Okay, great.

I'm going to ask you to update a hidden file, so that troubleshooting is made much easier in DOS without affecting Windows. It is completely reversible, so don't worry.

From DOS, in C:\> Type:

1attrib -h -s -r MSDOS.SYS
2edit MSDOS.SYS

Now find where it says:
BootGUI=1

and change to:
BootGUI=0

Save MSDOS.SYS

And type in DOS:

1attrib +h +s +r MSDOS.SYS

What you've done there is edited a hidden, read-only file, so that you boot straight into DOS without affecting Windows. Type WIN in DOS to boot into Windows.

Once you've done the above, we can test the card, and try some settings out. Please advise when you have done the above and can reboot straight into DOS.

Well, since the beginning, I made a shortcut to reboot in MS-DOS mode in windows 98, which has it's own autoexec.bat and config.sys. (a bit like Phil's Computer Lab did) Is it sufficient ?
While I do not type win or exit, when I reboot, the computer boots to DOS

For the purpose of troubleshooting, there are too many variables. You can go back to your method of switching to DOS later, if you prefer.

Please follow the above, and the setup will be easier to troubleshoot. And is more reminiscent of how Win3.1 and DOS 6.22 behaved. I'll ask you to change some BIOS settings that will affect how Windows behaves, so if you follow the above, you will never boot into Windows without typing WIN.

Okay, I'll do that, but not now, it starts to be late ^^

No probs, we can continue this later. Good night!

Done, what do I do now ?

Okay, that's great.

Now on the following BIOS screen, where you change IRQs for Peripherals, keep the settings as they are, where you have already disabled Serial/ Parallel:

Now on the Power BIOS screen below, change to:

ACPI Function = Disabled
PM Control by APM = No

And for the PnP BIOS screen below, change to:

Reset Configuration Data = Enabled

Assign IRQ for USB = Disabled

PCI Slot 4 Use IRQ = 5**

IRQ-10 Assigned to = PCI/ ISA PnP

DMA 1 Assigned to = Legacy ISA

** I'm assuming you still have the YMF on Slot 4? If not, change the relevant Slot to IRQ 5

- When you have changed the above, save in BIOS and reboot straight to DOS.
- Please run Setupds, and post a screenshot of the utility.

So, what we've done is disabeld many IRQ hogs (we can enable later), and reserved for DOS:

IRQ 7 and DMA 1 for Sound Blaster.
IRQ 9 for SoftMPU MIDI.
IRQ 5 for PCI YMF724.

I'll continue when you have posted the Setupds screenshot.

EDIT: For the time being, don't boot into Windows.

Weird irq 😮

Here is the pnp bios

Deksor wrote:

Weird irq 😮

I've seen this IRQ 127 before, where the utility is confused. It is fixable.

Please go into the utility by running Setupds, and post a screenshot of the utility. I'll continue after this.

The grey doesn't appear to be readable with my phone's camera ...
So it's written from top to bottom in grey color : "IRQ channel : inta#" "irq channel : inta#" "inta# irq : 127" d-dma base : 8000"

When I set IRQ mode to S-IRQ, here how it looks :

Okay, were going to reset the card.

Change to:

Legacy Audio = Disabled

Then Save and Exit.
Do a full power reboot back into DOS, and run Setupds /s.

Post the output screenshot after this. Then I'll continue.

Obviously everything was desactivated in the first place, but I activated it so you can read it (again, poor image quality due to bad camera)

I'm waiting your answer, I presume it will work, but I don't want to ruin everything ^^

Okay, change to:

SB PORT, IRQ CHANNEL = 7

MPU PORT, IRQ CHANNEL = 9

- Test and Save.
- Do full power reboot, run Setupds /s.
- Print output screenshot.

Test games with Sound Blaster IRQ as 7, DMA as 1. Ensure game setup options are updated to this.

There are a few more things I need to check after this. I'll continue then.

Yikes, I still can't save

There are a few more things we could try.

One of them, I think the board doesn't like PCI Slot 4.

Change the card to another PCI Slot, e.g. Slot 3.

Update BIOS, so change to:

Reset Configuration Data = Enabled

PCI Slot 3 Use IRQ = 5
PCI Slot 4 Use IRQ = Auto

Then follow what we did after the last BIOS Save.
Report back.

Whew, this was thight, the sb_link header is almost touching the voodoo 2 which is now just underneath, but it fits

But it still doesn't want to work ...

- Disable Legacy Audio
- Save and Exit
- Run Setupds /s
- Full power reboot
- Run Setupds /s
- Run Setupds and try saving?

Still the same ...

In BIOS, try this:

Reset Configuration Data = Enabled

PCI Slot 3 Use IRQ = 4

Save BIOS. And report back.

It really doesn't want to work ...
Still the same thing