When I start my computer, I stop windows from loading and continue at command prompt only, (by pressing F8)but when I load DOS this way my sound card doesn't work with any of my programs. However if I start windows and then exit to DOS it works fine. How do I make the card work without starting windows?

Well, first thing first, did you select command prompt only or did you select command prompt safemode (bypassing autoexec.bat and config.sys). Zip to your C:\ drive and check to see if autoexec.bat and config.sys are present... Because the sound card drivers and cd drivers are loaded in config.sys and autoexec.bat, I presume that either your config.sys and autoexec.bat dont have it or it doesnt load with just command prompt. Zip to your windows folder and find a file called dosstart.bat I believe and edit it with like notepad... Well... Take note of whats in it, because thats what windows loads when it reboots to dos... Chances are one of the lines in there points to the path of your sound card driver... Better yet, try boot to dos and go in the windows directory and type DOSSTART .... Or, if you dont want all the trouble, simply edit your autoexec.bat file and add in something like this I believe in the end... call c:\windows\dosstart.bat To check to see that if your computer loads autoexec.bat and config.sys, when you select command prompt, check does it immediately give you the C: or does it display some gibberish like path= blah blah blah this loaded viruscan.... If it just gives you C: straight away you know it's not loading them (but I think it should in any event).

or select "Step by Step Confirmation" and say "Yes" to everything other than "Win(Y/N)?" Don't know if that would work, but it makes sense