All right, so how do you move IRQ's around?

[McRhea]

Hello guys, I've been sick with the stomach flu... (stomach flu is where you throw up... nasty.) Anyway... i'm only here to post this and get back to sleep...

Jorden, What info on the Phoenix BIOS? I'm sorry... I must not have seen your post asking for it...

About the Promise, I put it back in, started the comp up, installed the drivers off the disk that had the latest drivers, but the comp says the BIOS for the card isn't installed... What the heck? I tried "flashing" the BIOS, and it looks like it installs, but when I restart, it still says that it's not installed. I haven't hooked the HD or the CD up yet... Any ideas as to what i'm doing wrong?

Ok guys... I'm feeling sick again... I'll be back tomorrow... I feel like a pile of shit right now... Ugh...

Bye for now.

Oh yeah, the hanging is gone. Just thought i'd let you know that...

[Bixler]

McRhea:

Check FAQ #11 here: http://www.promise.com/TrackManager/...roduct=Ultra66

You must first recable your Hard drive to the promise card before attempting to install the card. Use your original cable, and all will be well.

You can't install the card without a HDD attached.

1. shut down

2. Attach original BLUE hdd cable to the primary slot on your promise and to you HDD.

3. Insert the Promise card in the same slot it has always been in.

4. Reboot, install drivers as normal...

all will be well.

[Jorden]

All will not be well, Tim... he'd better disable his Primary IDE-port in the BIOS again... Just to be save ....

Btw, Pauly, I did win!! From page one:

Pauly, I read his other thread as well... so please bear with me, and tell me: what if for once it isn't a problem with the G400 sharing IRQs with those other cards...

Jorden.

[Bixler]

Correct, Jorden (as usual)
But not a life or death issue in order to get booted up through the Promise. They don't RECOMMEND leaving the Primary Onboard open, but it isn't fatal if it's not. (at least on my SOYO) I was beating McRhea up about that earlier just to make sure while troubleshooting. And with Primary enabled, the Promise will install itself on a lower IRQ if available.

But what about the PNP features you had him disable earlier on??

[Jorden]

The PnP OS set to NO does make a difference. Chris pushing in the card firmly AND hooking up his hdd to it, does as well

Windows doesn't know the Promise, and installing drivers alone doesn't matter, both Windows and the Promise need a drive so the Promise can show Windows, "Look, here I am, and I have this gorgeous drive for you !".

Upon Windows will respond with: "Ah, welcome onboard, Promise. I'll put you on the next nearest IRQ that's free and that needs the speed you're asking".

If the PnP OS was set to Yes, Windows would respond like: "Ah, welcome Promise, I got the right place for you, it's used by a couple of other things, but you'll just have to cope with them !".

What Chris should do, besides getting rid of his stomach flu, is re-attach the 40pin, 80 wire cable to the HDD, with the red line pointing to the power connector, and attach the other end to the Promise, the red line pointing to 1.

And follow the other points we've given above...

It's up to you Chris if you want to disable the Primary IDE again on the mobo.

Good Luck !

Oh, and don't puke in your PC, please???

Jord

[The PIT]

You can install the promise card without a harddisk because I've done it. It will show an explemation mark until you connect a hard disk. It's a bit like having an external scsi zip drive, disconnect the drive and windoze will say the card isn't installed properly.

[McRhea]

Hey guys... I can't sleep, so I decided to get online... anyway.

The Pit is right, I CAN install the Promise, but it shows up in the Device manager with an exclamtion mark next to it... saying that I might need the latest drivers for the card. The latest drivers ARE installed...

So Are you guys saying I should just remove the card from the device manager and also remove the files from the Add/Remove Programs, hook up the HD with the Blue IDE cable, and then stick it in the PCI? Or Does the Promise need to be installed first, like it is now?

What about when I boot up, when it mentions that the BIOS for the Promise is not installed? Will that problem correct itself after I hook the HD up to it?

I'm planing to hook the HD and the CD up to the Promise... and disable the IDE slots on the mobo... so don't worry about that.

I'm going to try to get some sleep... I'm hella tired. See you guys in the morning.

[Bixler]

Morning McRhea.

Check back carefully through the posts since your last one, and follow the dots.

To Recap:

You are getting the "bios not installed" message only because there isn't a Hard Drive attached to the Promise when you boot up. It's just a wierd and confusing message--nothing else. A Hard Drive should be attached at the time of the initial install for all to run smoothly, but no biggie, just a little blip.

Thinking about it, "The Pit" is probably spot on...try simply plugging the HDD into the Promise before you uninstall anything or jerk the card back out. And use the original cable too...if that don't work, check back on the right step by step that Jorden and I have been discussing. Chances are you'll be OK.

This isn't a major problem...just one of following the procedures step by step.

You should have a little installation booklet that comes with the card, if not, download the manual here: http://www.promise.com/support/testmanuals.htm#u66

Check out the other link I posted earlier and you will get a more thorough explanation, along with some other good knowlege about this particular adapter.


