Accessing modem after installing XP

[Guest]

Not using my internal modem very often I've only just noticed it has 'moved'
after installing XP earlier this year. In Device Manager I found it under
Sound Video and Game Controllers, so I removed it and restarted, hoping it
would be detected and installed under Modems, but it wasn't. It's now gone
completely. Previously it was installed as ESS ES56CVM-PI Data Fax Voice
Modem (Com 3).
How can I get it back?

 

[Kelly]

Hi David,

It didn't move to Sound...., modems list a wav file there. This is normal.
To get both listings back, reinstall them.

 

[Guest]

Hi Kelly

At the risk of my seeming completely stupid, what do you mean by reinstall?

Cheers, David

 

[Kelly]

Sorry about that, David. I meant to reinstall the modem drivers. I have a
rather large write-up on modem issues; however in your case, this seem more
to be cosmetically related. Good luck!

 

[Guest]

Hi Kelly

I have downloaded the latest (XP) drivers from ESS web site, and installed
them without any problem. Unfortunately XP is still not seeing the modem or
Com3. Strangely, when I try to install Com3 manually XP says I can't, as Com3
is already in use. Neither Com3 nor the modem show up in Device Manager. Can
you suggest anything else? Getting desperate here!

David

 

[Bob I]

In Device Manager do View, Show Hidden. XP may have hidden it due to it
being broke. If it shows, remove it and then have XP look for changes.

 

[Guest]

Hello Bob

Followed your advice. The only broken hidden item was NT Apm/Legacy
Interface Node. Removed it and redetected but it did not come back. Nothing
appeared which seemed to relate to the modem problem.

If I try to add a modem manually the Manufacturer's list contains only
Standard Modem Types, and I can only install these to Com1. If I do Have Disk
I can Browse to the inf file I downloaded from ESS Technologies, but when I
OK this the Models window is empty. All roads seem to be closed!

ESS say they don't support their products and HP don't support Win XP. You
are my only hope!

David

 

[R. McCarty]

Based on the message "COM3 is already in use" leads me to think the
motherboard Serial Port A is enabled and using a shared Interrupt line
with COM3.
PCI modem cards have their own Serial port, which can and does end
up conflicting with other Serial ports. COM1 & COM3 share an IRQ
and COM2 and COM4 share an IRQ. All four use different addresses.
My advice would be to enter BIOS setup and disable all on-board COM
ports. Usually they are listed as Serial A & B, since they can be setup
to use alternate Addresses & IRQ lines. The configuration for that is
usually found in a category or sub-heading "Peripheral Devices".
The Sound Category in Device Manager may not have been the actual
Modem, but it's sound driver for using the "Voice" (Speakerphone) mode.
Also modems don't always have just a simple driver. Many times you
have to run a setup, which loads the driver and installs a support applet.
As a final suggestion. If you can easily open your case I would remove
the modem card and boot XP one time - Run the modem Setup.Exe.
Shut down then re-install the card into the "Same" PCI slot and reboot.
XP should re-enumerate the modem and automatically locate the driver
from the Setup of the ESS software.

 

[Guest]

Hi R

You are right in saying there is a Setup program for the modem, which I have
run several times. I have checked out removing the modem but there seems to
be no way to do this. (This is a laptop.)

Looking in the BIOS (Phoenix) there is only one Com port (Com1). I have set
this to disabled and it duly disappeared from Device Manager, but nothing
else appeared. Attempts to manually install Com3 did not succeed either. Also
tried resetting Com1 in the BIOS to 2F8 IRQ3, but no change in the detected
ports, other than Resources for Com1.

Any other suggestions gratefully received!

