Have you checked the Install CD?
https://archive.org/details/CS4281DriverCD

Or if you would like the latest reference drivers from Cirrus Logic (Crystal) :
https://web.archive.org/web/20030412090506/ht … vers/index.html

I now checked them, but neither the CD nor the website have driver for DOS.

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-08, 21:29:

I now checked them, but neither the CD nor the website have driver for DOS.

I beg to differ . Windows 95/98 drivers come with the cwrdos.exe DOS initialization utility . What more do you want/need ?

EDIT: I attached the zip file to this post .

So, win95/98 drivers will also work in dos? Sorry I am not very knowledged about sound stuff. Thanks for the zip file. I will try it on my machine and get back with the results.

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-08, 22:36:

So, win95/98 drivers will also work in dos? Sorry I am not very knowledged about sound stuff. Thanks for the zip file. I will try it on my machine and get back with the results.

Not exactly.

Usually DOS utilities/drivers were included with the Windows 9x driver pack, but they usually can function independantly .

When I run cwrdos.exe it gives "Error loading dos configuration file" error and quits. (I tried your zip and the CD, same result)

What is wrong ?

I did a fresh dos install, clean, doom and quake tested, work good.

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-09, 17:39:

When I run cwrdos.exe it gives "Error loading dos configuration file" error and quits. (I tried your zip and the CD, same result)

What is wrong ?

I did a fresh dos install, clean, doom and quake tested, work good.

Ah, yes, sorry. This is one of those braindead situations where you actually need to install the Windows 9x driver for it to generate that config file c:\windows\cwraudio.wcm .
If you don't want to keep Windows, you can then backup the file, wipe Windows (format if you like), recreate a windows directory and put the cwraudio.wcm file in it . Cwrdos.exe should still work .

See this forum post for info (use google translate if necessary).
http://www.dosforum.de/viewtopic.php?t=7100

it works! thanks!

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-09, 20:44:

it works! thanks!

Great news. Enjoy your retro experience .

Hello darry,

On one of my pentium machines it works good, but:

On my other pentium machine it sets irq to 15, port and dma are correct.

* Found PCI BIOS
* Initializing the VCPI interface
* Found a CS4281 Revision C
* Initializing CS4281
* Blaster using Port: 220 Irq: 15 Dma: 1
* Uninitializing the VCPI interface
* Could not find winbootdir enviroment varabiable
* Terminating and staying resident

(with the above settings, music works, but SFX don't)

How can make it to load the driver with the settings that I want?
Of course mostly it must be port220 irq5 dma1

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:28:

Hello darry, […]
Show full quote

Hello darry,

On one of my pentium machines it works good, but:

On my other pentium machine it sets irq to 15, port and dma are correct.

* Found PCI BIOS
* Initializing the VCPI interface
* Found a CS4281 Revision C
* Initializing CS4281
* Blaster using Port: 220 Irq: 15 Dma: 1
* Uninitializing the VCPI interface
* Could not find winbootdir enviroment varabiable
* Terminating and staying resident

(with the above settings, music works, but SFX don't)

How can make it to load the driver with the settings that I want?
Of course mostly it must be port220 irq5 dma1

I would try reserving the IRQ you want to use for legacy use in the BIOS .

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:37:

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:28:

Hello darry, […]
Show full quote

Hello darry,

On one of my pentium machines it works good, but:

On my other pentium machine it sets irq to 15, port and dma are correct.

* Found PCI BIOS
* Initializing the VCPI interface
* Found a CS4281 Revision C
* Initializing CS4281
* Blaster using Port: 220 Irq: 15 Dma: 1
* Uninitializing the VCPI interface
* Could not find winbootdir enviroment varabiable
* Terminating and staying resident

(with the above settings, music works, but SFX don't)

How can make it to load the driver with the settings that I want?
Of course mostly it must be port220 irq5 dma1

I would try reserving the IRQ you want to use for legacy use in the BIOS .

I tried that just now, in my bios in this format:

IRQ X used by ISA : YES/NO (can be set to either YES or NO) where X is: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15

I tried some combinations with no luck:

* leaving only 5 as YES
* leaving only 3-7 as YES
* all YES
* all NO
* leaving only 15 as YES
* leaving only 15 as NO

whatever I tried it always sets irq to 15 when I load the driver.
I don't know how to pass parameters to make it set irq to 5 ?

something like: cwrdos /a 220 /i5 /d1 /v (doesn't work)

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:52:

I tried that just now, in my bios in this format: […]
Show full quote

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:37:

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:28:

Hello darry, […]
Show full quote

Hello darry,

On one of my pentium machines it works good, but:

On my other pentium machine it sets irq to 15, port and dma are correct.