[This message has been edited by Bixler (edited 04 December 1999).]

[McRhea]

Jorden, I'm sorry, Here's the Info for the BIOS...

Strangely, my BIOS does not have PCI configurarion, Advanced Chipset Configuration, or I/O device configuration.

What I DO have under the "advanced" tab is:

Peripheral Config
IDE config
Floppy Options
Video Config
Resource Config

That's it. If you want more info on any of those, let me know...

[The PIT]

I think you find the irq settings are under resources. By selecting reserved your setting the irq for isa.

[McRhea]

Success!!!! The HD and the CD are hooked up to the Promise, and all appears fine. In the BIOS, both IDE channels are disabled. Uhhh, what about in the device manager, under "hard disk controllers", there's that Intel ~~~blah, blah~~~~ IDE Controller. Under the tab settings, there's an option to enable the both, 1st, 2nd, or disable both. It's set to both IDE channels enabled... what do I do? Disable both? Or does this not matter?

Here's a list of my IRQ's...

0 System timer
1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
2 Programmable interrupt controller
3 (free)
4 Communications Port (COM1)
5 (free)
6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
7 ECP Printer Port (LPT1)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
9 Promise Technology Inc. Ultra66 IDE Controller
9 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
9 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
10 U.S. Robotics 56K Voice Win
10 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 Matrox Millennium G400 - English
11 Creative Sound Blaster AudioPCI 64D
11 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
14 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
15 Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller

I've moved the Modem and the Promise to the bottom PCI slots. The modem went in before the Promise, which is probably why it has IRQ 10, tell me what I should move around...
The Modem is in PCI slot 1, the Promise in slot 2, with slots 3, 4, and 5 open. PCI slot 5 being right next to the AGP slot.
Recommendations? I'm feeling better today, thank God... Oh, it's Saturday where I'm at! :P Don't you wish you lived here? Haha, Later guys, i'll be back later.

[Bixler]

Just checked in before bedtime, and there you were, working away...ahead of the game, but Great!... all appears to be fine. You are a certified junior grade expert! The listing of IRQ's with Promise working, and PnP Bios disabled (GREAT explanation of that Jorden)is REAL progress...just a step or two to the finish line. You have by now noticed, Chris, that moving the board(s) from slot to slot changes the IRQ ('pecking order') of your devices. Duhh!

200+ posts, and we're gonna get IRQ's into shape!

Jorden has the book on that but if the consensus now is to leave things be, so be it...at least we reduced the overcrowding a little on IRQ 11.--It all depends on how you want to push your machine.

After that, any one up for a little philosophical discussion on the real value of UDMA 66??--Kinda like the neverending AGP 2x vs 1x I keep seeing newbies post about I think. I had to learn about card adapter IDE controllers the hard way, and through a need for more and cleaner IDE channels--didn't ever need the supposed extra speed...is it real??? And for WHAT?


[This message has been edited by Bixler (edited 04 December 1999).]

[McRhea]

Congratulations Bixler!!! You're a MURCer now!!! You've earned it, thanks sooooooo much for your help! Way to go BIXLER!!!!
WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[Bixler]

Sheesh!

just signed on a couple weeks ago to pick up a tip or two before jamming a matrox board down someone's throat...As I recall, my first post was something like
-----------------------
"This Card doesn't work right . It's really bugging me."
-----------------------
Sound familiar Chris. You cost yourself a lot of time while learning, but you (and I) have learned a lot. You've successfully done the computer equivalent of making a Chevy (Gateway) work with a Shelby racecar engine (Matrox display) while feeding it diesel fuel (Phoenix bios)...or really that's the other way around I guess. Who cares, it's running.

Mac lovers just don't know what fun is.

[This message has been edited by Bixler (edited 04 December 1999).]

[McRhea]

SO THAT'S IT??????? We're DONE??? I can't believe it!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It feels funny to have such a simple answer... I feel like I should have to sell my soul to the devil, and go through some REALLY frustrating experience before the comp is fixed... I mean... it feels REALLY funny to just delete some whacky program that came with the comp, and then have the problem disappear... But I haven't had to go through any real trouble... just attaching IDE cables... and rummaging around in the BIOS... that's NOTHING... right? And during the process, i've learned SOOO much about my comp, oh my god! And Bixler, you are right, I'm a Microsoft/Bill Gates Hater! Why does that fool have to make programs that are soooo unforgiving??? GOD!! Dumbass!
I guess MS and Bill Gates don't know what compatible means! Anyway, I'm going to be haning around here alot, and giving help to others that might have a similar problem!
We'll help them together!

One thing to note, to all you people that are having problems with the g400, trying uninstalling ANY virus scanner or crash guard you have running. I mean ALL of it. You don't need those shit programs. They cause more problems then they are worth. Learn from a guy that has learned the hard way!

Everyone that has helped me throughout this, have a free drink on me!!! Load up! It's ALL on me!!! Lets all get drunk tonight!!!
I'm having me a Usquaebach just to see how it tastes, And i'm sure it'll taste DANDY! Thanks guys!