Replace Integrated NIC with PCI NIC

Some other device is taking up that IRQ allocation.  You need to go into the properties for the NIC and see whcih IRQ is being assigned and compare that one to all the others being used to see where theconflict is.

Jim;

When i go into properties in Device Manager for the PCI NIC and go to Resources, it tells me that "The Device is not using any resources because it has a problem."

Let me go through all of the steps I performed and maybe it'll shed some light on the subject.

In Device Manager, I uninstalled the Integrated NIC. Rebooted the system and went into the BIOS and disabled the Integrated NIC. Allowed the system to boot and checked Device Manager to make sure that there were no Network Adapters installed. There were none.

I installed the PCI Linksys NIC. When the system booted it went through the normal "found new hardware" sequence, except i did not get to the point of installing the drivers. The wizard appeared saying the device did not install properly. When I went to Device Manager, the NIC is identified correctly under the Network Adapters with the yellow ! beside it. If i try to install the drivers through driver update, the installation fails.

What is strange is; when I try to uninstall the PCI NIC through Device Manager, I get an error message that says "Failed to uninstall. The device may be required to boot the system". Which leads me to believe, that the system still thinks that the PCI NIC is an integrated device.

Am I missing something in the uninstall of the Integrated NIC? IS there a jumper that must be set on the motherboard? By the way, the Resource tab in Device Manager still gives me the message I stated at the beginning of this post.

Any other ideas? I believe my sequence of events is correct in installing a PCI NIC.

Have you tried installing the PCI NIC in a different PCI slot, or tried swapping the PCI cards around in their slots?  Have you tried clearing NVRAM?  This will force the BIOS to redetect all devices and will reset to default levels, so after clearing NVRAM you will have to immediately go back into the BIOS and disable the integrated NIC.  Instructions for clearing NVRAM are in the following document:

http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=FA1023538

Steve

Steve;

It appears that i do have an IRQ conflict with the Sound Card. I moved the PCI NIC once, there are still two other PCI slots that I can try before I do the NVRAM thing.

Question, do i remove the PCI NIC before I do the NVRAM, or do I leave the NIC card in the system and then perform an NVRAM?

I understand that I have to disable the Integrated Controller in the BIOS again once I perform the NVRAM.

Thanks for your help. The Dell Tech Support guys from India are absolutely useless. You may have read my post on the "Open Letter to Michael Dell".

I'll keep you posted on progress since the PC I am working on is off site.

It shouldn't matter if you leave the PCI NIC in or out.  Either way it should redetect the NIC and hopefully allow you to install the drivers in Windows.

Steve

I have an 8100, and, over the years, have installed and uninstalled numerous PCI devices under both Windows ME and XP.  I have never had an IRQ conflict problem with it.  I had forgotten that in your original post you said that the integrated NIC was probably fried by a lightening strike.   It is rare that single component on the motherboard is the only component affected by such disasters.  So, since you can't even get it to properly clear NVRAM, I suspect, like you, that there is something else wrong here.  Sorry I couldn't be of more help.  There is one last thing to try, however.  The 8100 BIOS has some limited ability to change IRQ assignments.  It's listed as PCI IRQ Assignments.  You cannot change individual assignments, but you can change to a couple of combinations that result in different sharing arrangements.  Try that and see what happens.

Steve

Steve;

I tried what you recommended. I moved the PCI Nic card to another PCI slot and had the same results. What is really strange is everytime I move the Linksys PCI Nic, Device Manager increments the number of times it has been moved. For example, in Device Manager under Network Adapters is shows Linksys LNE100TX #4, which is the number of times I moved the card. When I had moved it the second time, it showed a #2, etc. Now the card is sharing the same IRQ (3) as the Modem and the video card. For some reason, the system is seeing the PCI NIC as an integrated device.

Anyway, I tried the NVRAM as you suggested and followed the instructions for the Dimension 8100. The system is not behaving as described in the writeup. When I enter System BIOS and turn on NumLock, ScrollLock, and Caps, and hold down the alt key and e, I get a beep. When I release the keys, I hear 2 more beeps. Hitting esc causes the system to boot rather than going to the BIOS save menu. I tried it again holding the alt & e keys longer, this time i got some short beeps followed by some long beeps, and again when i released the keys, several more beeps occurred. Hitting esc, just caused the systm to continue booting. Nothing was saved and i still have the same problem.

I'm begining to believe that maybe the BIOS is corrupted or that the lightening strike has caused more damage to the mother board than I thought.

Any other suggestions. I think my frien is ready to "chuck the machine".

Hi there, We want to make sure your system is working fine and hence following up. Having said that, we do not want to disturb you with numerous messages. We will wait to hear from you to continue the conversation.