USB card -> IRQ conflict (though removed)

[Worried19]

I have old w98 somewhat maxed out with connected hardware, apparently. I know a friend had to juggle irqs to get something to work. Today, I am in trouble.

I decided to try to put in my last pci slot a USB2 card, in hopes of attaching my new ext. HD. After putting it in and turning on the computer, I got message during boot that there was irq conflict 03 (which is my smart UPS). So I took the USB card back out.

Now every time I try to boot my w98, it gives the same message, and I can't boot in normal mode. It says "Equipment Configuration Error."

Can I get back to how I was before putting in the USB card?

 

[dogbonz]

Hi worried19,

The answer is Yes. However, one thing about WIN98SE
is that IRQs don't just drop from the sky into perfect
place. A complete fresh install, with everything connected
will PROBABLY work.

However, the best thing is to re-install each item one-by-
one. Make notes of what will be using what. Add the next
item, tweak if necessary. Add next item, and so on.

You STILL might have a problem with a COM or IRQ. I strongly
suggest an upgrade to XP. It handles that problem nicely.

 

[Worried19]

I'm finally back online. Shortly after my post, my WXP went down. Had to do a soft restore, more than once. Long hours with technical support. Learning more, but suffering much.

Re: W98 that we have been talking about. I do indeed wonder if I should upgrade to XP. It was originally a 95, then upgraded to 98. My prediction, on the basis of experience with the poltergeist in my 95/98, is that the upgrade to XP would somehow create more suffering. Is it safe to 95-->98-->XP?

First I am going to see if I can resuscitate the 98...when I get time.

I appreciate your reply.

 

[norton850]

You can post your specs, but a system that started as a Win95 unit probably isn't going to run very will with XP.

 

[hl5]

I've got a few thoughts as well.

- First of all, an external USB 2.0 hard drive should work with old USB if your computer had those; it will be much slower but would work fine for backups or limited use. USB doesn't work perfectly on Win98 for storage devices; although Windows doesn't lose data, the system can pause sometimes rendering the sytem useless until the disk has finished writing data.

- USB 2.0 usually requires Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) so make sure that's what you have.

- Your UPS probably doesn't need a USB port at all (and some UPS's don't connect to the computer). Connecting it to the USB port may add a few features, but the device should provide backup power regardless of what's plugged into your USB port. I might unplug the UPS from your computer altogether depending on how you use your computer. (I'm assuming your UPS connects to USB but it's possible it connects some other way.)

- If you've booted your computer on fewer than four or five DIFFERENT days, you can boot to DOS and run a SCANREG /RESTORE. Otherwise, you might be able to find a backup system registry on your computer somewhere.

- You may be able to adjust your IRQ settings in the Control Panel's Device Manager (Control Panel --> System --> Device Manager).

- The obvious thing to do is to remove everything associated with the USB card and THEN everything associated with the UPS. At that point your computer will probably work OK and you can use it as is. However if you want to add the UPS back, you can try to do that; it may work or you may have to fiddle with it.

- You can also try reinstalling Windows over top of what you have now. I'd remove everything you can that's associated with the USB card before you do that.

- I'd recommend against installing XP on an older, maxed-out system. It's likely to cause more headaches than it saves.

 

[Worried19]

I've tried removing some things, but still get same message. I was wondering, before going further, whether the specific message tells me something I can use, namely:

IRQ 03 conflict(s) with on board Serial Port

 

[Worried19]

Well, everything I tried resulted in failure.

BUT, lo and behold, I discovered that I could save stuff to floppies while in safe mode, so I retrieved everything I needed and have put it on my wxp (which I had to do a destructive restore on). And between these floppies and what I had copied onto my new ext. hd before my wxp crashed means that I have saved everything. All of this has meant hours of work, but I have learned a thing or two, and my "new" xp is better organized and backed up with my ext. hd. The sun is shining once again.

 

[Worried19]

Well, the sun was fleeting. But I have started other threads on the new surprises.