justin1985 wrote on 2023-01-20, 19:55:

Thanks to PC Hoarder Patrol's extreme kindness, I've now been able to replace the CD-ROM cable - it not only works perfectly - b […]
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PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2023-01-14, 19:04:

Finally found the little beggar! 😀 ...it's the original cable from my own (currently busted) Deskpro SFF P3 450 - I replaced the original working CD-ROM drive and the new one came complete with cable.

Thanks to PC Hoarder Patrol's extreme kindness, I've now been able to replace the CD-ROM cable - it not only works perfectly - but - who'd have thought it - it seems to have greatly improved the "PC Thinking Noise" issue too! I guess where the old CD cable had worn through it had 'released' a lot more interference, nestled in right next to the internal speaker ...

The same day, the SoundBlaster Live! that I had ordered from eBay also arrived (an SB0220 - which I later learned is a model to avoid ...) and I've had some weirdness trying to fit it ...

First of all, I haven't been able to properly - when I disabled the onboard audio in the "Onboard Devices" section of the BIOS (cycle through several combinations of resource settings, last of which is disabled) - but even with it disabled in the BIOS (and the "Device Security" setting for audio enabled or disabled, whatever that does) - it still shows up - and works - in Windows.

I was able to install the drivers for the SB0220 using the driver file from the Vogons site, but when I rebooted the ESS card was still working, and in the Multimedia settings page in Windows only the ESS audio services were selectable for playback recording etc. I tried disabling the ESS devices in Windows Device Manager, which worked. But there still weren't any Creative devices in Multimedia Settings. So I thought I'd reinstall the drivers ... and that's when I hit something really weird ...

Since I installed the Creative drivers and rebooted - Windows hasn't been detecting any USB devices! At all! I even tried completely uninstalling the Creative drivers, but still zero luck detecting USB devices ... this does feel like a true reminder of Win98 days!

Any ideas? Is reinstalling Windows likely the only way to get USB working again?

That was quick! - glad it worked out OK 😀

Eventually got the onboard ESS sound disabled, and the USB working properly, by fiddling with the "device security" options in the BIOS.

I was still hearing the "thinking noise" even with the ESS successfully disabled. I tried unplugging the onboard speaker, and hey presto, no noise. With the internal speaker physically connected, but disabled because using external speakers, there was still noise. But with the internal physically disconnected, the ESS chip was fine with external speakers.

The SB live eventually worked when I tried uninstalling the Creative software, then pointing Windows to the Inf files in the installer folder. But with the Creative software installed via the installer, it showed up in Device Manager, but no devices showed in Multimedia. The SB Live did definitely sound quite a bit clearer and richer than the ESS chip, with the same external speakers.

However, with the "thinking noise" caused by the internal speaker, I don't feel like it's so necessary to use the standalone card!

The internal speaker is a neat thing to have though, if I can get it to work a bit better with some form of shielding?

It looks like it's possible to buy "chain mail" style shielding (as normally incorporated inside some types of e.g. cable TV cable) which might help? (Presumably with heatshrink over the top to prevent shorts). Or might adding an iron core ferrule help? (I think this is that they're intended for?)