* Found PCI BIOS
* Initializing the VCPI interface
* Found a CS4281 Revision C
* Initializing CS4281
* Blaster using Port: 220 Irq: 15 Dma: 1
* Uninitializing the VCPI interface
* Could not find winbootdir enviroment varabiable
* Terminating and staying resident

(with the above settings, music works, but SFX don't)

How can make it to load the driver with the settings that I want?
Of course mostly it must be port220 irq5 dma1

I would try reserving the IRQ you want to use for legacy use in the BIOS .

I tried that just now, in my bios in this format:

IRQ X used by ISA : YES/NO (can be set to either YES or NO) where X is: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15

I tried some combinations with no luck:

* leaving only 5 as YES
* leaving only 3-7 as YES
* all YES
* all NO
* leaving only 15 as YES
* leaving only 15 as NO

whatever I tried it always sets irq to 15 when I load the driver.
I don't know how to pass parameters to make it set irq to 5 ?

something like: cwrdos /a 220 /i5 /d1 /v (doesn't work)

Are you re-using the config file created on the other PC ? That may not work . You may need to install Windows and the Windows driver to generate a new config file for this PC .

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 21:57:

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:52:

I tried that just now, in my bios in this format: […]
Show full quote

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:37:

I would try reserving the IRQ you want to use for legacy use in the BIOS .

I tried that just now, in my bios in this format:

IRQ X used by ISA : YES/NO (can be set to either YES or NO) where X is: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15

I tried some combinations with no luck:

* leaving only 5 as YES
* leaving only 3-7 as YES
* all YES
* all NO
* leaving only 15 as YES
* leaving only 15 as NO

whatever I tried it always sets irq to 15 when I load the driver.
I don't know how to pass parameters to make it set irq to 5 ?

something like: cwrdos /a 220 /i5 /d1 /v (doesn't work)

Are you re-using the config file created on the other PC ? That may not work . You may need to install Windows and the Windows driver to generate a new config file for this PC .

I was re-using a config file I found on internet, and it worked on one of my pentium system, but not this one. Ok, that may work. I will try it like you said and get back with the result.

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-20, 22:27:

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 21:57:

PlaneVuki wrote on 2020-06-20, 17:52:

I tried that just now, in my bios in this format: […]
Show full quote

I tried that just now, in my bios in this format:

IRQ X used by ISA : YES/NO (can be set to either YES or NO) where X is: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15

I tried some combinations with no luck:

* leaving only 5 as YES
* leaving only 3-7 as YES
* all YES
* all NO
* leaving only 15 as YES
* leaving only 15 as NO

whatever I tried it always sets irq to 15 when I load the driver.
I don't know how to pass parameters to make it set irq to 5 ?

something like: cwrdos /a 220 /i5 /d1 /v (doesn't work)

Are you re-using the config file created on the other PC ? That may not work . You may need to install Windows and the Windows driver to generate a new config file for this PC .

I was re-using a config file I found on internet, and it worked on one of my pentium system, but not this one. Ok, that may work. I will try it like you said and get back with the result.

I am not sure, but I think the config file will reflect the settings used in Windows to configure the legacy device , so you may need to change those if needed . I am far from certain, however .

Good luck.

CS4281 is not compatible with native Dos, no chances to make it works for SFX.

And reason is not IRQ. In my Thinkpad, IRQ is 5 and it still doesn't make it work.

MAZter wrote on 2020-06-21, 02:54:

CS4281 is not compatible with native Dos, no chances to make it works for SFX.

And reason is not IRQ. In my Thinkpad, IRQ is 5 and it still doesn't make it work.

It may not work for you with your Thinkpad and its implementation of the CS4281, but it definitely works for others . It works on the first computer on which the OP tried it . There are also multiple accounts of it working for others on the Internet .

EDIT : The datasheet even says so :
Full DOS Games Compatibility via PC/PCI, DDMA,
and CrystalClear Legacy Support

http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheet/Cir … gic/mXyzsss.pdf