Wayne Harris Enterprises

Resolving IRQ Conflicts


This article is obsolete as it no longer applies to products we currently sell. It is included here for archival purposes only.

Term-LAB requires IRQ5 in order to work properly. This is the standard "default" IRQ value that is generally used for ISA soundcards. However, there are only so many IRQ values available for use in a computer and sometimes, if the computer has lots of peripheral devices (modems, network adapters, etc.), Windows may assign IRQ5 to another peripheral. To resolve this problem, you should do the following...

Remove Existing Soundcard Hardware and Software
  1. Start by removing ALL soundcards (including the Term-LAB soundcard) from the computer.
  2. Reboot the system.
  3. Double-Click on "My Computer".
  4. Double-Click on "Control Panel".
  5. Double-Click on "System".
  6. Click on the "Device Manager" tab.
  7. Look for a folder named "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers".
  8. If this folder exists, open it by clicking on the "+" symbol next to the folder.
  9. If the folder exists, remove all of the sound and joystick software components from the folder. (To remove a software component, highlight the component and then press the "Remove" button.
  10. After all of the software components have been removed, go to step 2 and repeat this entire process until all of the sound and joystick components in the "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers" folder have been removed or until the "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers" folder has been removed.
Special Note on Integrated Soundcards

Some motherboards have soundcards that are actually built right on to the motherboard. To disable these integrated soundcards, you must enter the BIOS setup for your computer. To enter the BIOS setup, watch your computer monitor closely when rebooting your computer. You should see a message similar to this… "Press Del to enter Setup". When you see this message, immediately press the designated key. The BIOS setup screen will be displayed. You will need to look for something like "Integrated Peripherals" or "On-Board Soundcard". Once you have found this selection, you will need to disable the on-board soundcard. You may need to refer to your computer's operating manual or contact the computer manufacturer for specific instructions on disabling the on-board soundcard.

Verify That IRQ5 is Available
  1. Reboot your computer.
  2. Double-Click on "My Computer".
  3. Double-Click on "Control Panel".
  4. Double-Click on "System".
  5. Click on the "Device Manager" tab.
  6. When the Device Manger panel opens, "Computer" will be highlighted. Click the "Properties" button.
  7. Verify that "Interrupt Request" is selected.
  8. Look to see if anything is using 05 under "Setting". If nothing is currently using IRQ5, you may proceed to the next section.
  9. If IRQ5 is in use by another device, you must force Windows to reassign that device to another IRQ.
  10. Click on the "Reserve Resources" tab.
  11. Verify that "Interrupt Request" is selected.
  12. Click on the "Add" button and then enter 5.
  13. Close all windows and exit the System Properties application. (Be sure to select "Save" or "OK" instead of "Cancel" when exiting the application.)
  14. Reboot your computer and repeat all of the steps above to verify that IRQ5 is now available.
  15. Once IRQ5 is available, you may proceed to the next section.
Install the Term-LAB Soundcard
  1. Power-down your computer.
  2. Install the Soundblaster-16 soundcard into an empty 16-bit ISA slot.
  3. Reboot your computer.
  4. Windows will detect the new hardware and will install the required software. (Note: You may be required to insert your Windows CD.)
  5. When Windows comes up, verify the resources being used by the soundcard as follows.
  6. Double-Click on "My Computer".
  7. Double-Click on "Control Panel".
  8. Double-Click on "System".
  9. Click on the "Device Manager" tab.
  10. Look for a folder named "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers".
  11. If this folder exists, open it by clicking on the "+" symbol next to the folder.
  12. You should see an entry similar to this … "Creative Labs Soundblaster-16 Plug and Play".
  13. Double click on this entry.
  14. Click on the "Resources" tab.
  15. Disable the "Use Automatic Settings" checkbox by un-checking this box.
  16. Change the "Settings Based On" setting to Basic Configuration 0000.
  17. Verify there are no conflicts in the "Conflicting Device List" window.
  18. Save and exit device manager.
  19. Reboot your computer.
Install the Soundcard Software
  1. Insert the Creative Labs CD into the CDROM.
  2. A folder should automatically open and the setup utility should automatically begin.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions. (You will only need to install the default sound software.)
  4. After the installation is complete, you will be asked to reboot the computer.
  5. After rebooting, Term-LAB should work correctly.
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Post Falls Idaho, USA.