53
If your HOT-255 is not functioning correctly don’t panic. The problem is
probably very simple to find and fix as long as you remain calm and ap-
proach the situation methodically.
The secret to troubleshooting is to examine the evidence you have, gain as
much information as you can, and eliminate possibilities one by one. In
most cases, the source of the problem will soon become clear.
For example, if HOT-255 works fine when you remove all other cards
from your computer, but it stops working when you replace your fax-mo-
dem, there may a conflict between the sound card and the fax-modem (such
as port address or IRQ).
Problems are often extremely simple. There may simply be a bad cable,
components may not be plugged in or turned on, etc. Check the obvious
first, not last.
Configuration
Adding new hardware and software to your computer requires ensuring
that there are no conflicts with your existing system. If you have difficulty
with the installation procedure or are unable to make the card work, a con-
flict may be present. There are three major configuration settings to con-
sider: I/O Port Address, Interrupt Request lines (IRQ), and Direct Memory
Access channels (DMA).
Even though the HOT-255 is a plug and play card, the presence of other
legacy cards can still cause resource conflicts. To resolve such conflicts, it
is important to know the settings of other cards (it is best to remove other
sound cards) and peripherals currently in your system, including the mouse,
fax-modem, video accelerators, etc. Many peripherals come with setup
software similar to AudioPCI™. This software lets you see and change the
current configuration. There are also utility programs that investigate and
report on the configuration of your system and its peripherals. In either
event, make a record of the settings used by all the peripherals in your
system for reference when installing new hardware and software or trouble
shooting problems.
B
APPENDIX
B
TROUBLESHOOTING IN
WINDOWS 95
