AWE64/ACM Card(s) Question

Hi. Sorry if this isn't the best newsgroup to post this in, but hey, this is mostly for my racings sims anyway. (If anyone has a recommendation for a better newsgroup for this question, by all means tell me.) Anyway, I purchased a Soundblaster AWE64 card the other day and popped it in here yesterday. I was previously using an ACM card for my wheel and joystick. Someone told me to just use the AWE64 instead of the ACM. My questions are: can the AWE64's gameport be disabled? If so, would the ACM card work better for me? (It certainly worked better than my previous soundcard's port.) The person who gave me the above advice also said to use the ACM for my DOS games. I didn't really understand this, I can have both of them in there at once? Could this be done by just disabling the ACM in Windows? Any comments are much appreciated.

I eventually managed to get my AWE64 and ACM card to work in both Windows 95 and DOS. I disabled the joy port on the AWE64 (you know My Computer->System->Sound) and ran CTCM in DOS. It then configures two out of three devices on the AWE64, the third device is the joy port. Now I can use the ACM card in any DOS or WIndows 95 game. You may have to work a bit in Windows 95 to make it accept the disabling and enabling (to avoid collisions) but after that all you need to do in DOS is to run CTCM (included with the AWE64). /Michael

On Wed, 01 Oct 1997 15:08:39 -0500, "Scott R. Lund" snip Try TM's website (or CH Products)for tips to disable SB port. It's a real pain to do, but here's a sure fire way..... 1)Delete all Soundblaster software, including config.sys and autoexec.bat entries, shut off computer 2)Remove AWE64, install ACM. Install ACM in windows according to TM's directions. 3)install Plugplay software included in SB box. 4)run ICU.EXE from plugplay, then disable game port, save settings. 5) install AWE64, then software 6)This should enable the ACM and diable AWE64 Port. Good luck!!!!!!

There's a better way. Just select properties on the AWE64 joy port. In the 'General' tab theres a selection for 'Disable in this hardware profile'. Click in the checkbox. The AWE64 port will be shown with a red cross over it. Now the ACM gamecard will get the resources. -- Markus

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>On Wed, 01 Oct 1997 15:08:39 -0500, "Scott R. Lund" >snip >> My questions are: can the AWE64's gameport be disabled? If so, >>would the ACM card work better for me? (It certainly worked better than >>my previous soundcard's port.) The person who gave me the above advice >>also said to use the ACM for my DOS games. I didn't really understand >>this, I can have both of them in there at once? Could this be done by >>just disabling the ACM in Windows? >> Any comments are much appreciated.

You will definitely want to keep your ACM card if for nothing more than the potentiometer. Here is how I did it: You cannot disable the gameport on the AWE64 so what you are going to end up with is a RESOURCE CONFLICT. What we need to do is make sure that the CONFLICT is with the AWE port and not the ACM. Windows dishes out resources on a first come - first server basis so all you need to do is make sure you ACM is installed and working properly with the default resource assignment. When you install your AWE64 and its software it will try (and fail) to install the joystick port driver. You will even get a YELLOW circle in your Device Hardware but who cares - the ACM still works. If you already have the AWE64 and software installed you will have to pull the card and delete all the AWE entries from your Device hardware tree. Restart the computer and reinstall your ACM support. Then turn off system and install card and turn on computer. When prompted let 95 grab the drivers from the AWE64 CDROM. When it's all over you should have a working ACM and a Resource Conflict on your AWE64 which you can ignore....

Your going to have trouble disabling the joystick port on your awe64 pnp sound card. I ran into the same thing with my awe32. I had to disable the joystick port in win95 each time I booted up, and add the acm card in win95. For some reason, every time I booted it went back to original configuration. I spent a lot of time on the phone with Dell, Soundblaster, and Microsoft only to come to the conclusion it couldn't be done. I recently downloaded Thrustmaster's ProPanel utility, removed my game card, and now run through my soundcard's joystick port. Very smooth, gonna leave it as is now. You might consider trying the same, save ya a lot of grief. Good luck, Don B. snip snip

My AWE32 has a jumper to disable the gameport. The AWE64 doesn't have this jumper?? Joel

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> On Wed, 01 Oct 1997 15:08:39 -0500, "Scott R. Lund" > snip > > My questions are: can the AWE64's gameport be disabled? If so, > >would the ACM card work better for me? (It certainly worked better than > >my previous soundcard's port.) The person who gave me the above advice > >also said to use the ACM for my DOS games. I didn't really understand > >this, I can have both of them in there at once? Could this be done by > >just disabling the ACM in Windows? > > Any comments are much appreciated. > Try TM's website (or CH Products)for tips to disable SB port. It's a > real pain to do, but here's a sure fire way..... > 1)Delete all Soundblaster software, including config.sys and > autoexec.bat entries, shut off computer > 2)Remove AWE64, install ACM. Install ACM in windows according to TM's > directions. > 3)install Plugplay software included in SB box. > 4)run ICU.EXE from plugplay, then disable game port, save settings. > 5) install AWE64, then software > 6)This should enable the ACM and diable AWE64 Port. > Good luck!!!!!!

Sure, you can disable any SB port. Remove the driver through the control panel under the system/device manager/sound and video game adapters. Reboot. Windoze will tell you it has found new software. Ignore the have disk ready stuff and don't reinstall the drivers. Windoze will put a yellow exclamation point through it. I've done this on systems with AWE32 and AWE64s. Piece of cake. You can then install the ACM card/software. Regards, Harry