Upgrade XP Home to Pro and lose COM ports

[Sam]

Hi,
I have a Satellite P10 which was running XP Home. I upgraded it to XP Pro
(all went surprisingly smoothly) and then I tried to use the modem which
terminates with "Error 633 The modem or other connecting device is already
in use or not configures properly). "More info" tells me that "the COM port
that the connection attempted to us is already in use by another active
network connection or active processs . . . . ." but there are no other
processes using the com port (that I know of) and a Virus scan comes up
clean. I try pointing the modem at other COM ports but the asnwer is always
the same

Then, poking around in Device Manager I find there are no COM ports listed
(under Ports, COM and LPT) - which would certainly account for the modem
(which claims to be hooked to COM3) finding the port occupied

I notice I have, under "other devices" a Network Controller listed. Now that
is also odd because the network card is installed and running (and visible
under Network Adapters) just fine as is the Belkin Wireless PCMCIA card.
Anway I let Windows search for drivers and it fails miserably.

So there are two issues
1) How do I get my com ports back
2) What is this weird network controller card?
3) Are these problems related.

Thanks for any information

 

[GHalleck]

Hi,
I have a Satellite P10 which was running XP Home. I upgraded it to XP Pro
(all went surprisingly smoothly) and then I tried to use the modem which
terminates with "Error 633 The modem or other connecting device is already
in use or not configures properly). "More info" tells me that "the COM port
that the connection attempted to us is already in use by another active
network connection or active processs . . . . ." but there are no other
processes using the com port (that I know of) and a Virus scan comes up
clean. I try pointing the modem at other COM ports but the asnwer is always
the same

Then, poking around in Device Manager I find there are no COM ports listed
(under Ports, COM and LPT) - which would certainly account for the modem
(which claims to be hooked to COM3) finding the port occupied

I notice I have, under "other devices" a Network Controller listed. Now that
is also odd because the network card is installed and running (and visible
under Network Adapters) just fine as is the Belkin Wireless PCMCIA card.
Anway I let Windows search for drivers and it fails miserably.

So there are two issues
1) How do I get my com ports back
2) What is this weird network controller card?
3) Are these problems related.

Thanks for any information

What type of modem is involved here --- hardware modem or a
"Winmodem". In any event, the usual way is to remove the device
entirely, reboot the computer, and re-install the device, both
physical device and any supporting software.

 

[Sam]

What type of modem is involved here --- hardware modem or a
"Winmodem". In any event, the usual way is to remove the device
entirely, reboot the computer, and re-install the device, both
physical device and any supporting software.

Thanks for the response.
1) I have already tried deleting the modem and uninstalling any software
I could find (nothing actually) associated with it. Do I have to uninstall
DUN and all that stuff?. When the PC reboots is identifies the modem firstly
as PCI modem and then Toshiba Software Modem. Its ID from Device manager is
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_434D&SUBSYS_0001179&REV_01\3&61AAA01&0&A6
But I dont think the modem is the problem.
Device manager reports it as working OK but if I 'query modem' in
diagnostics I get
'The port that the modem is attached could not be opened.'

All of which points to a problem with the com ports


2) I think the weird controller card is a left over from wireless
networking - at least it stops complaining if I give it a wireless netwrok
driver. Many P10s have a built in wireless network card. This one does not .

 

[Elmo]

Thanks for the response.
1) I have already tried deleting the modem and uninstalling any software
I could find (nothing actually) associated with it. Do I have to uninstall
DUN and all that stuff?. When the PC reboots is identifies the modem firstly
as PCI modem and then Toshiba Software Modem. Its ID from Device manager is
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_434D&SUBSYS_0001179&REV_01\3&61AAA01&0&A6
But I dont think the modem is the problem.
Device manager reports it as working OK but if I 'query modem' in
diagnostics I get
'The port that the modem is attached could not be opened.'

All of which points to a problem with the com ports


2) I think the weird controller card is a left over from wireless
networking - at least it stops complaining if I give it a wireless netwrok
driver. Many P10s have a built in wireless network card. This one does not .

In the BIOS, try turning off that com port.

 

[Sam]

In the BIOS, try turning off that com port.

I repeat - there are no COM ports. There is no entry in the BIOS that refers
to COM ports; no entry in device manager. The modem tries to connect to
COM3 (its default) and offers a selection from COM1 to COM256. I tried a
small sample and none worked.

 

[Sam]

In the BIOS, try turning off that com port.

There is no COM port to turn off. I think they are 'software com ports'.
Anyway, I rather suspect the modem is not 100% so I am going to try
replacing that next.