[twodeko]

im about to reformat and reinstall windows xp pro in this computer and was curious what the best order of installation is. i will put service pack 2 on immediately and then throw on the chipset drivers (nforce3) but i was thinking the soundcard (emu1212m) and then video card (ati 9800np). right now i hear some cracks on occasion and want to make sure i do it correctly this time around. thank you all.

p.s. any news on linux support for 1212m yet?

 

[Halbyrd]

In most cases, it shouldn't really matter whether you install the vidcard or sndcard drivers first. I'm not familiar with that particular sndcard, but IMO your proposed install order will work, though in your shoes, I'd make sure I had the latest drivers and control programs from ATI and EMU, as SP2 breaks a lot of low-level stuff.

Once you've got the drivers up and running correctly, set a System Restore Point (Start -> Help -> search for "system restore" if you don't know how), and test each program as you install it, setting another System Restore Point as you confirm that the program works. This will help avoid conflicts, and if a particular program hoses your system, undoing the goof will (hopefully) be a relatively painless operation.

As for Linux support, google for the ALSA compatibility list. As of kernel 2.6.x, ALSA is integrated into the kernel, so support isn't as hit-and-miss (though it's still far from painless.

). If it's supported, tinkering with alsa-config a bit should get you up and running. (IANALinuxGuru, so take this with a grain of salt.)