abit kt7a-raid mobo bios update and sb liveware conflict with dma on cdroms

[supertunger99]

Hi,

I hope someone out there can help me. I recently bought the abit kt7a-raid mobo with 1.1gHz t-bird. And like everyone was saying, the combo isn't very stable. My computer crashes about once a day, I think thats a horrible rate. (I might sell the combo and get a PIII system)

Anyways,I cant seem to download the bios update from the abit website. The connection just stalls on me so I was hoping someone out there could send me the bios update.

Also, this is the problem that really bothers me. I own a sb live 5.1 platinum and whenever I install the liveware, the dma on my cd-roms get all screwed up. I can't enable dma on the cdroms. I would enable the dma but after restarting the computer and checking the dma it's back off. It's really frusterating because I can't use the remote control that came along with the sb 5.1 plat. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me.

email me if ya want = ): [email protected]

 

[jughead]

try this connection: http://fae.abit.com.tw/download/bios/kt7/index-e.htm . It should work. As far as the dma, I,m not sure. have you installed the via drivers with dma enabled? And if you haven't already, you can go into your device manager and reserve 64kb of mem for the dma buffer... might help.

 

[supertunger99]

thanks jughead! I just finished flashing my bios. I hope it makes my system more stable. Or does that have nothing to do with it?

Anyway, I'm gonna look for the via drivers tonight and see if that fixes my problem with the sb liveware. I dunno how to manuelly reserve 64kb of memory for the dma though. Where underneath device managers do you do that?

Thanks again!!

 

[jughead]

No problem supertuna! Now here's the connection for the latest via drivers: http://www.viahardware.com/download/index.shtm#4in1

As for the buffers, I'll try to explain. Right click on "my computer". Click on "properties", then click on the "device manager", go down the list to "system devices" and click on the "+" sign. Then go down to "Direct access memory controller" and double-click on it. Then click on settings, check the reserve DMA buffer box, and set how much mem ya want to reserve. (I use 64), but I'm the type that thinks more is better. Hope it's not too confusing.

 

[supertunger99]

Thanks again jughead-

I downloaded the via 4in1 drivers and installed them, but it didn't seem to help my sb liveware problem. I tried installing the sb liveware again after I updated my via drivers and to no alas the I losted a cd-rom in the process. It's strange, everytime I try to install the liveware my cd-roms get screwed. ARgh, I hope creative updates their liveware soon! Thanks again jughead = ).

 

[jughead]

Sorry that didn't work. maybe try to rearrange the cards in the slots might help. Try posting at video and sound cards. I've heard of conflicts with sb's but my live value was no problem setting up.

 

[Shep]

I read on this board some place that you need to reserve IRQ 5 for the sb cards. That helped mine a lot, and also have heard not to put any thing in the last PCI slot.

 

[supertunger99]

Hi again,

How do you reserve irq's? Is that in windows or in the bios? I'm gonna go mess around with it now. Anyways, thanks everyone and I'll keep you guys updated.

 

[supertunger99]

Okayz, I checked under "control panel/system/device managers" and click the properties of the "computer". It says that the sb live is using irq 11. I don't know how to change it though. I checked in the bios and when I go to manuel, the irq's give me the option of either "isa.. something" or "pci pnp.. something". Lolz, sorry I'm so vague, if it seems like I don't know what I'm talking about. I don't. Thanks again everyone!

 

[Shep]

It is in the bios I don't remember exactly what screen though and my pc crashed or I would look for you. I remember there being a setting when you set it to manual or enabled (don't remember which) it shows the pci slots, when you scroll through them it gives you a description of what is in the slot. I think the sb live is reconised as a multimedia device when you find the slot it is in you hit enter and select an irq, in this case 5.

 

[supertunger99]

Hi everyone,

I finally had time to play around with my computer for today and armed with all your suggestions was able to fix all my problems. Thanks!! Thanks jughead and thanks shep!

I put my sb live plat 5.1 card in the 6th pci slot and put my adaptec 2940uw scsi card in my 1st pci slot. Then I set my irq for my sb live plat 5.1 to irq#5 in the bios (where you said it was shep). Now everything is working perfectly, Im soo happy!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[jughead]

We share your happiness !!! Glad to hear it!