Advice for avoiding conflict with AIW install

[tluxon]

I'm having a problem with a new ATI AIW Radeon 9600 Pro installation. It is replacing a AIW Radeon w/ 32MB (pre-numbered) that was working perfectly (Win2K Pro).

A couple months ago I tried to update the driver and software of the previous card to Catalyst 3.9. At first I had the same BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) problems I'm having now so I then tried its predecessor Catalyst 3.8. Catalyst 3.8 installed without a hitch and worked perfectly.

My BSOD implies that there is some kind of conflict with my PCI SCSI card - a Diamond Fireport 20 - but it only happens when attempting to install the Catalyst software. Prior to installing the software (drivers only) there are no conflicts noted by W2K in the IRQ resources list or in the event viewer.

After many stabs at this, including trying to install the Catalyst 3.8 that had worked with my previous AIW Radeon, I finally succombed to pulling the SCSI card to see if I could at least get everything else working. Of course all the drivers and software then installed without a hitch and appear to be in perfect working order. But now I have to add the SCSI card back in and hope that those ugly conflicts don't recurr. I'm just guessing, but it seems to me that upon boot-up, the BIOS and OS won't know about the "expanded" (if that's what it is) address space allocated to the Catalyst software suite and will "think" all the hardware is working fine until I try to run a Catalyst program - then I'll get the dreaded BSOD.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to run into this with AIW cards. Can anyone give me some direction on how to proceed to add the SCSI card back into my PC?

Thanks,

Tim

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Just a suggestion, change the the PCI slot the SCSI card occupies. It may be an IRQ conflict.

I would recommend checking Rage 3D's forums, <A HREF="http://www.rage3d.com/board/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=24" target="_new">they have threads for just the AIW line</A>.


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK

 

[Crashman]

My suggestion: In addition to trying a different slot for the SCSI card, try setting PNP OS to NO, in BIOS, that will allow BIOS to assign the IRQ for that card.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[tluxon]

Thanks for the tip on the Rage3d forums.

I swapped PCI slots, but I have a feeling that it didn't make much difference. The AIW 9600 is using IRQ 9, but so are a number of other devices: Sound Blaster Live, Diamondmm SCSI adapter, Netgear ethernet adapter, and Promise Ultra133 controller. Is there a graceful way to steer these to other IRQs without forcing them or moving the AGP slot to another IRQ?

Thanks,

Tim