getting resource conflict - pci network controller

Yes.  I did that.  I have a Linksys wireless network card.  I removed it from the pci slot and put it into another pci slot.  I even took out the sound card pci card that was occupying another slot (to see if it would free things up)  It didnt.   the funny thins is that I believe I had theis problem a long time agon and did just what you said to do.  That is I moved the card to another slot and it fixed it.... but not this time.  I am going to move it to another slot (the one I freed up byu removing the audio card)... I ill let you know in a minute... I should mention I have a radeon graphics card but I did change the bio to look for a pci and not an agp card.

You could also remove all the cards and insert the network card first.  Let it capture an IRQ and interrupt, and then add other cards and see if they are flexible enough to avoid a conflict.

Ok Callandor... here is what fixed it.  I removed the soundblaster audio card, the ati radeon graphics pci card from pci 0 (and put a geforce 2 in the agp slot).  I rebooted.  It worked ok.  So then I put the HDD pci card in PCI 0 and rebooted.  It worked.  So then I put the linksys network card in pci 1 and it worked.
Bottom line.
AGP = geforce 2
PCI0= HDD pci card
PCI1=Linksys network card
Did System restore point
Now going to put in a Soundblaster Card (in PCI2) and see what happens.

But this brings up a fundemanetal point.  There should be something 0ut there that tells you what cards are using what slots and where is the conflict, (and possibly out to fix it).  Removing everything and putting things back in is the way we use to do it (in IT) in the old days (and belive me, I probably have been in IT longer than you (but not in the PC stuff like you)-  I was a Big Blue guy)

Well, Windows is sometimes known as "Plug and Pray" - it's not guaranteed to work as well together as one might think.

I actually did my first programs on an IBM 360/91, so maybe you're not so much older than me!

... enough digression.

Bob333 -- the "Resource Conflict" message does give you a clue, although not a direct "Here's what's wrong" note.   The PCI resources do have to share interrupts, and some cards can't tolerate this well, so sometimes the order is important.   In addition to moving cards around, it can also help to be sure you've set "Plug 'n Play OS" in the BIOS -- which will defer assigning resources until Windows "takes over" and manages the assignments.

placing the HDD drive in the first pc slot (next to the AGP) and then the Linksys definetly cleared up the problem.  I wonder if this has been my problem all along (the HDD card was in the 3 pci slot (I had a radeon and a linksys to the right (closer to the agp) slots.  

I wonder if it wiould be worthe taking the nvidia geforce 2 (older card) out of the AGP and putting the radeon 7500 in PCI 3?

I guess I could try it but you all may (ha ha will) have your opinions.

Gary, good to see you back - havent seen you much lately.  That XPS desktop you helped me with smokes.... I love that 10k Raptor..... I also have a Dell XPS M170 in order (being shipped by UPS as we speak (type)).

Bob
PS, I know we had this discussion before and you beat me to IT (with the 407) but I started on the 360/30.

As always Bob

... the most critical slot conflict to avoid is the PCI slot closest to the AGP slot, as it shares an interrupt with the AGP slot.   You do NOT want another video card in that slot; and it's best to avoid sound and network cards there as well.   But there's no "absolute" in identifying these conflicts;  it simply takes a bit of experimentation sometimes.

I'd go ahead and install the other video card -- but leave the AGP card in place.   The 7500 should then work fine as a 2nd video card => and you can then assign it as the primary display for XP.   The downside of that is that if you're using just one monitor you'll probably see no display until the Windows driver takes over during a boot;  but if that works okay a simple input-seeking video switch would resolve that.   ... or you could just use two monitors and have a nice dual-display system :-)

... as for "beating you to IT", I suspect it wasn't by much :-)   My earliest IT experiences were (as noted) the 407; then a bit of Autocoder on a 1401; then assembly language coding on a 7040; and then a 360/40.   All while in school for my first 3 degrees.   I was a bit of a nerd :-)   (back in those days it was UNUSUAL to be a 15-year old computer "geek" -- a term not yet even invented)   I suppose you could say I've always been a "techie"  (my degrees are in math, physics, numerical analysis, and computer science)

I am going to go ahead and try the other vidio card (as you suggested) because the screen is just not clear anymore (and I downloaded the lated nvidia drivers).  Also the mouse is (not quite right) and the sound doesnt work.  How does that sound like a great system eh? (it is the old old one 750mhz vintage).

