New Sound Card Does'nt Work, PC Won't Start

[SoulBlazer]

Hello people,

Was wondering if I could get some help on a problem I'm having without having to wait till Monday to call Creative.

I originaly assembled my computer in March of 2002.  The motherboard I bought for it was a EPoX 6P3D 8KHA+ and for a sound card I went with a Hercules Gaming Theratre XP.  Of course, during the years since, I've replaced parts and upgraded others, but those have stayed with it.

At some point this week, my sound card stopped working.  Not sure what happened, it's plugged into a surge protector and what not.  I just know it was fine one day and the next all my speakers (a Logitech 5.1 surrond system) was getting was static.  Since the speakers are only a couple years old and neither speakers or headphones were working, I right away assumed it was the sound card.  

Of course, the first thing I thought off was that my motherboard might be SO old that a modern sound card might not work on it.  So I checked the stats carefully of my old Hercules.  The major points I came away with was that it needed to be used on a Intel or AMD compatiable motherboard (check), have 256k of RAM (check) and a PCI 2.1 slot (also check).

So I went out today and picked up a nice, expensive, top quality sound card -- the Creative Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic.  Before taking it home, I checked the box carefully for the needed specs and it had the same specs as my old sound card, so I was sure it would work.

Came home, grounded myself, removed the old audio card, slid the new one in, plugged everything.....computer refused to start.  I'm getting a error number on my motherboard display but I've long since misplaced the manual.  In any event, I checked the settings and made sure the card was firmly in.  No go.  Once I removed the card, the system started right up again.

I'm at a loss as to what's going on here.  Is there something else that's not mentioned in the docs or on the box that is preverting the card from working on my system?  Am I correct that my motherboard might just be too old for a modern sound card?  I've checked Creative's online site and found no help, and I really don't want to buy a new motherboard yet, since I would have to reinstall Windows XP and everything.

Could it be the PCI slot and not the sound card that was the problem?  I never got a error message on the motherboard, but I know of another problem due to the age of the motherboard....the current going into the USB ports was'nt stable anymore until I hooked up a power supply to it.

I've checked around online and can't find anything talking about the relationship between motherboards and sound cards that might give me a HINT to fixing this problem.  Please help.

[SoulBlazer]

No one?  

Updating what I said in my note yesterday, I tried the sound card in another PCI slot, same thing.  I'm getting the motherboard POST code 26, but I can't find my motherboard manual and the one from EPox's website is down.

Help!

[pcdoc4christ]

... I'm getting a error number on my motherboard display but I've long since misplaced the manual.  In any event, I checked the settings and made sure the card was firmly in.  No go.  Once I removed the card, the system started right up again...

Let us know the error code number, the number of audio beep codes you hear, and the name of the BIOS manufacturer that appears on the monitor when you start the PC.  We can look up this info on the Web to be sure it is the sound card and not the motherboard or memory.

You said you made sure the settings were correct.  Do you mean the settings in the BIOS setup?  If so, does the BIOS report the correct name for the sound card?

Are you able to start the PC in Safe Mode with the sound card installed?

Did you try inserting the card in a different PCI slot?

[SoulBlazer]

Hello, looks like our notes crossed.

I just posted the code I was getting was 26.  I tried going to EPox's website to download the motherboard manual, but their link is down.  There are NO audio beeps.

Yes, I tried the card in a different PCI slot.

No, I did'nt change anything in the BIOS.  To be honest, I'm not sure if I have to, or what to do.  I DID build this system but there's some parts of it, such as the BIOS, I really have'nt messed with.  (I do recall updating it to the newest version last year)

With the new sound card installed, I'm never able to GET as far as the system even starting.  The monitor never kicks on, I never hear the single 'beep' that confirms everything is allright....so starting in Safe Mode is impossible.  When you start the computer, the motherboard starts flashing a series of numbers as it goes through it's tests, starting at 00 and going up to 99 before settling on FF, the normal POST code.  With the new sound card installed, it stops at 26 and locks up.

The BIOS is made by Phoenix Technology.

Please ask anything else you'd like to know.

