Okay, it's the PCI slots

[rb608]

I've posted a few times here recently regarding difficulties I'm having
with XP not detecting a newly-installed sound card; but I think I've
made enough tests to say it's neither the card or the OS that's giving
me the problem. Here's the sequence of events:

I installed a Firewire card (Adaptec AFW-4300), but it was not
detected. Took the whole PC to the local tech shop, who declared the
card DOA because their shop machine wouldn't detect it either. $25

Returned the Adaptec card & bought a sound card w/ a Firewire port
(Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS) and installed that. It was not detected.
Thanks to a few helpful folks here, I exhausted all of the proper
installation steps & tricks to get the card to show up. No luck.

So I borrowed an "extra" Ethernet PCI card from a techie here at the
office & plugged that in. Not detected, on either slot (of two).
Given the unknowns of the true health of this card, though, the jury
was still out.

Brought in the new sound card & had it installed in an office machine.
Walla! It was detected.

I have to conclude, therefore, that both PCI slots on my PC are belly
up for some reason. I've scanned the BIOS settings & made certain all
of the obvious things were correct (e.g. PNP enabled, Onboard Audio
disabled, etc.), but I am at a loss.

It's looking as though I have a trip to the tech shop in my future (and
maybe a new motherboard?); but if anyone here has a tip for where else
I might look first, I'd certainly love to hear it.

TIA,
Joe

 

[yabbadoo]

Assume there are PCI cards already in and working (LAN, modem)?
Switch one of these cards to both of the suspect PCI slots in turn. If it
doesn't install, you know the card's OK. (Unlikely there's a "frying"
problem, but, use the cheapest card for this test, just in case).

Put card back in original slot -to verify yr OS is working, since it will
see it as new hardware and configure it.
If that happens, XP is OK. If not, re-install XP (after checking/installing
latest m/b drivers which you should have done already).

If XP is OK, then it must be faulty m/b, by elimination. Take the m/b out,
check the slots carefully for connector damage - you MIGHT be able to bend a
connector back into place. Failing that, it's a new m/b (probably time to
upgrade, anyway

Good Luck! Len.

 

[Jetro]

Assuming the PCI cards are good and properly inserted ) you should get
some info from the BIOS. It can be either white-on-black boot-up screen in
case of IBM clone or a page within the BIOS itself in case of branded
hardware. If the BIOS won't detect a hardware, reset CMOS and try to upgrade
the BIOS. If it won't help - re-check the assembly. I've seen hundreds of
assemblies with excessive metal feet under currently unused slots for
instance.

 

[rb608]

Nope. No working PCI devices at this time. No modem, the video card
is AGP, the Ethernet port is integral with the board, and the DSL modem
is external. All I have are two open PCI slots.

I already know that the new card is good, I checked it out on another
machine where it was detected just fine; but it doesn't work in either
of the two slots on this board.

Because both PCI slots seem to be non-functional, I'm ruling out the
bad connection possibility in favor of either an OS or mobo problem
that killed them both. The board is just about a year old. Damned if
I can remember the brand right now; but it's not any top-of-the-line
hardware. It's running a Celeron 2.0. Yeah, an upgrade wouldn't kill
me, but a hundred here, a hundred there, and pretty soon we're talking
real money. I'd as soon fix this one for now, if possible.

The last time I had a similar issue was only about three months ago
(turned out to be bad drivers supplied with the AGP video card), and I
checked for new mobo BIOS updates at that time. None. So, I'm going to
cautiously rule that out too for now.

I gather that my next step would be to "Load Defaults" or "Load Optimal
Settings" in the BIOS, or reload the OS. After that, it comes down to
new hardware?

Tx,
Joe

 

[M]

I had this problem on a PC I bought. It turned out to be a BIOS setting.
When setting the BIOS to failsafe no PCI card would be detected. Setting it
the performance defaults enabled the PC to detect all PCI cards. I don't
know which individual BIOS setting was to blame.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Have the BIOS settings reset to "optimum" settings first. Then, re-test the
PCI cards. Some BIOSes have a setting where the PCI slots do not get any
reasources.