The problem: You've got an IBM M-Audio Capture & Playback Adapter /A (ACPA) and want to install it under Windows 95.
But - there are no drivers available for it. What now ?
The solution: Follow the instructions below - and it will work fine.
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"Hi ! I am Peter - and I am your tour guide through the dark, dusty dungeons of the IBM M-ACPA installation under Windows 95. This procedure might take a while, so don't hold your breath. It is recommended to have a cup of coffee (or a Coke) on your desk, a good mood, self-confidence and diskettes. Cigarettes and 'pills' are optional but normally not required.
I will try making this operation as easy and painless as possible.
This is how it goes ..."
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Things we need before we start:
- some 3.5" diskettes
- the required reference disk for the PS/2 (on Non-IML machines only)
- the ACPA ADF @6E6C.ADF
-or-
the ACPA-option disk image (720K format !)
(if the card is not yet installed)
- the ACPA of course
- a temporary directory on the harddisk named ACPA maybe
(the name is of no importance - make it easy)
Are you ready for take-off ?
Sensible persons should go to the toilet again before and have vomit bags at hand.
We are awaiting some turbulences during that operation !
Here we go:
- Step
Download the following diskette images into the temporary directory
M-Audio Support Files for Windows 3.1
IBM M-ACPA Win. driver Corrective Service
- Step
Download my pre-beta MACPA.INF (Version 0.17, 07/30/98) into your temporary directory.
Attention !
This is -as said- a pre-beta version and does not work as supposed. Therefore the installation differs a lot from "the usual way" - but this version already allowes to see the ACPA in the systems control.
If anyone is willing and able to write a better, fully functional version - you are always welcome to just do it.
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- Step
Run the MACPAWIN.EXE. It extracts the files directly into the directory.
- Step
Run the MACPACSD.EXE. It extracts the files onto a 1.44MB floppy disk.
- Step
Delete the OEMSETUP.INF from this diskette and copy the files to the temporary directory overwriting those already existing under the same name.
You should end up with the following files in your directory:
ACPA DRV 33.008 07.01.94 19:14 ACPA.DRV
AUDIO DLL 78.912 07.01.94 19:10 AUDIO.DLL
AUDIOVER EXE 20.816 10.01.94 11:23 AUDIOVER.EXE
OEMSETUP INF 2.018 30.06.92 10:05 OEMSETUP.INF
README 12.976 24.07.92 15:02 README
WIN CMD 88 24.07.92 14:56 WIN.CMD
IBMAUDS DSP 14.957 30.06.92 11:07 IBMAUDS.DSP
IBMMPC DSP 14.957 30.06.92 12:11 IBMMPC.DSP
IBMPCMP DSP 7.277 30.06.92 12:07 IBMPCMP.DSP
IBMPCMR DSP 7.277 30.06.92 12:08 IBMPCMR.DSP
ACPADD SYS 55.737 30.06.92 11:46 ACPADD.SYS
READ ME 4.762 10.01.94 16:25 READ.ME
MACPA INF 3.979 07.06.98 14:25 MACPA.INF
- Step
Edit the chapter [Installable.drivers] on the remaining OEMSETUP.INF in the temporary directory after this scheme:
Mark all lines except the one below with a semicolon at the start
IBMacpa = 6:acpa.drv, "wave,aux,midi", "IBM M-Audio sound driver",,
Only this last line stays unmarked and active - all others are now treated as 'comment lines' and are disregarded during the install process.
Save the changes, then rename the file from OEMSETUP.INF to OEMSETUP.XXX.
- Step
If you had not installed the ACPA yet:
Copy the @6E6C.ADF on your reference disk -or- use "Copy an option disk" from the reference main menu to copy the file to your reference disk / partition. Either the original option disk (copy) is used for that, or the ADF must be copied onto an empty disk before, by the way.
Then install the ACPA-card in your machine.
Update the reference disk / partition before you install the card !
Start your system with the reference disk -or- start the reference from the IML-partition (on IML-systems only).
Enter "Set / view configuration", then "set configuration".
The setting required for proper functions are
Address Selection = FDC0-FDC7
Interrupt Selection = Interrupt 5
All others don't work and cause problems.
In case these settings are conflicting with other cards settings, it requieres to change the settings of the other card ... if possible.
Most likely it is - I did that a couple of times and it worked fine.
- Step
Now comes the interesting part you've all waited for.
- Restart the system and run Win 95
- Start the "Control Panel"
- Click on "Add New Hardware"
- Click on "Next"
- Select "Search for new hardware" = "No"
- Click on "Next"
- Double-click on "Sound, Video and game controller"
(probably Win95 creates a database now ...)
