[mikswmn31]

Been trying to help my neice fix a computer that was gave to her. now the computer itself is in in pretty good condition it is a gateway 2000 and is running windows xp. we updated the windows to xp from win 98


now the problem is is that we cannot acess the internet with a dialup connection. it keeps telling us that there is no dial tone.
i know it has a modem installed cause under modems in device manager is says u.s. robotics faxmodem win ti i was thinking that maybe we need a new driver or maybe reinstall a driver. but i cant find one for xp.
does windows xp come with a generic modem driver or something we can use instead of the u.s. robotics faxmodem win ti?

[Tumbleweed36]

Hello There,

What you need to know is that probably the XP loaded drivers will not work. With USRobotics modems (and most others), you have to FORCE WinXP to take the newer drivers. WinXP uses only v.90 drivers and they will not work as a rule with most of their faxmodems. I know that the XP will tell you that the proper ones are installed, but FORCE the OS to take the USRobotic drivers. Download them, unzip them, and point the device manager to them and make it accept them.

Take a look here for your newest drivers:

http://www.driversearch.com/cgi/sear...+win+ti+&m=any

[cronista]

Hi, Tumbleweed!
I'm having a similar problem, so please let me see if I understand you.
Are you saying that WinXP installs its own version of a driver for a US Robotics PCI Faxmodem, and that this driver is problematic?
I had assumed that WinXP took the correct driver off of the US Robotics CD when installing the modem. If it doesn't use the driver from the CD, then I must say "life ain't fair!"
Device Manager shows the modem, "Properties" shows it is functioning, but still can't dial out when attempting a connection.
I will post model-specific and driver-specific info elswhere just in case the problem is unique to a specific model or driver.
Cordially,
Cronista

[Tumbleweed36]

Originally Posted by cronista

Hi, Tumbleweed!
Are you saying that WinXP installs its own version of a driver for a US Robotics PCI Faxmodem, and that this driver is problematic?

I had assumed that WinXP took the correct driver off of the US Robotics CD when installing the modem. If it doesn't use the driver from the CD, then I must say "life ain't fair!"

Device Manager shows the modem, "Properties" shows it is functioning, but still can't dial out when attempting a connection.
I will post model-specific and driver-specific info elswhere just in case the problem is unique to a specific model or driver.
Cordially,
Cronista

Hi,

That is exactly what I am saying. The drives for WinXP are v.90 drivers and they don't perform well if you have modem that is listed as V.92.

I have found that the drivers from the USRobotics on the CD are basicallyl worthless with WinXP.

That is exactly what happens, it loads the XP drivers from WinXP, and they simply are not well matched to the v.92 standard.

If you follow this guide, they should work, but you must force WinXP to accept them, because it thinks their drivers are best:

WinXP is very slick this way, it will try to load its own drivers again, so make sure this doesn't happen. Tell it not to search, but you have a disk....then specify the location of your disk. For example, you download the listed drivers from the manufacturer's website, then unzip the drivers to your desktop. When it asks for the location, DO NOT let it search, or it will just load the drivers for WinXP again.

Why not give the following a try:

1) Download the newest and latest drivers from the modem manufacturer’s website. (I know, you have a disk, but download the newest and best anyhow.

2) Enter Start, Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager and DELETE any references to any modem.

3) Shut down and physically remove the modem and then put the modem back in PCI slot #3 (Third slot down from the AGP slot)

4) Boot up and enter the BIOS setup menu.

5) In the BIOS setup menu find the PnP area. If you are running WinXP, then DISABLE Pnp….however, if you are using Win98, then make sure it is ENABLED.

6) Save and Exit

7) Boot back up and when the computer finds your modem, then load the drivers that have been downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. It may tell you that the latest and best are already installed, but install them anyway. (for example, WinXP only has v.90 drivers and not the most recent v.92 that are needed for best operation) If it says they are not digitally signed, then load them anyway. This is a long story, but I can assure you it is a money issue and a rip off from Microsoft in my opinion.

This should get you going!

[cronista]

Thank you very much for the detailed and RAPID reply!

Somehow I believe you.... you sound like the voice of experience!
I have downloaded the latest driver from US Robitics.

In the morning I will follow your instructions and see what happens. Then I will let you (and others) know how it went.
I only "assumed" that WinXP took the drivers off the CD just because "it was there." Of course, after reading what you posted, it is possible that WinXP just went back into its own closet and delivered me a driver of its own choice, ignoring the CD.

