XP and PC (driver) Updates

Hi,

I have just formatted my old P3 750 system. I cannot get any onboard sound drivers, bios updates, name it, installed. Everything I try gives me errors something to do with not being MSDOS compatible. It doesn't matter if I run old mobo files from the original disc or the the saved updated ones from the site below:

http://www.tekram.com.tw/SoftwareUpdate.ASP?Product=P6BX-A

My biggest 2 problems are making the computer shut down properly for ATX or whatever and getting the onboard sound chip to work because I sold the old ISA Soundblaster card I used to have in it. All the sound stuff seems to be there but no sound because of XP freezing up after finding "ESS 1969 PCI Audiodrive" & trying to install it.

I don't know if it matters but I chose to format both hard drives in this machine using FAT32 instead of NTFS. I used NTFS on this machine (see specs below) and I don't know why I did but I think it was something I read on this forum once. I was sheepish about using NTFS on the old P3 because the odd game won't run on my big P4 because of it.

So......many questions this morning from the great white north.

Could you please check out the site I posted (or not....you know better than I do) and post back as to what I do now? I want to maybe lend this old machine out again for a few months but need it all working, of course.

Thanx in advance for your perusal of yet another of my long-winded thread posts.

Randy

 

PeteC,

No matter what I try to run for SOLO files, I get an error box entitled "16 bit Windows Subsystem" The error is "C:\Windows\System32\Autoexex.nt. The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. "

Did I get a bad install of the OS or something?????

Randy

ACPI was already enabled in BIOS.

To flash the BIOS, I copied the AWDFLASH file and the new BIOS (bxap108) file onto a floppy. I then booted into safe mode with command prompt. At the prompt, I hit A and then Enter. After A is flashing, I type AWDFLASH BXAP108.BIN to which I get a reply that no such thing as AWDFLASH can be run or found or something to that extent.

??????????????

Randy

 

PeteC,

I have copied the damaged file over to the system32 folder and my solo app actually runs.

The problem now is something that was there from the get-go for me. I reboot my computer and enable the onboard sound. After my desktop loads, I go to Sounds in Control Panel. Right then, XP says that it found a new device. It signals that it found ESS 1969 PCI Audiodrive (WDM).
The HD grinds away for a while, every time, and then the screen just freezes up my cursor and all. I can't even Control-Alt-Delete my way to a restart. I have to push the reset button which I do not enjoy having to do.

If I look in Device Manager, sound, video, & game controllers, I have these entries:

Audio Codecs
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Media Control Devices
Video Codecs

So does that help you in any way?

(awdflash still won't go but maybe deal with that later?)

Randy

 

I have found a file at that site called "ES1938, ES1946, ES1969 driver" for XP.

I must be blind. I take it I am looking for the exact file name of "ESS 1969 PCI Audiodrive" and then making sure "XP" is on the right?

I have to step out for a bit now, but could you copy/paste the exact file name here as you see it on that site?

Thank you,
Randy

 

Thanx, Pete

Now, probably because I must have left my brains on my pillow last night, what now?

I have extracted and copied the files onto floppy as there is no setup file. I tried to use add new hardware and get to the part where ESS is a choice on the left for sound devices but 1969 is not listed on the right side. I click on "have disk" and it won't work.

How do I install this thing?

Sorry for bugging you so much but thanks for your patience.

Randy

 

Sorry, there, PeteC and everyone else!

(I somehow didn't get an email of the last post)

Nope.......that file was just like the one before.....no inf or whatever.

Anyone at all want to either help me get this thing right or maybe send me a rope?

Randy

 

Good News!!!

I took a look at a few things such as what all was running at startup and stuff and I didn't like some of the things I saw so I formatted the system again.

Now, no problems at all with sound. Knowing this board as I do, I set up XP and then physically added one item at a time, namely the USB card and then the network card and made darn sure they were in different slots because this board had a habit of "remembering" where what was and, consequently, not "finding" things.

Last of these, after a shutdown each time of course, was to enable onboard sound in BIOS. Sure enough, XP finds the ESS 1969 Audiodrive and sets it right up for me with NO DRIVER FILES NEEDED.

Mind you, THIS TIME I set up all my hardware BEFORE doing all the Windows Updates and basically having enough spyware, adware, you-name-it-ware to choke a large horse flying up my LAN cable. I think some of this stuff was very much responsible for some of the bad things that happened like the corrupted autoexec file. I really do think that and really do want to pass some of the creators of this garbage a little something up something of theirs' and I don't mean their LAN cables.

Okay......so.......just to be a real pain today.......my AWDFLASH bios update command now works in safe mode with command prompt but an error gets served up within the awdflash utility box saying "Fail - Due to EMM386 or QEMM! (with the excamation mark) It doesn't matter how I type the command but I should be (and am) typing "AWDFLASH BXAP107.BIN" without the quotation marks.

May the games begin,
Randy

P.S. Like I've said before about formats......sometimes the best thing for a sick chicken is an axe.

 

Hi!

So.....is there any way else I can flash the bios in the old pc?

Thanx,
Randy

 

Hi Randy,
If this is a stupid question please ignore it.
You are unzipping the downloaded bios file before you try the Award flash procedure?

Roger

 

Hi Roger!

No such thing as a silly question.

Yes, I am extracting them first.

I have set aside the bios issue for now as I am having trouble setting my home page in IE6 and will be posting that in that area of this forum right away.

Thanx,
Randy

 

I cannot get System Works to remember my preferences even after an R & R. I cannot get IE6 to change my homepage and actually posted that problem in the IE area of this forum.

I am now formatting a 3rd time with a different CDROM and hoping for a good install. I shall surely post back in a day or so with how it all went down.

My deepest thanks to everyone on this forum for their help.

Sorry for the glitches on this end. I shall set up a solid OS install and return.

Randy