- Click on "Have Disk..."
- Type in the path for your ACPA-directory
(or use "Browse..." to locate it)
"MACPA.INF" should be displayed
- Click on "OK" ... "OK"
(shows "IBM Audio Capture & Playback Adapter /A")
- Click on "OK"
A list of ressources which appeared useable (to the Win-configurator) is shown. This list must not always match the settings we had set in the machines' configuration (I/O Range FDC0 - FDC7, Interrupt 5) ... but you cannot change them here anyways, so just leave them for now. We'll correct that later.
- Click on "Next"
Now data is copied into the Win-directories.
If the process stops and complains about a missing ACPA.INI use "Skip" to bypass this. I had the ACPA.INI accidently included in the MACPA.INF (Version 0.16 dated 06/06/98) but it is a file created by running the device driver installation with OEMSETUP.INF ... I have corrected that in the current 0.17-version.
- Click on "Finish"
- Click on "No" for the shutdown request
Now enter the ACPA-directory and rename OEMSETUP.XXX back to OEMSETUP.INF - rename MACPA.INF to MACPA.XXX instead.
I wrote further above that the MACPA.INF is still a pre-beta. Now: what it still doesn't do is starting the automatic setting of the ACPA Windows driver itself. I don't know why and I'd tried quite a lot and it still doesn't work.
So - why not using the original OEMSETUP.INF and let it do the changes ?
Just repeat the above steps from starting the "System Control" - "Hardware" and so forth, with the only change that now the OEMSETUP.INF appears instead of the MACPA.INF.
You might ask: "Well - why doesn't this moron use the OEMSETUP.INF only ?"
Answer: The OEMSETUP.INF does not write the settings into the system control and does not pass over the infos about the ressources used by the ACPA. It works - but the ACPA does not show up anywhere.
Repeat the above steps and there are some differences:
After confirming the OEMSETUP.INF the line "IBM M-Audio sound driver" appears. That's okay.
Then a panel "IBM M-ACPA Driver Setup" appears. Activate "Line (Both)" and "Auxiliary Input". The slide for "Block Size" can be moved to the "Large" position if your machine is 386DX-25 and above.
Click on the "OK" button when finished.
This panel re-appears two times again - this is also normal.
Then the "Windows wants to restart" request appears. Answer with "No" again.
- Step
No shutdown, because we need to set the correct ressources to avoid problems before they come up.
- Enter "Control Panel"
- Select "System"
- Select "Device Manager"
- Select "Sound, Video and game controller"
- Select [Tataaaa !] "IBM Audio Capture & Playback Adapter /A"
- Click on "Properties" (or double-click the Adapter)
- Select "Resources"
- De-activate the clickbox "Automatic setting"
- Select the I/O Range if it is set other than FDC0-FDC7 and
Click on "Change Setting" - change and click "OK"
- Select the Interrupt if it is other than 5 and
Click on "Change Setting" - change and click "OK"
- The warning "Creating a Forced Configuration" answer with "Yes"
- Then click on "OK" on the properties window and "OK" on the device manager window to complete the settings
- Step
If offered to restart the system click on "Yes"
If not: click the "Start"-icon in the task bar and restart Win 95.
The main part is done ...
... but some small stuff is left over.
In case you have already some speaker attached at the "S"-port of the ACPA you might have heared some 'Click' and some noise already.
If you are using a stereo amplifier it is better to use the low-level "O"-port on the card. The "S"-port is for speakers and headphones only.
If the sound over the speakers / headphones sounds distorted and somewhat fuzzy you have just experienced what "Internal Testing Loopback" means. The "I"-port and the "O"-port are internally connected for testing purposes on a bare card. If you have a 3.5mm stereo adapter cable - ending in 2 x RCA plugs maybe - plug it into the "O"-port and the effect is gone, because this switches off the internal testing loopback. The symptom also does not show up if you have amplified speakers that can be plugged into the "O"-port rather than in the "S"-port.
I would not recommend to connect an open-ended cable into the "I"-port, since this may cause humming noises in the output signal. The "I"-port is intended to supply a signal from i.e. stereo radio into the ACPA.
If you have installed the ACPA and miss the sounds or cannot playback audio-CDs you will have to install the Microsoft MCI and CD-Audio (Mediaplayer) under "Control Panel" - "Add new Hardware" - "Sound, video and game controllers" - "Microsoft".
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"Hi ! This is your tour guide Peter again. I hope you found our little journey interesting and not too complicated. Hope everything works out fine with your ACPA and you are all lucky now.
Come back to our pages recently for another adventure into PS/2-world !"
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