🚀 go-pugleaf

Chris,


> 
> One thing I'd like to point out is that this news server is not tech
> support.

     Thank you for replying.  I DID email CL's tech dept. but they did
NOT respond to ANY of my emails.  I tried newsgroups but got no answers
that worked and eventually saw your name connected with Creative Labs
and thought, "Aha!  If CL won't answer email support, maybe Chris will
in a newsgroup that bears the Creative Lab's name!"  So that is how I
came to you.

> 
> A quick visit to our official tech support web site at
> http://www.creativehelp.com turned up:
> 
> This error could be caused by multiple copies of AWEMAN.DLL and/or
> AWEMAN32.DLL on your system. To search for these files, click on Start,
> Find, then Files or Folders. Search for each file by typing the name of the
> file in the Named box and clicking the Find Now button. Delete any instances
> of these files that are not in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, where
> C:\WINDOWS is your Windows 95 directory.



I hate to sound unappreciative but I did explain to you that I have been
to the CL site:

 "I have went to the CL web site and there is no workable answer there."


  I went there FIRST before emailing tech support or the newsgroups, but
I found no answers that worked!  


> 
> You will also want to ensure that the synthesizer bank settings are correct.
> To do this, open the AWE Control Panel and ensure that General MIDI is
> selected in the Available Synth: box and that C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYNTHGM.SBK
> appears in the Configured Path: box.



     I also explained to you that I have been using the AWE control
panel but this is what happens when I do, so this suggestion doesn't
work either.  I told you:

  "The AWE32cp.exe prog shows a red bar instead of green, as it's
supposed to, denoting that I have "0 KB of 0 KB available".  Not so.  I
have two 4 meg simms installed.  In the "Available Synth" box (under the
"synth" tab), it is blank but I have a choice of choosing "general midi"
yet when I do choose it, I then get another message that reads:  "The
selected file contains unrecognized format".  I've got several sbk files
and it will recognize none of them."

     Your suggestion of "ensuring that General MIDI is selected" does no
good!  And I have no luck with this next suggestion either:

> 
> You may also want to try changing the Input/Output addresses of your Sound
> Blaster card. To do this, open the System applet from Control Panel, click
> on the Device Manager tab, and on the plus sign next to Sound, video and
> game controllers. Double-click on the listing for your sound card, click on
> the Resources tab and remove the checkmark from the Use automatic settings
> box. You may now change resources by double-clicking on each Resource type
> listed in the Resource settings box and using the arrow keys to change its
> value. You should try as many variations and combinations of I/O addresses
> as possible.



     Your next suggestion is a zinger as I've spent HOURS doing EXACTLY
this and I explained that too.......hoping to save you all the typing
and time associated with explaining it all again:



> 
> To resolve this issue, you may need to try a fresh install of the drivers
> after totally removing them from the system.
> NOTE: This requires a couple of reboots, so it would be a good idea to print
> these instructions before beginning..........<snip>




     I've installed the drivers from scratch EXACTLY as you've
explained.  I've followed Creative's instructions to a "T" for
reinstalling them but it still does not work: (Excerpt from my email):


"The file synthgm.sbk is in the proper location (Windows\System) but
upon every boot, it can't be loaded.  I know my card is not defective,
nor are the simms, because I did have it working once!  I don't know how
it happened but during my bouts of installing, reinstalling, deleting
and reintsalling...it did work.  I got the green bar in the AWECP32.exe
prog and the synthesizer.sbk loaded just fine.  I was able to play
around and try out various settings.  But when I turned my computer off
and the very next time it rebooted, there was the dreaded message of not
loading the default synthesizer bank.

    I have followed Creative Labs instructions to a "T" for every
install, every delete and reinstall of drivers but it (midi) won't load
upon startup.  I've downloaded and tried all recent
drivers.........95dosapp.exe awecp95.exe and sbw95up.exe, revision 14.
I've tried several different installs so I'm sure that the file
synthgm.sbk is NOT corrupted."



     So, please point me in the direction of someone that IS from tech
support and someone that will ANSWER my emails about this.  All that you
found on their web site is fine and dandy and I've read it all and tried
it all..............but..........


              IT DOESN'T WORK FOR THE SYNTHGM.SBK ERROR!



(Sorry to shout but I'm at my wits end!!!!)  So please point me in the
right direction for someone who knows what in the hell is the matter
with these sound cards and I'll get out of your hair.  ;^>



Thanks!!!!

kitb at hotmail dot com



> kitb@hotmail.com wrote in message <36124299.1DCAC4AF@hotmail.com>...
> >Chris,
> >
> >     Since you are an employee of CL, I am presenting this directly to
> >you.  I need an answer so please don't ignore me.  I have went to the CL
> >web site and there is no workable answer there.  I have posted to
> >various newsgroups and nobody there knows what to do to make this
> >problem go away either.  There are many, many people having this problem
> >so please, please, please help us ALL out.
> >
> >
> >     Every time I start Windows (98), I get the following error message:
> >
> >             Read error in C:\Windows\System\Synthgm.sbk
> >                Can't load default synthesizer bank.
> >
> >
> >My Hardware: Pentium 233, 96 megs Ram, Windows 98, Creative Labs
> >SB32/AWE PNP w/8 megs.
> >
> >     
> >