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Software Vault: The Gold Collection
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Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
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cdr42
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sbwinfix.zip
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!README.DOC
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1993-06-14
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----------------------------------------------------
SoundBlaster Pro2 Windows 3.1 Driver Updates For Use
With SBPro2 (CT-1600) Board and Windows 3.1 ONLY !!
Uploaded by R.T.Hjorth, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
----------------------------------------------------
This zipfile contains the latest SoundBlaster Pro 2 (Model CT-1660)
drivers for Windows 3.1 available as of this date. The contents were
downloaded from the Creative Labs BBS on 06-14-93, and were contained
in a self-extracting archive named SB2WIN31.EXE which was dated 06-09-93.
The README.TXT file contained herein is from Creative, so this file
was named !README.DOC.
For reference, Creative Labs' (aka Creative Technologies) BBS number is:
(408) 428-6660 (1200/2400bps,8,n,1 and supports most protocols)
Their tech support people are sort of snobbish, and are very slow
to admit that their software just might have bugs. <insert grin here>
Based on the number of versions of their Windows 3.1 drivers I've
seen around, it appears they do updates about once a month. Hmmmmm!
Although the files contained herein have varying dates, they do appear
equal or later than the dates on various purported "updates" floating
around the BBS community. It is crucial for the user to distinguish
his/her equipment from original SoundBlaster cards (Model CT-1330),
as these drivers are meant ONLY for the Pro 2 (CT-1660), and for use
in Windows 3.1, and NOT for Windows 3.0 w/Multimedia! Similar driver
updates are available on the Creative BBS for the original SB, SBPro,
the newer -16/ASP, and various OS/2 systems, as well. Check them out
if you need them.
I, as others, have spent many futile hours reconfiguring, reinstalling,
and generally cursing Creative for the Windows software shipped with
their Pro2 boards as late as May, 1993. Two problems have shown up
with many users, although only on "certain" (per Creative) machines:
1) The first is a random fatal error issued by Windows: "Program Manager
has caused a Protection Exception error at Address 0001:0350", which
totally hangs the system. Power off reboot is the only way out. It
seems that the SBP2FM.DRV driver is the guilty party here, but I
haven't verified this.
2) The second error occurs when the first sound program or process
is attempted in a Windows session: a non-fatal Windows error is
issued that says "Cannot write to Device: AUX". In this case,
the error window presents two buttons, Cancel and Retry. Clicking on
Canel disposes of the error, and subsequent sound processes work
fine, with no apparent effect of the error. Surprisingly, the old
SBPSND.DRV driver is to blame for this one, not the SBPAUX.DRV driver!
The files contained in this zipfile are replacements for the same-named
drivers and exe files in the \SBPRO\WINDRV and SBPRO\WINAPPL directories,
and fix the errors I mentioned above. In addition, I have also included
FMRESET.TXT, which is a text file from the CT BBS describing a work-around
for an excessive noise problem experienced on some computers on startup or
when starting Windows.
While you do NOT have to "install" these new drivers using Windows itself,
you must also copy the SBP2FM.DRV, SBPAUX.DRV, SBPSND.DRV, and VSBPD.386
files to the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, replacing the previously installed
versions of these files. If you're in doubt, don't depend on file dates or
file sizes! Instead, you should try the DOS commands COMP or FC to
determine if your existing files match these new ones.
I purchased my SBPro2 in late May, 1993, and the MMJBOX.EXE, SBPMIXER.EXE,
OEMSETUP.INF, and MIDIMAP.CFG files contained herein successfully compared
to the files I received with the board. However, if yours don't, you
should replace them in the \SBPRO\WINAPPL directory as well. The original
SBPMIXER.EXE program seemed to work O.K., but was unable to retain the
MIDI volume setting. The new one fixes that. My MMJBOX.EXE file was the
same, so I can't speculate on their updates to that program.
MIDIMAP.CFG is merely a configuration file for mapping in-to-out channels
when using MIDI and FM. If you choose to replace the MIDIMAP.CFG file
in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, you will lose any settings you may have
made previously, and will have to re-establish them using the MIDI Mapper
icon in the Control Panel within Windows.
I hope this helps those of you who have experienced the same frustrations
that I have. These new drivers seem to be well-behaved in Windows 3.1, and
equally important, seem to interact with one another correctly. Good Luck!