupt controller. In "mixed" mode, it adds another 8 IRQs or so (running from IRQ 16-23), and in fully-native mode, you can have IRQs spanning from 0-128. In that mode, you shouldn't have any shared IRQs at all, although some of the physical PCI INT# lines may be wire-ORed on the mobo anyways.

Taking advantage of the APIC requires running either the ACPI or MPS HAL. The "Standard PC" HAL is limited to only using the legacy PC-AT interrupts. ACPI has various advantages and disadvantages. If you disable power-saving/throttling like I do by default, then it mostly only offers disadvantages. So if your mobo BIOS supports it, use the MPS HAL instead. If you can disable ACPI in your BIOS, do it, otherwise, you will have to hit F5 during boot and select your HAL manually. Enable APIC in BIOS, and set MPS version to 1.4 if possible.

Note that if you change any of these BIOS settings dealing with ACPI, APIC, or MPS, you will have to re-install your OS, or at least change the HAL driver before making the BIOS change, and then make the BIOS change immediately after rebooting the OS.

On my KT400 board, I've installed with ACPI disabled, APIC enabled, MPS version 1.4, using the MPS Uniprocessor HAL. The APIC is running in fully native mode, with no logical IRQs being shared at all.

I did have problems with overall lagginess, but that was seemingly caused by my USB 2.0 WUSB54Gv2 NIC. Once I removed it, my system became "snappy" again. The KT400 has problems with USB2.0 performance, and memory-controller performance too.