What is the model of your AWE32? It will be something like CT3900, CT3600, CT3980, etc.

It's CT3780.

rick12373 wrote:

It's CT3780.

That sounds like a PnP model. I think you need CTCU.exe to permanently alter its IRQ settings. Creative still have this plug and play package as a DOS download. (And you'll need to run it in DOS too, as it won't work in DOS 7.)

Perhaps diagnose.exe is letting you temporarily alter its settings "on the fly", but it won't permanently alter the card's EPROM settings? If you're running win9x, try booting up with a dos 6 diskette (obtainable from the net), before running CTCU.exe

Then, when you boot in to either dos 6 or 7 to use the card, you'll need CTCM.exe to run, in order to initialise the card's settings. (You can "REM out" any references to CTCU.exe, if you're running dos 7.) If you're running dos 6, you can run c:\dos\msd.exe, to see what resources your machine is using. (Thanks to Malik for that tip.)

If you get stuck, post back with whatever stage you're up to.

I thought that "diagnose /S" will just setup your card according to the set blaster environment values. But diagnose should be able to modify your autoexec.bat for you, just be sure to not have it meddle with your windows files 😀

the CT3780 is the AWE32 value model which I also own.
It uses the same procedure as the CT2760 for example..enable the eprom jumper and use the setcard util on the install floppy to set the card's resources in the eprom

Amigaz wrote:

the CT3780 is the AWE32 value model which I also own.
It uses the same procedure as the CT2760 for example..enable the eprom jumper and use the setcard util on the install floppy to set the card's resources in the eprom

@Amigaz, thanks for correcting my post. I had no idea this later model card would use the same technology as an old non-PnP model. That really surprises me.

@rick12373, you can ignore everything I said, because your card seems to work like a non-PnP card.

Harekiet wrote:

I thought that "diagnose /S" will just setup your card according to the set blaster environment values. But diagnose should be able to modify your autoexec.bat for you, just be sure to not have it meddle with your windows files 😀

It took me quite some time realise that Diagnose was referring to Windows 3.1, and not '95. 😊

Thanks everybody. So, with this card everything is handled in the autoexec.bat? Maybe I need to check my autoexec.bat then. I am at work right now so can't post it. I am running the DOS that comes with Windows 98 (is that 7?) if that makes any difference to anything. What do I need in my autoexec.bat to change the IRQ? Also, is it best to change it to 5 or 7?

@rick12373,

Following on from Harekiet's comments, Diagnose should update your autoexec.bat file, with resource settings that do not clash with other components installed on your system. So, you might end up with an edited autoexec.bat file with this extra line in it -

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6

The I5 part = IRQ 5. (It doesn't make any difference to DOS games if it's set to 5 or 7.)

Then, if Diagnose.exe hasn't added in this line, just edit autoexec.bat and add it in manually -

C:\yourSoundblasterDirectory\diagnose.exe /S

You might also want to add in these 2 lines as well -

C:\yourSoundblasterDirectory\aweutil.exe /S
C:\yourSoundblasterDirectory\mixerset /p /q

Your windows 98 operating system uses Dos 7, which will work fine with all of this stuff.

I already used the Diagnose program and it did modify the autoexec.bat but Diagnose sets the IRQ to 10 when I tell it to auto detect it. Does that mean it thinks there is something else in my system using IRQ 5 or 7 and it can't use either of those? Can I/should I force Diagnose to choose 5 or 7?

rick12373 wrote:

I already used the Diagnose program and it did modify the autoexec.bat but Diagnose sets the IRQ to 10 when I tell it to auto detect it. Does that mean it thinks there is something else in my system using IRQ 5 or 7 and it can't use either of those? Can I/should I force Diagnose to choose 5 or 7?

Yes. Tell Diagnose to use 5 or 7. If Diagnose fails to successfully set your card to either of those two IRQ settings, then Diagnose thinks those IRQs are in use by something else. You could use c:\dos\msd.exe to discover what resource is using IRQ 5 or 7.

Run dagnose.exe in DOS to see what resources the card it set to...the resources might be set by the eprom as I mentioned earlier

The CT3780 is one of the "early" AWE32 cards which have it's resources hardwired in the eprom on the card so you can only change them by the setcard util on the install floppy

Clean your card's edge connector.

When I ran Diagnose before in DOS I chose IRQ 7 and it didn't tell me it couldn't do it. I then rebooted and games were working when I selected IRQ 7. Then a few days later when I started up those same games wouldn't work with IRQ 7 only 10 and I don't think I had changed my autoexec.bat.

So does this mean I need to run the setcard utulility on the install floppy? I don't have the original disks for it, I used an install program from the archive of Creative drivers posted on this board. Is the setcard utility in that archive somewhere?

I'll clean the edge connector if you think it will help.

Might have to try running msd.exe when I get back home too.

turn off "PNP OS" in the bios. and maybe dedicate a specific irq for legacy devices.

Ok, I think I have some work to do when I get home. Thanks.

I've had weird issues over dirty edge conectors. It's just like an old cartridge video game system.

Before switching over to manual resources mode, trip the option to reset CFG data first, if it is there.

I turned off PNP OS in the BIOS and have dedicated a specific IRQ for legacy devices. I ran Diagnose and set the IRQ to 7. Games will now use IRQ 7 and it seems to be staying set to that. But I am now having a few issues with lock ups in games and a graphical glitches in Shadow Warrior. Also I am running DOS 7 (Windows 98) and I cannot find the MSD.exe file to see if I have any conflicts. How do I check for conflicts?

Also, just had something else happen. I left the computer on, in DOS running the MOO menu program. After quite a while of just being left there a message came up saying "Sound card not found. Reboot - run setup". I guess something is really wrong. Wish I knew what it was! Think I will have a look around for another Soundblaster and just give up on this one. I am not sure if I have another AWE32 or SB16 though.