Why would installing PCI card affect start-up of W98se?

pompey

Hi,

I have reveived excellent advice from this board before so hope someone can help...

I am running W98se and only have 2 x USB ports. I am therefore attempting to install a 5-port USB2 PCI card.

When the PCI card is installed (I have tried 2 different PCI ports) the start-up procedure does not go past the "memory test" stage, the computer is stuck/freezes. When I remove the PCI card it works fine?

A couple of questions:

(1) Does inserting a PCI card directly affect the PC memory - I might be getting close to full capacity?
(2) Do I need to insert driver - I was expecting the PC to recognise new hardware and install driver then?

Any ideas?

Thanks

Joe_Bloggs

Try putting thr PCI card in another slot. Your memory is not an issue but perhaps interrupts are. Many slots share an interrupt with a motherboard feature. If you can get into your bios you can turn the feature off if it is not required and free up system resources for allocation to your PCI card.
J_B.

CIS

could be a power issue, is your power supply ok for wattage ?

Rex_Mundi

(2) Do I need to insert driver - I was expecting the PC to recognise new hardware and install driver then?

Yes...........You need to tell your PC how to work with this new card. Try installing the drivers before you fit the card in.

shahidemran

Rex_Mundi wrote:

Yes...........You need to tell your PC how to work with this new card. Try installing the drivers before you fit the card in.

Drivers in this case is secondary issue, I think it is IRQ problem as told by Joe_Bloggs, You should check that PCI card by putting in some other PC to confirm that it is alright, If it works in other PC, then it could be confirmed that its IRQ problem which may have conflict with some other device.

blinky

More likely to be I/O and DMA conflicts than IRQ's.

drlight_2

Could be bios has detected a possible network card & waiting for possible boot from a network.
Check the bios,
if you have auto (let bios manage irq mapping) enable it.
& disable halt on all errors

pompey

drlight wrote:

Could be bios has detected a possible network card & waiting for possible boot from a network.
Check the bios,
if you have auto (let bios manage irq mapping) enable it.
& disable halt on all errors

I will try this tonight...is it fairly easy? Thanks.