com 1 port will not communicate with a test instrument.
Message reads: "...port is not available or in use by
another device..." I am told that a program running in
the background is using the port. I originally emptied
the start menu of suspect programs and was able to
connect. The following day, I could not connect again but
the start menu was empty. How do I locate the
program "running in the background" and free up the port.
Also, a serial mouse works fine on com 1. The instrument
works fine on all other computers.

Steve

if the device that you have connected to your serial port sends data
continuously and you are running Windows NT/2K/XP, then the problem
may be that Windows thinks that the device is a serial mouse and is
installing the mouse driver for the COM port when you first boot up.

The following URL contains more inforamtion on how to fix this type of
problem.
http://www.taltech.com/support/troublsht/NTDetect.htm


On Wed, 5 May 2004 18:41:59 -0700, "Steve"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>com 1 port will not communicate with a test instrument.
>Message reads: "...port is not available or in use by
>another device..." I am told that a program running in
>the background is using the port. I originally emptied
>the start menu of suspect programs and was able to
>connect. The following day, I could not connect again but
>the start menu was empty. How do I locate the
>program "running in the background" and free up the port.
>Also, a serial mouse works fine on com 1. The instrument
>works fine on all other computers.
>
>Steve