?I only have 2 COM ports?!

[JB]

I fragged my Gigabyte motherboard and replaced it with an
MSI K7N2 Delta. Almost everything went fine (I did need
to run XP Repair to get the hard drive to cooperate, but
all data and settings were intact) except.....

I can't get the system to recognize the modem (a PCI modem
blaster).

When I run the 'troubleshooter' it indicates a COM port
issue.

In device manager, according to the 'Modem' tab, the modem
is installed on COM 3, and responds normally to a 'Query'
in the advanced tab.

However, in the Ports (com and LPT) tab, the only ports
listed are COM1, COM2, and LPT1. I can't find any other
COM ports to allow me to reassign devices.

When I run the Internet Connection Set-up Wizard, it only
allows me the option of establishing a Broadband
connection. The 'modem/isdn' option is greyed-out. I
assume this is because the wizard will not recognize the
modem.

Any suggestions? Happy to provide more info if it helps.

 

[AgedTramp]

COM ports are usually assigned in BIOS.

You'll need to re-boot and while it's booting press and hold the <del> key.

now search through the pages for your existing COM port listings, below
which there should be an enable for a third and possibly fourth port, the
IRQ's for these should be set to the F number(the present one's should
already be set to E (this could be opposite, since I've not had to do this
for a long time)

save and exit.

when the machine fully boots, check in control panel that the new com port/s
is/are showing... winxp might install new drivers for the ports which will
save you having to check.

 

[Pavel A.]

PCI modem is not a physical COM port, and even does not have UART compatible registers, like older ISA modems.
The PCI modem driver exposes the modem also as "virtual" COM port visible to Windows apps.
Therefore, device manager shows you all truth.

--PA

 

[Len]

Sounds like you ran a repair install on a machine with XP SP1 using a CD
that did not have the service pack. This has been known to cause the setup
tool to "grey out" the option to configure a dial-up connection.

Usually reinstalling SP1 will solve the problem.

Good Luck,
Len