----
SYMPTOMS
========
In Windows you may experience any of the following behaviors:
- When you play a Windows Sound (.wav) file, you hear static.
- When you play a .wav file, your computer restarts.
- When you play a .wav file, your computer stops responding (hangs).
- When you play a .wav file, nothing happens (you hear no sound at all).
- When you enable a 16-bit sound scheme (for example, Robotz or Utopia),
Windows may stop responding (hang).
- You receive a "Fatal exception 0E" error message when the Windows Start sound
event is played during startup.
- Your computer reboots after playing the Windows startup sound.
CAUSE
=====
This behavior can be caused by a lack of support for 16-bit direct memory access
(DMA) on your computer.
RESOLUTION
==========
If the sound card in your computer is set for a 16-bit DMA channel (5, 6, or 7),
use Device Manager to change the card's configuration to an 8-bit DMA channel
(0, 1, or 3). If the sound card is set for an 8-bit DMA channel, change it to a
16-bit DMA channel.
You may also need to run the configuration tool that is shipped with the sound
card to change its DMA channel to match the Device Manager setting. If no
configuration tool is shipped with the sound card, you may need to change
jumpers on the card.
How to Change the DMA Channel
-----------------------------
To change the DMA channel setting for the sound card in Device Manager, follow
these steps:
1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon.
3. Click the Device Manager tab, then double-click Sound, Video, And Game
Controllers.
4. Double-click the sound card that is installed in your computer.
5. Click the Resources tab.
6. Double-click Direct Memory Access, then change the DMA setting to the setting
you want.
7. Click OK. When you are prompted to do so, restart your computer.
MORE INFORMATION
================
It may be possible to set the sound card to use single DMA mode only, if 16-bit
wave files are causing problems. The Sound Blaster family of sound cards is
software-configurable and can be set to single DMA mode with Device Manager. To
do so, follow these steps:
1. In Control Panel, double-click System.
2. On the Device Manager tab, double-click Sound, Video, And Game Controllers,
and then double-click your sound card.
3. On the Resources tab, click the Use Automatic Settings check box to clear it.
4. In the Settings Based On box, click a configuration that includes only a
single DMA setting (such as Basic Configuration 7).
5. Click OK or Close until you return to Control Panel.
Note that this information applies only to sound cards that support single DMA
operation and are software configurable. If not, you may need to run the
configuration utility included with the sound card to set it to single DMA mode
(if single DMA mode is supported).
Additional query words: 98 media vision proaudio spectrum mv pas sound blaster pro
sb sbpro wwt highdma high dma
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Candy [ http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros ]
WinME Explorer Addin [ http://www.angelfire.com/biz/serenitymacros ]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Hmm, i thought that was the point of Drivers in general, they *do* fix
> hardware, or at least get it to work (ideally) in your current OS
> environment.
> Danny.
> On Sun, 21 Oct 2001 13:57:29 -0400, "Richard G. Harper"
> >Repeat after me:
> >"Software cannot fix hardware. Software cannot fix hardware."
> >However, the reverse is surely true - hardware CAN break software.
> >:-)
> >--
> >* NOTE - Private EMail is generally not replied to. Please post all
> >* questions and comments in the newsgroup so all can benefit.
> >* Help US help YOU - http://members.home.com/dts-l/goodpost.htm
> >> Actually, the reason i wanted to try the other ones was because after
> >> WinME installed its own, the system would just crash and/or reboot
> >> after playing a second or so of the Windows start sound, so i thought
> >> the drivers on the disk might help.
> >> Anyway, that was the cheapest of cheap soundcards, Eagle/CMI brand,
> >> we're going to try out the next less-cheap Creative Vibra 128 tomorrow
> >> and see how that goes.
> >> Danny.
> >> On Sun, 21 Oct 2001 09:45:43 -0400, "Richard G. Harper"
> >> >I'd suggest that unless you have a reason for doing so, that you let
> >WinMe
> >> >install its drivers instead. They're almost assuredly newer than the
> >ones
> >> >that came with the card, and since they're present on the WindowsMe disk
> >> >they're WHQL certified by Microsoft as submitted and tested.
> >> >The behaviour you've observed cannot be changed. If you legitimately
> >have
> >> >newer drivers for the device, the manufacturer should also have told you
> >how
> >> >to let WinMe install its drivers, then install their updated drivers.
> >> >You'll also sometimes see this behaviour when you're trying to force a
> >> >device to use drivers that are not correct for it.
> >> >--
> >> >* NOTE - Private EMail is generally not replied to. Please post all
> >> >* questions and comments in the newsgroup so all can benefit.
> >> >* Help US help YOU - http://members.home.com/dts-l/goodpost.htm
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >> Trying to install a sound card on a friend's comp. the other day, had
> >> >> the disk with the drivers on it, but WinME insisted on installing it's
> >> >> own after i put the card in, it wouldn't give me a chance to direct it
> >> >> to the disk, just kept saying it had found a new device and was
> >> >> installing the software for it, so i had to go in later and try and
> >> >> install over the top, which is less than satisfactory.
> >> >> How can i tell WinME to *always* let me direct it to the drivers i
> >> >> want to install?
> >> >> Thx,
> >> >> Danny.
by