wish me luck-I'm going to try and install a sound card today.

[w8liftinglady]

my old one went Kaput.I've never opened my computer up before.Trust me-I'll research the crap out of it.Tell me it's easy-please.I want my Mike Malloy again...

[CrazyOrangeCat]

1. I've got faith in ya.

Remember to cuss a lot.;)

[wicket]

12. LOL

Always helps me :D

[MemphisTiger]

2. It is very easy... pop open your computer tower

then remove the sound card from the mother board, it should just slide out. Then slide the new one in connect any needed cables from the motherboard and fire it up.

[Cooley Hurd]

5. ...unless her existing sound card is built into the motherboard

...if so, she'll have a helluva time getting it out.;)

w8, it's very easy. All you'll need is a phillips head screwdriver. If your sound card came w/ software, load the software before putting your card in, so it will install much easier for you.:thumbsup:

[meegbear]

8. LOL!

Back in the mid 90's a friend of mine has an ASUS computer he got direct from the manufacturer. He wanted to put in a faster modem and when he opened it, he found that they soldered all the cards into the board. He called them and they told him he'd have to ship it to them and they would install one of theirs.

He used his machine for a few months as is, then bought a new machine from a computer store, making sure the cards were removable, of course.

[MrPrax]

11. Right said...

Sound cards can be problematic -- the built-in sound chip (VIA, Realtek, ACC, etc) in some cases must be 'capped' on the motherboard. You put the sound card in a PCI slot, but the BIOS still only recognizes and uses the 'built-in' sound.

If that happens and you get no sound (or scaled down sound), then you probably did everything right -- you just have to move the jumper settings on the motherboard. That can be the problem -- figuring out which are the jumper settings.

[EOTE]

15. Most MBs with built in sound....

Can be disabled via the BIOS. If the sound card is integrated, first enter your computer's BIOS by pressing DEL, or some other key indicated on the screen (sometimes F1, F2 or F8). Once you're in your computer's BIOS, head to a section named integrated peripherals or something like that and use the keys indicated on the screen to disable on-board sound. Once the integrated card is disabled, save your settings and shut down the computer. Once that's done, open up the computer, insert the sound card into the appropriate PCI slot (almost all sound cards nowadays use PCI), use a philips screw to secure the card, then put the cover back on the computer. Now start up the computer, wait for Windows to start, then you'll probably get a new hardware notice. Wait for the computer to prompt you to install the software, then insert the driver disc included with the sound card. That should get you where you want.

[MrPrax]

19. Ideally...

But

1) older MBs still do have IRQ conflicts and that is what one might have to change the IRQ setting is 'set' for sound. (some BIOS will give you the pin settings) PnP isn't always successful...especially if it is legacy sound devices.

Well assume this is a new-ish box, so...

2) xp/w2k both use ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) so what you do in your BIOS is irrelevant as they assign IRQ settings; most of the time it goes swimmingly -- if it doesn't then it might be wise to simply disable the ACPI and re-install XP so that the BIOS does the assigning.

Or conversely -- leave the ACPI enabled in the BIOS and re-install XP via the F5 option ('clean install') which will bring up the HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) section and you simply choose 'standard PC' -- without the HAL being installed.
XP and related will take all the settings directly from the BIOS. Some report better performance and if they had 'stuttering' problems with their sound (like a Mp3 cutting off briefly when another application is turned on like a screensaver)...it goes away.

(good advice if you are installing Linux and you find you are having hardware problems -- disable the ACPI/ACM in the BIOS and see if that works)

There are just too many things on a PC all trying to use the same IRQs --

It should go fine -- my advice is more a troubleshoot if shit happens...

[w8liftinglady]

14. Thanks!I have a Dell Dimension-nothing fancy-so hopefully,it'll be ok..:)

[wake.up.america]

10. Make sure to turn off your computer and disconnect the power cord before you ...

do anything!

[meegbear]

3. You go girl!

They're pretty straight forward, and woman of your intelligence will have no problem with it.

[Sonicmedusa]

4. Relax, W8

It's easy.

[mitchleary]

6. It is

super easy. First is your old card part of the computer mainboard or is it added in? If integrated, disable throught the bios. Power it down. Remove the power cord. Pull out the old card. Put in the new sound card. Make sure it sees it in the bios when powered up. You are ready to go.

[durrrty libby]

7. Make sure you put on an anti-static bracelet

(I see my son wear one when working on my computer)

:toast: :thumbsup:

[YOY]

9. Word!

Static can ruin your computer's day!

[phylny]

13. If I can do it (and I did) you can do it. Good luck! n/t

[SpiralHawk]

16. Just so you can't claim no one told you: Mercury is retrograde

Till about March 8. Republicon occultist hero Ronald Reagan would have paid attention, that's for sure.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. UNPLUG IT!!! I know someone said this before, but...

if you just turn it off it looks like it's off, but there's still some current going through the motherboard.

You can blow the whole motherboard if you mess around in there without unplugging it.

I know-- I did it.

[w8liftinglady]

18. yes!mission accomplished....