> > hmmm. after truning off, plugging off, getting 173, 163 error > messages a > few times, it works again. > strange. > could a bad battery couse something like this? > SOunds like the CMOS battery is dead. 173/163 errors are date and time errors. Since the CMOS battery died you lost all your CMOS settings ( the sound card settings are saved in CMOS memory).