Bad PCI slot, perhaps?

[Sovereign]

I have a K8N Diamond Plus which used to run dual 7900GTXs in SLI. I say "used to" because the only way to get any audio is to install the X-Fi in the first PCI slot, which demands removing the second 7900GTX. Why not use onboard? Because I can't get it to work. Whether it is "Enabled" in the BIOS or not, Windows (a fresh installation) does not see it. However, when I install the X-Fi into the first PCI slot, it works like a charm.

The second slot produces some weird errors. First, the card shows up as a "VGA Device" in the Device Manager. Any attempt to update the drivers directly does one of the following:

Using the Creative installer, I either get a BSoD or it "installs" and then proceeds to reboot, but the card still shows up as a "VGA Device." The other route is use the "Add Hardware" and extract Creative's drivers to a folder, then point the wizard to them. I then get a BSoD, usually blaming an audio driver, ha20x2k.sys.

Oddly, when the card used to install, but produce no sound in the second slot (after I came back from dinner to a MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION), it would show up as "Creative X-Fi (WDM)." It usually shows up in the Device Manager as "SB X-Fi."

Do you think I have a bad PCI slot? Or is there some way for the mobo to be mounted so that the slot doesn't work as it is but would work if I, say, remounted the mobo?

[top]

Are you using Windows XP?

First I would check to see if Audio is enabled in Windows. I know on other OS's like 2003 you have to enable the Audio after installing the drivers for the sound card.

Another thing, it sounds like you have a faulty motherboard. It might need to be replaced.

[Sovereign]

It is enabled. I can't use it because it causes BSoD. Also, Windows can't seem to detect the onboard audio either. It is on in the BIOS.

[top]

Have you tried updating bios?

[Sovereign]

Yes. I'm getting my mobo RMA-ed and I'm trying to get a new soundcard. I have a feeling that will fix everything.