Problem: Win98 freezes at startup...

[showoff0450]

Some background first:

I had to replace my HD. I finally got it installed correctly and last night, I finally started to install Windows 98. Everything was going fine until I tried to install the software for my soundcard (Ensoniq AudioPCI).

When I started the program, Windows detected "Soundblaster PCI" and proceeded to install the files. Then, the dialogue box popped up again and it read "Found New Hardware: PCI Multimedia Device" and then my comp froze!

It now does this every time I boot up Win98 - it finds this "PCI Multimedia Device" and the computer freezes.

What should I do? The soundcard software installation froze during the initial installation, but Win98 still says I have "Soundblaster PCI" installed.

I still haven't installed my modem drivers - is this what it is finding upon bootup?

Is there anything I can do in safe mode? (Because that's the only part of Win98 I can access)...

Thanks
-Chris

 

[Boonesmi]

i would remove the cards and start over, one at a time, trying a dif slot.

 

[GregMal]

I don't know if this will help......
One time I attempted to install a sound card. I stuck it in the slot
and connected the sound wire to the card and the CD ROM drive.
At boot up Win95 locked the machine....it just stopped at a certain
point. Remove the card, PC would boot OK. Install the card,
lockup. It took me 2 days to figure it out. I installed the card
but did not hook the sound wire on it. It booted correctly, detected
the card, asked for the drivers, then installed. I then shutdown the
PC, hooked up the wire to the sound card and CD ROM, started the PC
and everything worked fine.....go figure....
Greg

 

[bacillus]

are you trying to install the soundcard in a pci slot which shares its irq with another slot? :frown:

 

[showoff0450]

Alright...

I took out the sound card... my system runs fine now, but I really wouldn't mind having sound.

So anyways, how do I know if I have an IRQ problem? Do you think that's what the problem is? This type of stuff is alien to me...

 

[gar598]

just go into your bios and turn off PnP. Then set your irqs to the order you perfer. sound cards are usually irq 5

 

[GregMal]

Or if your PNP is On in the BIOS, turn it Off.....
Greg

 

[Tominator]

What motherboard? Which slot?

Sounds like a classic IRQ conflict...