Dell Latitude & IRQ problem.....anyone?

[oceaneer]

My wife's company laptop is bogging down,(really slow email downloads through the company LAN, slow display response time,
) so I took a lok at it, and found this IRQ usage:

1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
2 Programmable interrupt controller
3 free
4 Comm1
5 free
6 Standard Floppy disk controller
7 ECP printer port (LPT1)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
9 free
10 free
11 Xircom Cardbus modem 56
11 Xircom Cardbus Ethernet 10/100 adapter
11 Neomagic MagicGraph 128XD
11 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal host controller
11 Texas Instruments PCI-1131 Cardbus controller
11 Texas instruments PCI-1131 Cardbus controller
11 IRQ holder for PCI steering
11 IRQ holder for PCI steering
12 Synaptics PS/2 touchpad
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
14 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE controller
15 Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE controller

Surely this is not good?

Computer is a DELL Latitude Cpi, D300XT w/128 RAM. BIOS ver A03

There is no option in the BIOS to force any IRQ's, and from Device Manager I just get "No modification allowed" if I try to change anything there.

I don't want to do anything too drastic, as it is a company machine, but I would like to redistribute some IRQ's!!

Any ideas?

Nick

[Brian R.]

I would call Dell and get an opinion from tech support.

[oceaneer]

Oh come on, don't roll over on me!

[Brian R.]

Sorry, I don't have a clue and that's what I would do. Maybe the slow down is not related to an interupt conflict. Maybe it's a BIOS thing. ?????

Anyway, I like Dell tech support. I've used it occasionally, and they have solved a few of my problems.

[Jorden]

I'd follow Brian's advice, especially when it's still under warranty.

I don't think a laptop (notebook) can be compared to a full PC in IRQ workings. As to why the email downloads slow, it might be that the NIC is connected to the modem for those purposes...

So ask Dell, just as Brian proposed... To swap cards... errr... Inside a laptop that is a a no-go, as there are no cards to be swapped.

If you can get into the BIOS, try to set up IRQs from there.

I haven't got a FAQ for laptop (notebook) BIOSes yet

Jorden.


[This message has been edited by Jorden (edited 28 April 2000).]

[SCompRacer]

The few laptops I have come across are setup like this. My wife's Micron XKE is the same, except it has an internal modem. The 1131 Cardbus controllers have the same IRQ's your PCMCIA cards have, and share with video and USB. Only way around it would be if it came with an internal modem, then the IRQ for it would be 4 or 5.

Most pre-configured PC's come with all the bells and whistles turned on. See if your Active Desktop is enabled as well as Internet Explorer Channel Bar. You can find these by right clicking on the desktop, select Properties and click on the Web tab. These suck up alot of resources.

Next would be to CTRL ALT DEL and see what is running in the background, just after a fresh reboot. Some things can be turned off in MSCONFIG, but you have to know what every thing does before you start down this road.

[This message has been edited by SCompRacer (edited 28 April 2000).]

[The PIT]

If it's slow on the company Lan get there technicians to check out the network. There could be faulty wiring another faulty card slowing things down or the bandwidth could be almost be full.
Also get your wife to try using the machine in a different location she may stationed at the around the maximum length allowed from the switch.

[oceaneer]

Thanks to all of you.

I will try the Dell support, though it seems that the interrupt assignment is not as wild as I thought it was.

IceStorm & SCompRacer: You both are indicating that this setup is not unusual, so I feel better.

The PIT: I will pass that on to her, thanks.

[Brian R.]

As far as interupt assignments go, the interupts at my work (various models of Compaq deskpros) are all out of the box set with the SCSI controller, the ethernet card and the Matrox (or ATI) video card all set to IRQ 11. This is also the default BIOS settings.