I did a completeXP Pro OS clean full install and now I have to 1), check the speakers to see if they are the problem.  2) try to find the drivers for the mouse (it is a MS optical) as it still feels sluggish and 3) try to get that screen up to where it looks right (by trying the radeon 7500 in the 3rd slot.  I realize all 3 of these problems are kinda general for you to help so I will hammer away one at a time

Thanks   and I will be closing this one out (to you and callondor) probably today.

Bob

... agree that tackling the issues one-at-a-time is the best approach.  A 750MHz system is still fast enough that it should work well -- not "fast", but it shouldn't have bad sound and/or fuzzy video.    Feel free to post ongoing status comments/questions here after you've closed it out.

What a nightmare this is turning out to be.

After reloading XP PRO, taking out all the pci cards (leaving the agp vidio in), and then putting the HDD pci card in slot 5 (way to the left of the agp) it workied.  

Then I tried adding the LInksys pci card and eventhough that was a hassel (I  somehow it loaded, and I was able to connect to the network>

then I tried to add the new sound card and (boom) i got a pci conflict again.  So I took out the card but:

To make matters worse, I cant even boot into safe mode.  

I read somewhere on this forum that a XP Pro Repair might square away the new pci assignments so, I loaded the XP install cd into my usb cd box ( my onboard cd no longer works so I hooked (usb) a sony cd rw into a powered usb2 6 port unit, and it was working earlier.  

Now, even though it was working earlier and I can see it (with Windows Explorer), I cant get the xp pro install cd to boot from it.

Oh man.... now what... I think I will take out the Linksys card (the audio card is already out) and try that.  If I can get it to boot, I will try a XP  Pro repair.

any comments.... BTW   this is going to 500 points, as I have spent a lot of time trying to figure this out.

Bob

Up the anti to 500   (callandor and Gary, you are getting them (so far)).

Bobby

Okay, do this:

First, disable any "Plug 'n Play OS" setting in the BIOS (while this sounds counterintuitive, it can help with PCI assignments, since they need to be assigned correctly to boot).

Second, put ONLY the AGP video card in and do an XP install.  When you do this, do NOT use all of your hard drive space -- in fact I'd use very little (8GB is plenty).   Now boot to Boot-It (remember how to do this??) and make an image of your completed install -- store it on a 2nd partition on the hard drive.   Now you have an easy 5-min restore process to get back to this point if subsequent testing messes everything up (as it did above).

Now add the network card and confirm that you have a network connection.   I'd leave the PCI slot next to the AGP card blank, but other than that it shouldn't matter which slot you use.   If you want to build a little matrix of the slots (and have a bit of patience to do this) you could try it in ALL of the slots and note which ones work/don't work.   After you've got it working well, you COULD (I would - but it will add time to this process) do all the Windows Updates (so the system's nice and up-to-date) and then image the OS again (this gives you an even better image than above).

Next add the sound card to the mix.   Sound and network cards are almost always the most problematic -- so once you've got both of them working the rest should be easier (although adding a 2nd video card can also be slot sensitive).

Once you've got the basic system with network and sound working post a note back here.   Also, that would be a good time to do yet another image :-)

... one other question:   What's the model number of this system and/or motherboard?   You may have a system where not all of the PCI slots are bus-mastering slots.   If so, you need to be sure any cards that require bus mastering are in an appropriate slot.   It's been a few years since this was an issue (in recent years all PCI slots were bus mastering slots), but since this is an older system just thought I'd check.

