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The problem I am haveing is that the drivers for this sound card cause windows to either shut down.Not load on startup.and causes frequent crashes. I would like to know if anybody else has had this problem and if so what is the work around

2006-06-28 09:56:42 · 6 answers · asked by Michael C 1 in Computers & Internet Hardware Other - Hardware

6 answers

I have not had such a problem with the AC97 chipset. I very much doubt that your problems are caused by it. What you describe seems more like a problem with the RAM modules you have installed on your computer. Crashes occur because of mistakes (e.g. data or command corruption) in programs that are loaded into memory. So if the crashes are random (sometimes while booting and sometimes after a few minutes past logging onto the computer), it is highly likely that the computer's memory is malfunctioning and its contents are becoming corrupt. I saw this happen when someone I knew tried to sell me some cheap memory modules. This also happened when I bought some memory modules on sale.

I suggest that you install each memory module one at a time. Every time you install a new module, start your computer and let it run for a while to see if it crashes. Make sure that you do not try to install memory modules while your motherboard is powered (you need to switch the computer off at the power supply or unplug the computer if its power supply does not have its own on/off switch, otherwise you may damage your motherboard and memory modules). Then, once your computer crashes, you will know which memory module is not working properly (the last one that you installed).

If you think there are no problems with the memory, the crashes might be caused by the processor malfunctioning (possibly due to over-heating). Make sure that you are not over-clocking your processor (running it faster than the rate it has been rated for). With some motherboards you can over-clock the processor through the BIOS settings. Check your motherboard manual and your BIOS settings to make sure that you are not over-clocking the processor. Check that the processor heat sink and fan are correctly installed on the processor and that there is sufficient heat-conducting paste between the processor and the heat sink (do not try to uninstall the heat-sink and fan if it is clear that they are firmly installed over the processor as you may accidentally rub off some of the heat-conducting paste and cause the processor to over-heat). Then restart your computer and let it run for a while to see if it crashes.

If you are sure that the problem is not caused by the RAM or the processor, try the following.

1. Visit the website of your motherboard manufacturer and download and write, onto a CD, the latest version of the drivers for any integrated I/O devices that your motherboard has. Ensure that the drivers you download are for the operating system you wish to use on your computer (e.g. do not download Windows 98 drivers if you intend to use Windows XP and do not download Windows XP drivers if you wish to use Linux). It might also be useful to download the latest firmware for your motherboard's BIOS and update the BIOS prior to step 3 (This can be slightly risky because if there is a power surge or your computer crashes, while the BIOS is being updated, the BIOS may get corrupted and your computer will not boot).

2. Turn off your computer (ensure that it is switched off from the power supply) and remove any extra cards that you installed on your motherboard except the graphics card, if the motherboard does not have an onboard video controller. If you remove the graphics card because there is an onboard video controller on the motherboard, connect your computer's monitor cable to the onboard video controller's connector.

3. Switch the computer back on and boot it with the installation CD or DVD of the operating system you want to use on the computer. Then use the operating system's setup program to wipe your computer's hard-drive and reinstall the operating system on your computer. Make sure you have backed up any files you needed off the hard drive before doing this.

3. Install the drivers that you downloaded on your fresh operating system installation. Do not install any other software on your computer until you have installed all the drivers. It would be best to install one driver at a time and restart your computer after each installation to note if the computer starts to misbehave after a specific driver is installed. Note that newer motherboards come with software that updates older operating systems so that they can detect the motherboard devices properly. If your motherboard was made after your operating system was made (N.B. Windows XP came out around 2002) you will need to run such software prior to installing the drivers for the onboard devices. See the motherboard manufacturer's website for documentation and the software that you might need.

4. Restart your computer and allow it to run for a while to see if it crashes. If not, go to the next step.

5. Shut down and switch the computer off from the power supply. Then install any cards that you want installed on the motherboard. Every time you have inserted a new card, turn the computer back on and install the drivers for the card that you installed. Restart your computer and let it run for a while to see if it crashes. If not, repeat this step for the next card that you want to install.

6. Install whatever software you wish to use on the computer. Again, it is best to install one program at a time and restart your computer before installing another so that you can tell if it is a specific program that is causing the computer to crash.

Hopefully, by the end of all this you would have either found out what was causing the problem or you would have fixed the problem. Good luck!

2006-06-28 11:25:40 · answer #1 · answered by What's the Q? 2 · 0 0

Hi There. First thing would be to check what is the chip set manufacturer for those motherboards. Most probably it's VIA. Then go to that manufacturer web site and download the latest chip set drivers for those motherboards for particular operating system you're using (they are also called 4 in 1 drivers). Then you should update the windows with the latest service pack (sp2) and all the rest of the updates. Then install the 4 in 1 drivers and restart. Let us know if it helped. All best, Bora.

2006-06-28 10:07:38 · answer #2 · answered by Bora 1 · 0 0

precisely what "extreme-end" sound card are you making plans to purchase? because if that is an X-Fi, i am going to rip off your head and sh!t down your neck. do not tell me i did not provide you with a warning.

2016-10-13 22:26:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

I got it on two of my systems...never had a prob....are you using the same driver for all of them? If so your driver may be funky...download one from another site.

2006-06-28 10:12:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

No, never had problems with AC97. Sorry.

2006-06-28 10:00:51 · answer #5 · answered by Manish K 3 · 0 0

Go buy a sound card. Ihave Soundblaster in mine.

2006-06-28 10:00:14 · answer #6 · answered by scrambledmolecues 3 · 0 0

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