Serial port plug and play

[Guest]

I swear I just had a post up, and it was deleted for reasons unknown to me.
All I want to know is if there is a way to enable pnp for serial ports. I've
read in the installation for one of the devices, that windows should
recognize that something is there when a device is plugged in, and that if it
doesn't there is a deeper problem. So here I am asking the question. I've
had one of the two serial devices working before, so why windows doesn't
recognize it now. I've enabled it in the bios, I have two com ports
installed in device manager, neither of them will recognize anything I put in
them. I guess BOTH of them could be broken, but I feel this is unlikely. Is
there any reason xp doesn't see anything plugged into these ports?

 

[Guest]

Quickest way to check if the serial port works:

Get yourself a serial port mouse...most people have an old one lying around.

Unplug your PS/2 mouse, plug in the serial mouse.

Boot to Windows....if the mouse is detected then your serial port works: if
not the port are dead.

Other ways and means require buying testing software and special plugs for
the serail port.

Now double check the serial port settings in BIOS [set it back to defaults
if you have any options available.

 

[Michael W. Ryder]

I swear I just had a post up, and it was deleted for reasons unknown to me.
All I want to know is if there is a way to enable pnp for serial ports. I've
read in the installation for one of the devices, that windows should
recognize that something is there when a device is plugged in, and that if it
doesn't there is a deeper problem. So here I am asking the question. I've
had one of the two serial devices working before, so why windows doesn't
recognize it now. I've enabled it in the bios, I have two com ports
installed in device manager, neither of them will recognize anything I put in
them. I guess BOTH of them could be broken, but I feel this is unlikely. Is
there any reason xp doesn't see anything plugged into these ports?

XP will only recognize a serial device if it is connected and powered on
when you boot the computer. Otherwise you might try to detect new
hardware but this may or may not work.

 

[Henry]

Serial mice are very hard to find these days. You might want to try
the guys over at hardwarecooling.com they have the Belkin Black Serial
Mouse priced at $5.99.
http://www.hardwarecooling.com/product_info.php/cPath/92/products_id/443

Quickest way to check if the serial port works:

Get yourself a serial port mouse...most people have an old one lying around.

Unplug your PS/2 mouse, plug in the serial mouse.

Boot to Windows....if the mouse is detected then your serial port works: if
not the port are dead.

Other ways and means require buying testing software and special plugs for
the serail port.

Now double check the serial port settings in BIOS [set it back to defaults
if you have any options available.

I swear I just had a post up, and it was deleted for reasons unknown to me.
All I want to know is if there is a way to enable pnp for serial ports. I've
read in the installation for one of the devices, that windows should
recognize that something is there when a device is plugged in, and that if it
doesn't there is a deeper problem. So here I am asking the question. I've
had one of the two serial devices working before, so why windows doesn't
recognize it now. I've enabled it in the bios, I have two com ports
installed in device manager, neither of them will recognize anything I put in
them. I guess BOTH of them could be broken, but I feel this is unlikely. Is
there any reason xp doesn't see anything plugged into these ports?