Can not test Modem

[MedRxman]

At one time I was able to use the Fax Console with my Windows XP Pro.

I tried again to day and message indicated that modem could not be found.
Tried to use the Fax wizard to configure but my modem was not listed.

Opened up device manager and my Modem (Conexant D480 MDC V.9X) is displayed
and it is indicated it is working properly. The modem is enabled.
Went thru the troulble shooting to no avail.

Went to control panel-modems and phones and when I tried to query the modem
it was indicated that another item was using the port (COM3) than the modem
was installed on and to close the offending program.

Don't know what the other item could be as I do not have any other items
attached.

I do use Motorola Phoone tools but only to edit phone numbers.

Any ideas?

TIA,

BL

 

[Lem]

At one time I was able to use the Fax Console with my Windows XP Pro.

I tried again to day and message indicated that modem could not be found.
Tried to use the Fax wizard to configure but my modem was not listed.

Opened up device manager and my Modem (Conexant D480 MDC V.9X) is displayed
and it is indicated it is working properly. The modem is enabled.
Went thru the troulble shooting to no avail.

Went to control panel-modems and phones and when I tried to query the modem
it was indicated that another item was using the port (COM3) than the modem
was installed on and to close the offending program.

Don't know what the other item could be as I do not have any other items
attached.

I do use Motorola Phoone tools but only to edit phone numbers.

Any ideas?

TIA,

BL

I assume that when you were in Device Manager you confirmed that there
was nothing amiss with the COM ports.

Have you rebooted and then tried to query the modem? If the COM port is
still locked by "another item," then it's time to do some clean-boot
troubleshooting with msconfig.

Before you do that, however, open Task Manager and see if there is a
process corresponding to Motorola phone tools running. If so, end it,
and then query the modem. If the modem remains unavailable, do the
following:

Start>Run> type "msconfig" without quotes and click OK

Click the "Selective Startup" radio button and make sure that the 4
check boxes below it are all marked. Then go to the "Services" tab and
check the box to "Hide All Microsoft Services" and then click "Disable
All." Then go to the "Startup" tab and click "Disable All." Click OK
and reboot.

After the reboot, check the modem. If it is OK, I suggest re-enabling
*all* of the Services and rebooting. If the modem is free after this
reboot as well, then re-enable the startup items one at a time,
rebooting and checking the modem after each reboot.

This is a tedious procedure, but it should pinpoint what application is
using the COM port. Once you know that, you can determine how best to
deal with it.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[MedRxMan]

No COM ports or LPT1,etc listed in device manager. Will however check out
other items you mentioned.

 

[Lem]

No COM ports or LPT1,etc listed in device manager. Will however check out
other items you mentioned.

Something is amiss if there are no COM ports shown in Device Manager. I
can just barely make out your jpg, but "Ports" should be just before
"Processors" and it clearly isn't.

Before you start the series of reboots using msconfig:

What happened just before the COM ports disappeared?

What make/model of computer is this? Is this an internal or external fax
modem?

Does the computer actually have a serial (and/or parallel) port?

Go to Device Manager, open the modem's properties, and click the "modem"
tab. What does it say about "Port" just above the Speaker Volume
slider?

Check your BIOS to make sure that the COM port(s) is(are) enabled.

Check the suggestions in this thread:
http://www.howtofixcomputers.com/forums/windows-xp/xp-sp2-missing-com-ports-112052.html


--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[MedRxman]

Should have mentioned at first:
PC is a Dell Inspiron Laptop 1560 with internal PCI Modem

No Serial or parallel ports

Just above the speaker vol slider says...COM3

No option in BIOS for COM ports

From what I can remember, "PORTS" were never in the device manager

ANyway, thanks for your aid. I really don't need the modem but the situation
arose when I tried to do a fax (for fun). I was originally 4 years ago able
to fax from the laptop.

Personally I firmly believe a Windows update has corrupted something as it
has caused me issues in the past. This laptop is up to date with the
exception of SP3.

I am currently looking for a newer desktop and after that is set up I will
redo this laptop
sans updates. Unfortunately MS updates seem to fowl up something but that is
another newsgroup.

Again,
Thank you
========================================================

 

[Lem]

Should have mentioned at first:
PC is a Dell Inspiron Laptop 1560 with internal PCI Modem

No Serial or parallel ports

Just above the speaker vol slider says...COM3

No option in BIOS for COM ports

From what I can remember, "PORTS" were never in the device manager

ANyway, thanks for your aid. I really don't need the modem but the situation
arose when I tried to do a fax (for fun). I was originally 4 years ago able
to fax from the laptop.

Personally I firmly believe a Windows update has corrupted something as it
has caused me issues in the past. This laptop is up to date with the
exception of SP3.

I am currently looking for a newer desktop and after that is set up I will
redo this laptop
sans updates. Unfortunately MS updates seem to fowl up something but that is
another newsgroup.

Again,
Thank you
========================================================

If you look at the thread I linked, you'll see that what you probably
have is a "windmodem" that basically has its own port and doesn't
normally show up in Device Manager. I would guess that uninstalling the
modem (from Device Manager) and then rebooting and allowing Windows to
"find" the modem and install it will likely cure the problem. You may
(but probably not) have to go to Dell's site to find and download the
appropriate driver for the modem.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[MedRxman]

The modem does show up in device manager. I updated the driver tonight to no
avail.

 

[MedRxman]

From the article:Thats me. And I did update the driver today!

 

[Hal Hostetler [MVP P/I]]

Is Phone Tools capable of dialing the modem? If it is, it's the likely
culprit. Some other application has control of the modem and Phone Tools
sounds like it can probably do that.

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-Print/Imaging -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Live at Hot Licks - www.badnewsbluesband.com

 

[MedRxman]

Yep. the phone is recognized as a USB Modem in Device Manager...It however
is assigned to COM 4 and the Modem in the Laptop is assigned to COM 3.

Could that be a problem. Thought Com 1 and 3 and Com 2 and 4 are possible
issues.

Thanks,
BL

 

[MedRxman]

ISSUE RESOLVED
The culprit was MS ActiveSync.

I changed the Modem to Com 5 and rebooted and got a pop up window telling me
that ActiveSyncs COM port was being used.
I opted for the option to disable the Com port for ActiveSync and then right
clicked on the ActiveSync icon in the ss tray and choose the USB
availability. Changed the laptop back to COM 3 and viola, everything works.

Reactivated the fax console and it works.

THANKS GUYS FOR THE DIRECTION....

BL

 

[Lem]

ISSUE RESOLVED
The culprit was MS ActiveSync.

I changed the Modem to Com 5 and rebooted and got a pop up window telling me
that ActiveSyncs COM port was being used.
I opted for the option to disable the Com port for ActiveSync and then right
clicked on the ActiveSync icon in the ss tray and choose the USB
availability. Changed the laptop back to COM 3 and viola, everything works.

Reactivated the fax console and it works.

THANKS GUYS FOR THE DIRECTION....

BL

Thanks for letting the newsgroup know. Glad you got it resolved.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Hal Hostetler [MVP P/I]]

Yup, ActiveSync can certainly do that. Glad you got it fixed and thanks for
posting the solution

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-Print/Imaging -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Live at Hot Licks - www.badnewsbluesband.com