Re: Joystick not working with SB Vibra 16 PnP sound card

Posted on 2023-08-09, 18:15

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I seem to recall the default joystick IO port address is 201. Maybe the programs you use to test the port do not look at the BLASTER settings? Also some Soundblasters have a Joystick Enable jumper that needs to be closed, but maybe not your PNP version?

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Re: FYI: Steam drops Win7/8/8.1 in 2024

Posted on 2023-08-06, 12:11

by

by Rwolf

in Milliways

in Milliways

I tried Playnite for a bit, but the last update did not want to install, so I had to uninstall it - maybe try again a bit later. It does not help with the various 'game launcher needs later operating system' issues from UBI/Steam/EA launchers of course.

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Re: Were you ever hurt by a computer?

Posted on 2023-08-05, 09:55

by

by Rwolf

in Milliways

in Milliways

I've had a few minor cuts as most can experience when building PC:s. I do recall a cPCI rack in the lab that had some issues, it got sent to the UK manufacturer for repairs, and got back with the wrong PSU input voltage set...the electrolytic caps were large and the ears rang for hours after the …

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Re: Vector graphics games

Posted on 2023-07-02, 22:14

by

by Rwolf

in Milliways

in Milliways

My favourite vector graphics game back in the day was Starglider, no colour-filled areas. https://www.mobygames.com/game/1203/starglider/screenshots/ Elite was another vector graphics space game, at least on ssome platforms.

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Re: Need help identifying a machine model and word processor

Posted on 2023-06-26, 18:45

by

by Rwolf

in Milliways

in Milliways

The PC looks to be an IBM PS/2 Model 30, not sure about the 'RSL WordProcessing Module', but what I understand it is common to make fake programs that just require actors to hit any key to progress through predefined screens, to avoid simple mistakes while shooting a scene.

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Re: When buying a 486 motherboard back in the day. What accessories came with it?

Posted on 2023-06-07, 19:52

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

My first homebuilt PC, a 386DX Gigabyte motherboard from 1991 did not have much onboard, only serial/parallel ports, with a couple of backpanel connector plates with cables, intended for either chassis mounting or to be place in unused ISA slot positions. It did come with a nice printed manual, and …

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Re: Original IBM EGA card repair thread

Posted on 2023-06-03, 16:24

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

There is a simple fault that can be checked easily with a tester; the jumpers themselves can have poor connection due to oxidation or cracked solder joints / cut copper lines. If so, you could have an explanation to the beeps.

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Re: Original IBM EGA card repair thread

Posted on 2023-06-02, 21:31

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Using EGA on that PC requires a specific BIOS version; dated 10/27/82 There is a note about a bug in this BIOS with under-populated RAM banks which can cause the beeps, at the very bottom of the page: https://www.minuszerodegrees.net/5150/misc/5150_motherboard_switch_settings.htm But I guess you …

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Re: Original IBM EGA card repair thread

Posted on 2023-06-02, 20:48

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

It could be the Network card has a simplified IO address decoder, there is sometimes not a full address decoder implemented in the hardware, so extra address ranges could be overlapping without being properly documented - I've seen that on some boards. Any known conflicts could perhaps be found on …

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Re: Original IBM EGA card repair thread

Posted on 2023-06-02, 19:00

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

There are some switches you must set on both the PC & XT system board when using the EGA on the older systems. Page 79 in the link below. https://www.minuszerodegrees.net/oa/OA%20-%20IBM%20Enhanced%20Graphics%20Adapter.pdf (Memories...that EGA card was ordered with the first IBM/AT @6MHz , no less, …

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Re: FYI: Steam drops Win7/8/8.1 in 2024

Posted on 2023-06-01, 23:39

by

by Rwolf

in Milliways

in Milliways

Odd...the Ubi Connect I have has been working for me so far - updated today & still seems ok; I know it claims to require Win8 now, but for my Win7/64 it still works somehow. (I do expect it and all other game portals to drop Win7/8/9/etc eventually, but then I haven't purchased a game needing these …

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Re: Fax Modem Software

Posted on 2023-05-30, 10:40

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

WinFax seems to have been popular back in the day; I'm not sure that can be found nowadays. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WinFax Or you can look in Simtels archives, they have some free software for faxing: http://www.lanet.lv/simtel.net/win95/fax.html (I had thought the fax was a long dead item, …

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Re: Attempting to run "Carnivorous" on PC...nothing I tried works, does anyone have any pointers?

Posted on 2023-05-29, 13:34

by

by Rwolf

in Windows

in Windows

That is really wierd...if the item being tested is a time-limited alpha version, maybe only intended for internal testers, then why does it have box covers at all? Somebody messed up in a major way if these were distributed for sale, as none of them would have worked.

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Re: Attempting to run "Carnivorous" on PC...nothing I tried works, does anyone have any pointers?

Posted on 2023-05-29, 08:47

by

by Rwolf

in Windows

in Windows

Well, it would be good to have a verified date, if at all possible - maybe there is another reason than Y2K, it just seemed a likely culprit to me.

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Re: IRQ11 cannot be used except a PCI graphic card

Posted on 2023-05-28, 21:59

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Well the IDE controllers have IRQ 14/15 normally - these controllers are usually both on your motherboard as seen in the block diagrams as the EIDE controller, so only in case of the use of a separate IDE controller on the PCI bus would you need to map it like the last image you posted as just an …

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Re: Attempting to run "Carnivorous" on PC...nothing I tried works, does anyone have any pointers?

Posted on 2023-05-28, 19:00

by

by Rwolf

in Windows

in Windows

Ok, so I guess I can attribute this error to Y2K in the game trivia at Mobygames? (I think this is the first time I've ever seen the Y2K issue affect a program this way)

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Re: Attempting to run "Carnivorous" on PC...nothing I tried works, does anyone have any pointers?

Posted on 2023-05-28, 13:29

by

by Rwolf

in Windows

in Windows

I wondered if it was the old Y2K bug popping up, but then the IGN reviwers had problems with the game in 1999 already; the failed review the OP linked was originally posted in september 1999?

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Re: IRQ11 cannot be used except a PCI graphic card

Posted on 2023-05-28, 13:15

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Hard to tell...could be something is shorted on the NIC that affected that specific INT line. (Hard to see with this picture, but maybe check for near pins shorted on that QFP package; there could be something there. Most likely not...with a lockup on cable attachment, the problem is possibly closer …

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Re: IRQ11 cannot be used except a PCI graphic card

Posted on 2023-05-27, 23:19

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

It is not trivial to replace a QFP package like that bridge, and I would rather suggest to find another working motherboard if that was the problem. Maybe someone else has an identical motherboard to compare with?

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Re: IRQ11 cannot be used except a PCI graphic card

Posted on 2023-05-26, 13:28

by

by Rwolf

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Hmm...it would go from one of the board chips yes. If you look at https://pinoutguide.com/Slots/PCI_pinout.shtml you will find the pins for INT A/B/C/D which are the names for the interrupt lines on the connectors, and each interrupt should be connected in parallel to all the PCI connectors on the …

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