Thanks again!!
Cronista

[cronista]

Hi, Tumbleweed!
Yesterday I told you I would follow your instructions and report back. Below is what I did, and the no-joy results.

1) Download the newest and latest drivers from the modem manufacturer’s website. (I know, you have a disk, but download the newest and best anyhow.
Comments: Accomplished; downloaded latest driver from US Robotics site: USR5660a_2KXP.exe. This was done via another PC that could connect to the Internet. Transferred the download file to the “sick” computer. Unzipped the file; directories were automatically created and eleven files placed there. The path created is: C:\USR\USR5660A\XP2K

2) Enter Start, Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager and DELETE any references to any modem.
Comments: Accomplished.

3) Shut down and physically remove the modem and then put the modem back in PCI slot #3 (Third slot down from the AGP slot)
Comments: Accomplished

4) Boot up and enter the BIOS setup menu.
Comments: Accomplished (used the DEL key as bootup was occuring)

5) In the BIOS setup menu find the PnP area. If you are running WinXP, then DISABLE Pnp….however, if you are using Win98, then make sure it is ENABLED.
Comments: Accomplished (I am using WinXP)

6) Save and Exit
Comments: Accomplished (save/exit using F10)

7) Boot back up and when the computer finds your modem, then load the drivers that have been downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.
Comments: This is where the fun begins!


The Found New Hardware Wizard appears with the following choices:

Install the hardware automatically (Recommended)
Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)

I selected the latter.

The next page of the Wizard gives two choices, listed below as A and B:

A. Search for the best driver in these locations
The locations are:

1. Search removeable media
2. Include this location in the search
[the latter indicates a default location, C:\USR\USR5660A\YP2K]
I deselected number 1 and selected number 2 because it is the path automatically created when I unzipped the downloaded driver file.

B. Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install [I did not select this]

With No. 2 above selected, I clicked on the NEXT button. The wizard said it was installing the files. Then it indicated that the Modem had been installed and was working.

Then I rebooted and launched NetZero and got the following messages on a single screen:

Problem start dialing.0
Can’t start dialing

NOTE: I do not hear the modem tone, although it is enabled. Also, I checked the telephone line by disconnecting it from the computer and inserting it into a phone; there is a dial tone. Then I tried to connect to NetZero without the telephone line plugged into the modem. The same messages appeared. I was hoping it would say "no dial tone," or "no connection."

I returned to Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Hardware/Device Manager/Modems/U.S. Robotics V.92 PCI Faxmodem.

I right-clicked on the modem icon and selected “properties.” There was a notation that “This device is working properly”
From the same “properties” box, I selected “driver” and then “driver details.”
I observed that the path to the driver files is
C:\Program Files\CONEXANT\USR_MODEM_PCI_VEN_16EC&DEV_2F00&SUBSYS_01QA16EC\HXFSetup.exe

Of course, this is not the path I selected, nor want. I had pointed the system to C:\USR\USR5660A\YP2K

All the other driver files are in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS except for two DLL files which are in the C:\WINDOWS SYSTEM32 directory.

Going back to the “Properties” tab, I click on “Update Driver”
This gives me the Hardware Update Wizard with following choices:

1. Install the software automatically (Recommended)
2. Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)

I chose 2. and then clicked on NEXT and got the following choices, as before:

A. Search for the best driver in these locations

1. Search removeable media
2. Include this location in the search

[the latter indicates a default location, C:\USR\USR5660A\YP2K]
I deselected number 1 and chose number 2 because it is the path automatically created when I unzipped the downloaded driver files.

B. Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install [I did not select this]
With number 2 above selected and the NEXT button clicked, I got the same results as before: WINXP evidently ignored the C:\USR\USR5660A\YP2K path and installed drivers of its own choosing.

I tried other combinations, including selecting “Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install” and then pointing the system to the path where I knew the downloaded driver files to be.

Summary: I can not force WinXP to install driver files from C:\USR\USR5660A\YP2K, which contains the 11 files required, including the .inf file, usrhsfi5.inf, and the setup file, HXFSetup.exe. Curiously, if I double-click on this HXFSetup.exe file, I get a message: "Driver Installation Failed: Could not find the device for this driver." This may or not be a clue to the overall problem.

Six hours wasted this morning trying to get U.S. Robotics V.92 PCI Faxmodem Model 5660 (Product ID USR5660A) installed in a computer running WinXP Pro. I believe Tumbleweed's instructions are valid but that I am missing some action or doing something wrong. Thanks again, Tumbleweed.... I haven't given up yet!
Cronista