Help? - not detecting serial device

[rb608]

I am trying to install a serial device; but WindowsXP is not detecting
the device.

The device is a dock for a Palm Pilot (one of the older ones, the
M105, if that matters). It's a simple little cradle with a serial
cable. With the system shut down, I plugged the serial cable into the
serial port & booted up. Everything started fine, but no device.
Nothing apparent in the Device Manager either.

Looking at the communications ports, I have an unused modem that is
shown as being on COM3 and the printer on LPT1, but there's no sign of
COM1 where the serial port ought to be.

I have already installed the appropriate Palm Desktop software; but I
can find nothing on the Palm website that indicates any special driver
is needed for this device.

Since my batteries are beginning to run low on the PDA, I'd really,
really like to get the data backed up before I lose it, so any tips
here would be appreciated.

TIA,
Joe

 

[OShah]

(e-mail address removed) (rb608) wrote in @posting.google.com:

I am trying to install a serial device; but WindowsXP is not detecting
the device.

The device is a dock for a Palm Pilot (one of the older ones, the
M105, if that matters). It's a simple little cradle with a serial
cable. With the system shut down, I plugged the serial cable into the
serial port & booted up. Everything started fine, but no device.
Nothing apparent in the Device Manager either.

Looking at the communications ports, I have an unused modem that is
shown as being on COM3 and the printer on LPT1, but there's no sign of
COM1 where the serial port ought to be.

I have already installed the appropriate Palm Desktop software; but I
can find nothing on the Palm website that indicates any special driver
is needed for this device.

Since my batteries are beginning to run low on the PDA, I'd really,
really like to get the data backed up before I lose it, so any tips
here would be appreciated.

TIA,
Joe

Does the Pilot work in another computer? If so, then the problem is on
your computer.

The COM ports may have been disabled at the Bios level, or worse, disabled
by Windows (it tends to that especially if it thinks that the hardware is
defective).
To reenable the COM ports at the Bios, you'll have to enter Bios setup
(ask your computer manufacturer how to do this. It involves pressing a key
like Del or F1). Look for the option Onboard Serial Port. I can't help you
if it was Windows that disabled it.



--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
oshah
Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Error Reporting -> Choose Programs
-> Do not report errors for these programs:

Acrobat.exe
waol.exe

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[rb608]

Does the Pilot work in another computer? If so, then the problem is on

your computer.

It used to. It was installed on my company PC, but I don't work there
anymore; so I need to get it up on my home PC.

The COM ports may have been disabled at the Bios level, or worse, disabled
by Windows (it tends to that especially if it thinks that the hardware is
defective).
To reenable the COM ports at the Bios, you'll have to enter Bios setup
(ask your computer manufacturer how to do this. It involves pressing a key
like Del or F1). Look for the option Onboard Serial Port. I can't help you
if it was Windows that disabled it.

I knew that the COM1 port was enabled in the BIOS (I'd been there,
done that). What I did, however, was disable the onboard modem in the
BIOS (I wasn't using it anyway). On completing the startup, walla!,
the COM1 port is now present in the Device Manager (and, according to
Windows at least, working properly).

The Palm device still won't communicate with the PC, however; so I
guess I'm now into a whole 'nother issue.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[OShah]

(e-mail address removed) (rb608) wrote in

It used to. It was installed on my company PC, but I don't work there
anymore; so I need to get it up on my home PC.


I knew that the COM1 port was enabled in the BIOS (I'd been there,
done that). What I did, however, was disable the onboard modem in the
BIOS (I wasn't using it anyway). On completing the startup, walla!,
the COM1 port is now present in the Device Manager (and, according to
Windows at least, working properly).

The Palm device still won't communicate with the PC, however; so I
guess I'm now into a whole 'nother issue.

Thanks,
Joe

Have you installed the drivers/software for the Palm Pilot?

Serial Devices sometimes don't get automatically recognised by Windows. To
use them, you just write to the file called COM1. This may apply to your
palm pilot too.

Just try opening the desktop client and see if you can transfer the data
to the Palm Pilot. The Palm Pilot may not even need to be recognised by
Windows (just the COM port is necessary).



--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
oshah
Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Error Reporting -> Choose Programs
-> Do not report errors for these programs:

Acrobat.exe
waol.exe

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[rb608]

Have you installed the drivers/software for the Palm Pilot?

Once I had the COM1 issues solved, it took me a day to find the time for the
Palm software issue. As it turned out, the Tech Support section of the Palm
site had the answer (well, at least the right direction). I checked out the
settings for Hot Sync, & it turned out they were set for a USB connection.
A couple mouse clicks and all is right with the world. Thanks for your
help.

Joe