Aztech and Reveal Cards: Poor Sound with Windows 32-Bit Drivers (139529)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Multimedia Viewer 2.0
  • Microsoft Multimedia Viewer 2.0a
  • the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95
  • the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98
This article was previously published under Q139529

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to play compressed audio on some computers using the Aztech 16-bit or Reveal SC400 sound card (Aztech SG16/NX Pro 16), you experience sound problems. Some of the problems include poor audio quality, scratchy sound, or other sound-related symptoms.

CAUSE

The Windows 95/98 drivers for Aztech 16-bit sound cards have 2 Low DMA channels:0, 1, or 3. You can not disable the second channel and there is only one Basic Configuration to choose from.

RESOLUTION

Use the Windows 3.x Aztech drivers. The Windows 3.x drivers for Aztech cards have an 8-bit and 16-bit DMA setting. The HDMA can be set to 5, 6, 7 or None.

Selecting the 16-bit DMA setting may help resolve scratchy or poor sound problems. Selecting None may help resolve system crashes or General Protection Fault problems.

Replacing Windows 95/98 Driver with Windows 3.x Driver

To remove the 32-bit driver and install the original Windows 3.1 driver, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click the System icon, and then click the Device Manager tab.
  3. Double-click Sound, video and game controllers, and then click your sound card.
  4. Click Remove.
  5. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
  6. Click Restart Windows, and then click Yes.
  7. Reinstall the original Aztech drivers from your vendor-provided disks. Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119660 Compressed Audio Doesn't Play on Aztech Labs (AZI) Sound Cards

The products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

REFERENCES

For more information on using, installing, or configuring Aztech drivers in Windows 95/98, please contact your hardware vendor, or contact Aztech:

  • Technical Support (800) 886-8879
  • BBS (510) 623-8933
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/15/2003
Keywords:kb3rdparty kbHardware kbmm kbprb kbsound KB139529
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.