It might also be a good idea to make an image everytime you sucessfully install a card if you have the disk space, so that you can begin from that point instead of square one.

... that's basically what I suggested => image after XP with just video card; image again after network card; image again after sound card; etc.   The key is to keep good notes so you know exactly what the configuration was for each image.

With a bit of patience you'll have this system working just fine in a few hours -- and then you can image THAT configuration and you'll never have to reload it :-)

Before I start anything, and as long as I am at it, I wonder if I should try to reformat the drive (and then alos make two partiitons ) before anything.  One reason is that for some time I can not do a restart as often it gets a Bios not found (or some wierd message like that).

So, if I redo the whole drive with PM, I wonder if that might be  a good first step.

Bob

Well, the first part of the plan worked:  the cards in my system were:
AGP nvidia geforce2
Pci slot 1 - 4 empty
Pci slot 5 = Hard drive

Pulling out the Linksys Wireless adaptor from Pci slot 4 allowed the system to boot normally.

I think I will do an Image now.

well, an image is out... system booted but did not recognize the bootitng.exe file in drive a.... going back to trying to do an xp install/repair and see if that fixes the drive a problem.... other alternative is to put bootit.ng on a memory stick and try that....not fun

You don't run Boot-It NG from the .exe file ==>  Run the bootitng.exe file on another PC;  it will create a bootable floppy (or an .ISO image for a bootable CD).   Is that what you tried?

I wrote a detailed outline of imaging with Boot-It for this question:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21549976/bootitng.html
... my first post (Date: 09/03/2005 10:09AM PDT) outlines how to do the image;  and a post a bit later in the thread (Date: 09/03/2005 10:25AM PDT) shows how to download Boot-It and create a bootable floppy or CD.

I ran the nootitng.exe and created an iso image in the directory.  Then I burned the iso image to a cd.

I put the iso cd into the external usb cd drive on the bad system to take an image of it (as it boots fine without any other pci cards).  The boot sequence is drive a (which isnt working), then cd's but it is not going to the external, and then the HD.

In other words, even though I have the iso in the external cd, it is still booting to the HD (which boots fine, as long as there are no other pci cards in it).

How can I force it to go to the external usb cd and use the iso image?

(1)  How did you boot the Windows XP CD??

(2)  Does the system BIOS have an option for USB boot?   If so, be sure it's (a) enabled, and (b) listed first in the boot order.

Great question (booting before from the usb external).  Lousy answer.  I dont know.

I dont see an option for USB boot in bios.

I really want to just say to hell with it , and reformat the drive (remember restarts dont work due to something about the BIOS) but I am afraid because now I have a mal functioning interndal cd and A drive.  

I am only saving this machine (instead of throwing it into a lake) because when it was running, it was good and it is a good secondary machine for Frick and Frack.

If you've booted before from the external drive, the system definitely supports USB boot.   You need to determine where in the BIOS that is at -- it may be labeled something less obvious (and may not be in the normal "boot order" section) -- and set the system to boot from it first (before the hard drive).   THEN you'll be able to boot from an external device.

Heading out for the evening ...

The external usb hd is ahead of the HD (in Bios) but not neing recognized in the boot process.  I got to it by windows explorer and clicking Setup (when I did a XP reinstall).

As I mentiioned, it is still not recognized by the boot process.  Furthermore, the A drive floppy and internal CD are also not recognized and bypassed in the boot process.  Additionally, when I try to use either, I get a Put a disk in drive a or put a disk in drive e (the Cd) message even though they both have media in them.

 I opened up another problem for this (https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21815517/Pute-a-disk-in-drive-A-Put-a-cd-in-drive-e.html) because if that problem can be fixed, it will go along way in fixing this particular problem.

Happy Easter

Bob

As the Image problem is solved, I am closing this out and going to open a new question and start from scratch.  There is just too much verbiage in this one to understand the situtation.

Bob

THe subject will be:  I cannot get the pci assingments to work