[soybean]

Do you have any other PCI devices installed?  Are they working OK?  If you have no other PCI devices installed, do you have any old PCI devices (modem, video card, etc.) you could install to see how your computer behaves?  This might indicate a faulty motherboard.

I think you would not need to change anything in the BIOS.  

[SoulBlazer]

Yes, I have a number of other PCI cards....the Ethernet card, the card where the monitor plugs into, and my modem.  The only AGP card in my system is the video card.  As I said, they all work fine, and I tried the video card in another slot.

[pcdoc4christ]

Error 26 is a Gate A20 error, which can be caused by a faulty keyboard, or by pressing a key while your computer is starting.  Make sure none of the keys on your keyboard are sticking and that you are not inadvertently pressing a key and try turning on your computer again to see if you get a different error code.

[SoulBlazer]

Sorry.  No keys suck on my keyboard and I was'nt pushing anything.

[pcdoc4christ]

Some BIOS manufacturer's use error 26 to report an unexpected interrupts error, which is Geek Speak for a conflict between your sound card and one of the other cards you have installed.  

Try removing all the expansion cards (that is, the NIC, the modem, and any other cards) and then turn on the comuputer and see if you can boot to Windows.  If so, a device conflict is to blame, and we can help you resolve it.

[SoulBlazer]

Okay.  Thanks for all the help.  Right now I'm doing a life fantasy football draft ( ) but as soon as this is done I'll open the PC back up and try some things.

[pcdoc4christ]

Sounds like a plan.
 8-)

[patio]

In general my experience has been that the vid card should be the closest to the CPU and a modem if installed should be as far away from the vid card as possible...give this a try anfd report back.

patio.   8-)

[SoulBlazer]

Sorry for being slow to report back.  Yesterday was a long and frustrating day and I'm not totally sure everything is finally fixed.

I opened the computer back up and removed the other PCI cards -- one for my old dial up modem (which I left out, don't need it anymore) and one for my equaly old Ethernet card (a 3Com card from 1998).  That left only the AGP video card (which is in the only AGP slot in the motherboard).  Still the new sound card would'nt work, so I plugged the old one back in, deciding to wait till Monday and call the company.

Well, to my surprise, the simple removal of the PCI cards was enough for Windows to complain about 'major hardware changes' and that I had to activate my copy of Windows again.  Only now my Ethernet card was'nt working and the driver had vanished into thin air!

So, without having much choice, I got back in the car, drove back to Comp USA, and returned the new sound card, getting in it's place a simpler and cheaper sound card (the Audigy SE) and a new Ethernet card, a Linksys, to match my router and modem.

Came back home, installed the new Ethernet card first, got that working, then tried to install the sound card.  Had several issues with that.  The card worked, but trying to install the drivers was fun.....files were missing from the install CD, the mouse would lock up during the instalation procedures, the 'security certifacte' message going BEHIND the instlation so I could'nt click on it....geesh.  I finally got everything working and the sound card seems to be running fine.  Had to use the new drivers from the Creative website, which is where I ran into the issues on the last one.

After all that, I MIGHT still have a conflict somewhere.  I came back from work today to find my PC had locked up, and it was'nt doing anything when I left it either.  Had to restart the PC.  It's never done that before.  In the four years I've used Windows XP I've gotten the BSOD a couple times, but those are RARE issues I can trace back to a program.  I'll see if it happens again tommorow.  If it does, I'll try undeleting and purging the sound card files and installing them again.  (Yes, I did remove the old sound card drivers before I installed the card).

And to think I was considering it was time to rebuild the whole system again!  Geesh!  

[pcdoc4christ]

OK.  Let us know if you need any assistance, and if you get a BSOD, write down the error code (the one that starts with 0x) so one of us can look it up and try to determine just what is to blame.  

Doc

[pcdoc4christ]

In general my experience has been that the vid card should be the closest to the CPU and a modem if installed should be as far away from the vid card as possible...give this a try anfd report back.

patio.   8-)

Good idea, Patio.  I'll have to remember that one.
 8-)