can't install firewire card

[dissident]

Ok I know its not strictly an ipod problem but I've searched everywhere trying to get my firewire card to work but to no avail.

I am running win98SE, and I have installed the firewire patch. When plugging in the firewire card, it causes windows to either freeze while loading, restart before loading or comes up with 'Windows protection error. Please restart your computer'. Removing the card results in everything working fine again. I've tried it in different slots, and downloaded all the latest windows updates but still doesn't work. The firewire card has VIA VT6306 on the chip if that helps, and the card I bought is this one here (http://www.dotop.com.tw/products/book/daf-1361.htm) .

I've read virtually through this entire forum and all over the web, but can't find any information on this problem at all. If anyone can help me that would be really great, I'd love to get my brand new 3g 20gig Ipod up and running =)

[ashawley]

OK, see on the picture there's that little "self-powered by DC jack" part? It should have 4 prongs on it? Do you have that connected to one of your spare power-supply jacks? You should see one floating around in you PC. They are the same things that connect to your Hard Drive and CD drives. They have 4 wires.....all different colors.

Try connecting a spare one to that. That should do it...

If you've already done that...well, I'd call the manufacturer.

Adam

[dissident]

Thanks for the reply.

Looking more closely at that picture, that isn't actually the card I have (oops). The card that I have doesn't have a power input type thing that that card does. Instead, in the same spot it has another 6 pin firewire port, exactly the same as the two on the front of the card.

In the manual it says absolutely nothing about attaching a power cable to the card, I presumed it was powered through the PCI port or whatever theyre called. On the other hand it doesnt mention the third firewire port at the back of the card either.

So I think it is installed (physically) properly, but windows still won't start when its plugged in.

[ashawley]

OK, that's fine that it doesn't have a power plug. Most don't, they get their power form the PCI bus, just as you pointed out.

It sounds like the card is trying to draw too much power from the PCI slot, hence the crashing, but I'm not an expert in the workings of PCs and PCI buses.

Can you contact the manufacturer?

Adam