David

 

[R. McCarty]

O.K. - Good job on the analysis/diags, I suppose the next run at
it would be to Uninstall the modem application. Then download
the Microsoft Installer Cleanup tool. Run it and see if it detects the
modem installer as still present, if so Remove it from the Cleaner.
Next, go back to Device Manager, Click View, "tic" "Show Hidden".
Go to Ports, if any are listed - Uninstall, then Modems -same action.
Then check to see if your Categories has a "Other". This is where
XP places enumerated devices that it cannot install a driver or it's
Hardware Identifier string is unknown. Perhaps go through other
categories and see if any contain the modem as wrongly detected, it
could be in another category (by accident). You should also take
out "Phantoms", devices previously installed but not in the current
active Hardware profile. (Don't remove Phantoms from Sound or
System Devices category). While you are at it, I would see if the
notebook has multiple Hardware profiles in play. (Right Click on
My Computer, Properties, Hardware (Tab), Hardware Profiles box.
This is one of those slow, meticulous processes to run down what
is behind the problem.
Microsoft Installer Cleanup (Direct download) here:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/9/D/E9D80355-7AB4-45B8-80E8-983A48D5E1BD/msicuu2.exe

 

[Guest]

Hello again,

1 Ran uninstall within ESS Maestro-3.comm Utility
2 Ran Windows Install Cleanup with following results-
"(All Users) ISScript [3.00.185]
(All Users) Microsoft Office 2000 Disc 2 [9.00.2720]
(All Users) Microsoft Office 2000 Premium [9.00.2720]
(All Users) WebFldrs XP [9.50.5318]
Windows installer Clean Up [2.05.00.0000]"
I don't know whether any of these relate to the modem?
3 Device Manager checked Show Hidden
4 Removed all ports (Com1, LPT1), no Modems, no Other
5 Checked other categories, no modem. No phantoms.
6 Checked Hardware Profiles, only Original Configuration (Current).
7 Restarted computer, Com1 and LPT1 redetected. No modem

Thanks, David

 

[Guest]

Hi all

Problem solved, the modem is back. Tried a series of drivers as well as the
'right' one and one worked! Thanks to everyone who helped me here.

David

Hello again,

1 Ran uninstall within ESS Maestro-3.comm Utility
2 Ran Windows Install Cleanup with following results-
"(All Users) ISScript [3.00.185]
(All Users) Microsoft Office 2000 Disc 2 [9.00.2720]
(All Users) Microsoft Office 2000 Premium [9.00.2720]
(All Users) WebFldrs XP [9.50.5318]
Windows installer Clean Up [2.05.00.0000]"
I don't know whether any of these relate to the modem?
3 Device Manager checked Show Hidden
4 Removed all ports (Com1, LPT1), no Modems, no Other
5 Checked other categories, no modem. No phantoms.
6 Checked Hardware Profiles, only Original Configuration (Current).
7 Restarted computer, Com1 and LPT1 redetected. No modem

Thanks, David

O.K. - Good job on the analysis/diags, I suppose the next run at
it would be to Uninstall the modem application. Then download
the Microsoft Installer Cleanup tool. Run it and see if it detects the
modem installer as still present, if so Remove it from the Cleaner.
Next, go back to Device Manager, Click View, "tic" "Show Hidden".
Go to Ports, if any are listed - Uninstall, then Modems -same action.
Then check to see if your Categories has a "Other". This is where
XP places enumerated devices that it cannot install a driver or it's
Hardware Identifier string is unknown. Perhaps go through other
categories and see if any contain the modem as wrongly detected, it
could be in another category (by accident). You should also take
out "Phantoms", devices previously installed but not in the current
active Hardware profile. (Don't remove Phantoms from Sound or
System Devices category). While you are at it, I would see if the
notebook has multiple Hardware profiles in play. (Right Click on
My Computer, Properties, Hardware (Tab), Hardware Profiles box.
This is one of those slow, meticulous processes to run down what
is behind the problem.
Microsoft Installer Cleanup (Direct download) here:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/9/D/E9D80355-7AB4-45B8-80E8-983A48D5E1BD/msicuu2.exe

 

[Bob I]

Rather puzzling. Is there a motherboard driver that hasn't been
installed? Also here is more info on the "modem/audio"

http://www.esstech.com/techsupp/drivers.shtm#combo

 

[Bob I]

Glad it's going, ignore my last.