Alex
Open the system control panel application ( Start->Control Panel and select
System). Click to the Hardware tab; and click the Device Manager button to
get the device manager application. Scroll to "Ports (COM & LPT)".. Expand
the node by double clicking the node name, "Ports(COM & LPT)", or by
clicking the adjacent '+' once. Look for "Communications Port (COM1)".
There may be more than one "Communications Port(COMn)". Check each by
double clicking the device node and read the "Device status". It should
read "This device is working properly". If not please post the message you
receive.
If you have *no* device nodes titled "Communications Port(COMn)" then
scroll to "Unknown Devices". expand the node as you did "Ports..." and
delete all of the unknown devices. You do this by highlighting each one by
clicking it once and then pressing the "Delete" key on your keyboard. You
will get a message box titled "Confirm Device Removal". Confirm by clicking
"OK". Once you delete all of the unknown devices close all of your windows
using "OK" or "Close" and reboot. All of the unknown devices should be
reenumerated during start up. It may take a few minutes for your system to
start up due to the enumeration process. Just let the plug and play and
installation subsystems chug through the formerly unknown devices and try to
recognize them. Answer any dialog messages normally. If you are asked for
a driver the system does *not* have, then press on with "OK" or "Cancel"
until the system is running again and either search for the drivers or post
a message here with the drivers your missing.
If this process "discovers" your com port then your done. If not you most
likely were asked for a driver for that you do not have on your system. If
*neither* of these situations occur post what happened and we'll continue.
Changing back to XP Home won't help you here. There are in reality small
differences in the OS between XP Pro and Home. The majority of these
differences are shell and security settings, tools and wizards, and driver
updates.
Good Luck
Bill
