Is there an LPT2 with ECP enabled? That would account for IRQ5 being used, and potentially DMA 1.

Also, USRobotics had a nasty habit of their software assigning IRQ 5 to their 56K Winmodems.

Thanks AlaricD,

I haven't got any of them. I never used a modem.
I have the following configuration options in my BIOS:

#################
#PnP/PCI Configurations#
#################

PNP OS Installed: No
Reset Configuration Data: Disabled
Resources Controlled By: Auto (ESCD)
IRQ Resources: Press Enter
DMA Resources: Press Enter
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop: Disabled

###################
#Power Management Setup#
###################

ACPI Suspend Type: S1 (Power On Suspend)
Video Off Method: DPMS
Video Off In Suspend: Yes
Suspend Type: Stop Grant
MODEM Use IRQ: N/A
Suspend Mode: Disabled
HDD Power Down: Disabled
Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN: Instant-Off
Power LED in Suspend: Blinking
AC BACK Function: Memory
Wake-Up by PCI card: Disabled
ModemRingOn/WakeOnLan: Disabled
FAN Off In Suspend: Enabled
USB KB/Mouse Wake From S3: Disabled
CPU Thermal-Throttling: 50.0%
Resume by Alarm: Disabled
Date (of Month) Alarm: 0
Time (hh🇲🇲ss) Alarm: 0 0 0

#################
#Integrated Peripherals #
#################

USB Controller: Enabled
USB Keyboard Support: Disabled
Init Display First: Onboard
AC97 Audio: Disabled
AC97 Modem: Disabled
IDE HDD Block Mode: Enabled
POWER ON Function: Button Only
KB Power ON Password: Enter
Onboard FDC Controller: Disabled
USB Keyboard Support: Disabled
Init Display First: Onboard
AC97 Audio: Disabled
AC97 Modem: Disabled
IDE HDD Block Mode: Enabled
POWER ON Function: Button Only
KB Power ON Password: Enter
Onboard FDC Controller: Disabled
Onboard Serial Port 1: Disabled
Onboard Serial Port 2: Disabled
UART Mode Select: Normal
RxD, TxD Active: Hi, Lo
IR Transmission Delay: Enabled
Onboard Parallel Port: Disabled
Parallel Port Mode: SPP
EPP Mode Select: EPP1.7
Game Port Address: Disabled
MIDI Port Address: Disabled
MIDI Port IRQ: 10

Question
What would you try next?
Is this a known ISA bridge / RESET timing quirk on some PIII chipsets where the SB DSP/DMA isn’t ready on the first cold boot?
Any chipset-level toggles (ISA delay, delayed transaction, PCI–ISA post-write buffers, etc.) I should flip, or a known-good IRQ/DMA combo for AWE64 on late 440/SiS/VIA boards?

Thanks!

Shouldn't PNP os be set to enabled? Or at least I have always turned it on.

I have had similar issues with ESS and Yamaha cards, though I understand Sound Blasters are a bit of a different animal. In my case I think I solved it be switching from the WDM drivers that windows automatically installed (and that seemed to work fine, but only under windows) to VXD drivers, along with the good old "set blaster" line in autoexec

Hi,

I don't tink so, because MS-DOS hasn't got PnP capabilities az an operating system.
(But I tried that earlier, nothing happened.)

My suggestions would be to clear the IRQ and DMA you want to use in the PNP configuration (set IRQ5 and DMA 1 to Legacy ISA), and make sure the CMOS battery voltage is good so it's not losing any settings on a cold start

Hi @NeoG,

Thanks for your suggestions!
I’ve already replaced the CMOS battery, so that’s DONE.
As for setting the PnP manually, I’ve tried that too — but when I set something manually, DOS detects something else on boot.
(For example, if I set IRQ 5 and DMA 1 to legacy, DOS instead assigns the sound card to IRQ 7 and DMA 3.)
However, that doesn’t have any effect on my issue.

I think the problem isn’t related to the PnP configuration,
but rather to the initialization of the ISA bridge or something similar.

NeoG_ wrote on Yesterday, 10:41:

My suggestions would be to clear the IRQ and DMA you want to use in the PNP configuration (set IRQ5 and DMA 1 to Legacy ISA), and make sure the CMOS battery voltage is good so it's not losing any settings on a cold start

I'd more likely leave IRQ 5 and DMA 1 unassigned, and perhaps assign I7/D3 to Legacy ISA, because the PnP sound card is not *legacy* ISA (and so the PnP BIOS is not going to set a PnP card to the IRQ/DMA that is already reserved for the (non-existent) legacy ISA card).

In my opinion and based on my experience, this issue is not related to the PnP configuration.
It has absolutely no effect on the problem.

What happens in the soft boot that is the question?
(That could be recognised somehow)