[SOLVED] i need some help with COM ports and a win modem....

earlier today after i started up my computer i got a message saying Windows detected some new hardware...which was weird cause i didn't install anything new. So after it was finished i restarted and i got an error message that said my modem was not accessible because it was already in use. That was a message from WinFax. Nothing should be using it tho cause it is just used for WinFax. So I kept messing with and the error message kept coming up. When i tested it in WinFax it said it was busy. I uninstalled it and then when i went to reinstall it wasn't detected by windows...under add new hardware, so I did it myself. Here is where i ran into a problem... It is supposed to be on COM3 but when I was installing it, it only listed COM1 and 2..but like this
COM1
COM1
COM2
COM2
Obviously there was no COM3 so I selected COM2. I didn't think it would work, and it didn't. Later while messing with the registry i saw something that listed COM1 thru COM5...why doesn't it list them when I try and install my modem?
And how can i change it to COM3 so it will work?
If you don't understand please tell me and i will try and explain my problem a little better...I am in a bit of a hurry tho...sorry.

 

anyone????

 

Try uninstalling the modem, run regclean (available from microsofts web site) then re-install the modem. Another way you might get your system to work is to uninstall that modem and install another modem. Good luck....

 

thanks...i will try regclean. but my problem is mostly with the COM ports...only two show up.

 

In the Win.ini file, under ports it lists COM1-4. next to all of them it says 9600,n,8,1,x...so it looks like
COM3:=9600,n,8,1,x
-If I get rid of those numbers will that do anything? i need to figure out why they aren't showing up under Port when i try and change it. As i said before...it only lists 1 and 2.

 

com 3 doesn't show up in device manager - it's an invisible port. restart the computer in safe mode and look in device manager(right click MY COMPUTER - PROPERTIES - DEVICE MANAGER). remove the modem entrie(s). sometimes there are entries you can see in safe mode that aren't apparent in regular mode. restart in regular mode and see if the computer reinstalls the modem driver by itself. check in device manager again to make sure there's no yellow exclamation mark. right click on the modem - properties - resources to check for conflicts

 

the only COM ports that will show in Device manager are the ones you have in use.

 

thanks...that works..it detects it and all but it detected it 8 times!!
so now under device manager it says Lucent WinModem - Lucent WinModem#8. then under diagnostics in modem properties it says Port and they are all black except two which say COM1 COM2 and then under installed it says Serial Mouse except for
COM1 and 2, they say no modem installed.

 

when you right click on the modem in devide manager - properties - modem, it shows the port com. if it's port com 3 that's fine. even tho port com 3 won't show up in device manager. does the RESOURCES tab say "no conflicts" ? did you remove all the modems from device manager in safe mode first?
reboot in safe mode, go to device manager and delete (remove) all those modems. reboot in regular mode.

 

yea, i removed it while in safe mode, shut down, put it back in and Windows said it found new hardware but before it did anything i got the blue screen and when i hit a button it just goes back to the desktop but nothing loads. you can't add new hardware in safe mode so the only way i cam boot up is with the modem out but my dad needs it for work. under modems in the control, if there is no modem installed it is supposed to run the add new hardware wizard when you double click on it. i checked in device manager and there was no modem but in the control panel it comes up like there was on installed, but doesn't show one. then when i click on diagnostics it says
COM1 No modem installed
COM2 No modem installed
COM3
COM4 No modem installed

-this is a pain in the but.

 

OK... something was added & now you're getting a blue screen.
Lets do some checking...ok?

My advice is go to housecalls & run the free online virus scanner.
Click here to do so!

then there is spyware ... go get Ad-Aware
Click here to download it


and to protect yourself from hackers etc... Get Zone Alarm
Click here the free version is fine

for a free virus scanner if you don't have one, that you can add to your system... go get AVG. Click here to download AVG


Please do these things if you can get online.... post the results back here

 

You may want to run scan disk too & clean the cache... go to tools on IE..& click on internet options...in temporary internet file on General tab click delete & check the box to delete on the 2nd window as well.

 

Try deleting all your com ports and the modem again.....when windows starts to find new hardware, cancel it....install the modem manually by going into the control panel/add new hardware........restart the computer, if windows wants to add new hardware again, cancel it.....test the modem......

 

i've got an AV and all that. i can't cancel it, there is no cancel button. it just says windows found new hardware then windows is installing the software for your new hardware and then i gt the blue screen. it has to be something with the hardware cause nothing is loaded at the time. maybe a conflict or something. how can i be positive the modem and drivers for it are uninstalled?

 

under diagnostics in the control panel there is nothing next to COM3, as i said above but when i select it and click on Driver, it gives me a driver...how is that possible if there is nothing listed on COM3?
-I did a search for that driver on my computer....if i delete it will that help anything?