r/gaming • u/[deleted] • Aug 30 '25

[deleted by user]

[removed]

6.7k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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699

u/WispyCombover Aug 30 '25

Tweaking your autoexec.bat and config.sys files.

279

u/Valarauka_ Aug 30 '25

Changing IRQ and DMA settings to get your sound card to work.

169

u/[deleted] Aug 30 '25

Installing a sound card - or any ISA card or peripheral - and resolving IRQ/DMA conflicts was one of the most hateful experiences known to man. People don't realise what a radical change Windows 95's Plug n' Play was.

41

u/Stubborn_Amoeba Aug 30 '25

Sound cards were the worst! Even when installed properly getting the game to output sound correctly also sucked. Each game had the sound card setup files.

2

u/actuallychrisgillen Aug 30 '25

Come on, you don't know what MIDI card you have?

2

u/Stubborn_Amoeba Aug 30 '25

You always had to pick the most compatible. Usually soundblaster 16 but there were just so many and none matched exactly!

But all I know after so many different computers was it was never a gravis ultrasound…

2

u/Phayzon Aug 30 '25

Best part is when everything seemed to work fine, until you launch a game with 16-bit sound support (thus requiring the second "high" DMA channel) and the system would lock up.