I need hardcore help

[Mace]

My friend's pc is shot...
config:
FIC pa-2013 Mobo, latest bios
AMD k6-2/350
IBM deskstar drive udma33
G200 Marvel - tried most driver/bios combos
256MB
old Pro audio spectrum w/scsi sound card
old roland lapc midi card

I've tried many pc bios settings, and software setups; no luck. It seems the card has just stopped working right (at least in the current config). Running Avid cinema that came with the card, many problems occur, from stuttering video, to the computer restarting at will with no warning. Problems with Premier also occur in the same manner. Video playback seems to cause all kinds of problems. Otherwise, it runs fine - well, there is this thing about the monitor going all fuzzy, like a tv channel that doesn't come in - then the computer has to be restarted. That happens when trying to install the software. I originally set this pc up and it ran fine for about 1 or 2 years.
the pc isn't overclocked in any way. I don't know what changes were made (new software, etc.) since the thing has been out of my 'care' for a while. If anyone has had
similar problems with a similar setup....any help would be appreciated.
thanks

ps- i'm currently dual booting another win98
to do a clean install...we have no other pc to put it in, besides mine, which is loaded and overclocked, so it wouldn't be a good test system. i've been having the same problems so far, but i can't isolate the card.

[Bixler]

First step would be to do a full unininstall of all things Matrox/g200/mga and to sweep the registry of all of these references with the exception of references to the Avid software. (leave Avid references alone for the moment in the registry).

From the generic standard MS reinstall the latest Via 4 in 1's...ver 4.20. Some users have had better luck with the 4.17 version.

Once you've got the Via Drivers in then try a reinstall of the Matrox PD. For me I've done best with the PD vers. 5.25 and VT 1.50.

Try this and report back. Good Luck.

------------------
AMD K6III 400 @ 426 On a SOYO SY5EMA M/B. Marvel G200 TV with HW/DVD Daughtercard,
CDBurner, Creative DVD, Promise Ultra 66 Controller
two big WD Hdds, Outboard 56K modem
Parallel Port Scanner,
All stuffed into a Mid-tower ATX case with no device slots left!

[Bixler]

Dohh! Seen it so many times it seems obvious by now, but of course the problem could also be the classic IRQ conflict. When you post back in list your IRQ's as well

[Mace]

well...i've got..had...a clean install on dual boot...still didn't work. then i thought of something - the problem didn't start up until my friend added new ram - that's about the time the usb port was enabled too...it's not the ram, i've tested it in my pc already at 112fsb. so i figured damn, of course, the usb port! i checked the irq's and noticed the sharing of irq 5 with pci steering, usb, and marvel. i disabled usb, and still the crashes occur. now, i have the drivers that came on the disc - 1998 sometime - and the via stuff that came with the mb. all of this worked when i set the pc up originally. now, i can't even access a drive - the cursor turns into a block, and the monitor becomes a mess - like noise from a tv channel that doesn't come in. this happens when i run the sys info program that comes with win98 too. i noticed sometimes there are 2 pci irq steering listing in the sys info program (when it worked)...is that normal? seems like it should be just 1...also the marvel is on the same irq. i have the aperture at 64m and kept the new ram out, to try and preserve the original setup. i've tried forcing 2x (i don't have to force 1x, that just occurs naturally). there aren't any pci cards installed, just 2 old isa sound/midi cards. this problem really has me by the nuts.
btw, what bios is a good one?

[Bixler]

If you have two "PCI Steering" references on a particular IRQ with only one device listed, you have some phantom device causing conflicts.

If USB support and your G-200 are on the same IRQ this is also bad.

Try this Boot in "Safe Mode" and look for devices on the subject IRQ under device manager. I'll bet you see more than one...this will be your problem. Delete ALL devices and reinstall.

Could you do a full copy of all irq's listed under Device manager and post that in here? It would really help.

Keep in mind that the best IRQ's for the G-200 AGP are 10 or ll. It is not uncommon for older OS versions to attempt to install it on 5 for some reason...this is not a good thing.

POST THOSE IRQ's and we'll whip this puppy.

[Mace]

ok...i removed the pro audio spectrum w/scsi soundcard, and all of the drivers. that allowed me to set up the video card on irq 10, and get rid of the extra irq holders.
In the first(orginal) windows boot up, i can open avid cinema and play back the video, but the stuttering still happens...btw, i'm using VGA BIOS 1.4 tv; display driver, VDD, and direct draw 4.10.01.4260; and the power desk is 4.26.032; via agp is 3.65...also, the cursor and video window stop moving, but the video is still playing because when the cursor and window move again, it's at the location it would be if nothing had happened. on the second windows boot up, the screen now has vertical lines through it when accessing irq info or drives, and playing video in avid cinema causes a reboot.
these are the irq listings after i 'fixed' the irq 5 problem. this looks fine to me. it's driving me nuts. oh and thanks

----- IRQs on first windows boot

0 System timer
1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
2 Programmable interrupt controller
3 Communications Port (COM2)
4 Communications Port (COM1)
5 (free)
6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
7 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
9 MPU-401 Compatible
10 Matrox Marvel G200 AGP
10 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 (free)
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary Bus Master IDE controller (dual fifo)
14 VIA Bus Master PCI IDE Controller
15 Secondary Bus Master IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 VIA Bus Master PCI IDE Controller

----- IRQs on second windows boot

0 System timer
1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
2 Programmable interrupt controller
3 Communications Port (COM2)
4 Communications Port (COM1)
5 (free)
6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
7 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
9 (free)
10 Matrox Marvel G200 AGP
10 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 (free)
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary Bus Master IDE controller (dual fifo)
14 VIA Bus Master PCI IDE Controller (Ultra DMA)
15 Secondary Bus Master IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 VIA Bus Master PCI IDE Controller (Ultra DMA)

[Matticus]

What's all this 'Good Luck' stuff about? All PC's - even those with VIA chipsets - are Von Neumann machines which execute programs sequentially in a predictable fashion. If a BIOS can be written in 128k then why cannot new versions of Windows work as well as 3.11 or Win95B ?

what, deep down, is upgrading really meant to achieve? I just wanted USB and dual-head options enabled.

[kjliew]

If you're using Win98 (not SE) please at least install AGP and IRQ routing driver from VIA. Get the latest version. I always install AGP driver in Turbo mode.

I would suggest you to try with PD5.25 first. As I know, PD5.30 doesn't work in 3D mode. After that, my G200 was replaced with with G400 then G400 work even better with MVP3 chipsets.

If USB is causing interrupt conflicts, set "Assigned IRQ to USB" to "Disable" in CMOS Setup, if you don't want to disable USB completely. This can solve IRQ conflict. Don't ask me why, this is the advice from Matrox, USB must be enabled for AGP to work well for VIA chipset. My MVP3-based mobo has all the time work well, regardless of what the state of USB.

Lastly, check out FIC website. I know that there is one revision of PA2013 doesn't work reliably in AGP 2x. In fact, G200 never works reliably in AGP 2x with MVP3 chipsets. Find out if that's the cause, and see if force AGP 1x can help.

Good luck. MVP3 chipsets has never been a problem for me.



[This message has been edited by kjliew (edited 22 August 2000).]