"Resources" problem with ports

[Ralph Hutchinson]

I am running WindowsXP Pro on an up to date computer. For purposes of using
both my Laser printer and Ink Jet printer at the same time I installed a
second printer port in a PCI slot. When I started the computer it seemed to
install but wouldn't print. Went to My Computer, Properties, Hardware,
Device Manager. It shows two communications ports, Com1 & Com2. Also shows
LPT1 & LPT3. Also shows two serial ports, COM11 and COM9. Only LPT1 is
operating. All of the others show "This device cannot find enough free
resources that it can use.(Code 12)" I have tried uninstalling all of the
ports and then starting over again but I
always end up with the same problem, except the two serial ports will switch
COM#s. I have also tried just disabling all the ports, and trying to
install LPT3, to no avail.

1. Can anyone tell me what I may be doing wrong, or a procedure to free the
resources to run the LPT ports and all the others?

2. How can I clear all the resources to start over, and would that help?

Many thanks for any assistance.
Ralph

 

[joust in jest]

Sounds like your PCI card is having a motherboard resource problem.

In Device Manger, remove the PCI card.
Shut down and turn off your computer.
Move the PCI card to another slot.
Power up, load the driver (if any) for the card, and see if your problem
goes away.

 

[Ralph Hutchinson]

Thanks Steve I really do appreciate your help. You guys and gals are a gold
mine of information. Thanks again.

I did what you recommended, but with no success. The "Port Settings" were
defaulted to "Never Use an Interrupt" so I also tried setting it to "Use any
available" but that didn't help either. Rick "Nutcase" Rogers over on
another board suggested that it might be because the card was adjacent to
the AGP slot. He also referred me over here for better help. I moved it
down one slot, uninstalled and restarted and that didn't work. Now I have
moved it down to the second slot below the AGP and that didn't work.
Actually, in the Properties it shows that the driver is installed. But it
says it cannot find enough free resources......... I have also tried just
disabling all the other ports but not uninstalling them...... no luck.

Any other suggestions?

 

[joust in jest]

Ralph wrote "Any other suggestions?"

These are the kind of problems that will just drive you nuts.

Is your BIOS set to let the OS assign resources? The x86 architecture is
limited to 15 IRQ assignments, with System Timer, Keyboard, COM 2, COM 1, HD
controller, Floppy controller, LPT 1, Real Time Clock, PS/2 Mouse, and
Numerical Processing Unit accounting for ten of those 15 IRQs. And, of
course, IRQ 2 is tied to IRQ 9. So, if you are allowing your BIOS to assign
resources, you can see that there aren't many IRQs left to assign to PCI
cards.

Theoretically, MS Windows XP gets around that architecture limit and
supports an unlimited number of hardware (PCI) devices. [But you have your
BIOS set to allow the OS to assign resources.] In practice, there are
motherboards and PCI cards that don't always adhere to the theory. Some
"Bus Mastering" PCI cards, for instance (perhaps because they want to be the
Master of their Bus), will not share an IRQ with another card. Even some
non-bus master cards will not share an IRQ. I had a Sound Blaster sound card
(to be fair to SB, it was designed for Win / 2000) that absolutely would NOT
share an IRQ with another device, and prevented the shared device from
working either.

To make a short story longer, I built one system that, with a given MoBo and
PCI cards, took three months for me to figure out how to put the right
cards, in the right order (e.g. install a card, boot and detect device,
assure it works, shut down, add another card...) in the right slots so that
everybody was happy with their locations. Well, almost everybody -- I ended
up tossing the aforementioned Sound Blaster card -- depending where I put
it, either disliked my Linksys NIC, or it disliked my Adaptec SCSI card, or
it disliked both at the same time.

 

[Ralph Hutchinson]

Ralph wrote "Any other suggestions?"

These are the kind of problems that will just drive you nuts.

Steve,

Gee thanks! I always seem to get those kind. Seriously, thanks a lot for
all the trouble to write that all out. I am not a great tech but at least
it give me somewhere to start. If I can't get it going I'll get my real
guru over here and arm him with that information. He built this machine and
I have seen him manually configure IRQs, so I know he can do it for me.
It's just a challenge to me. Again, many thanks. You guys are great!

Ralph

 

[Trent©]

Thanks Steve I really do appreciate your help. You guys and gals are a gold
mine of information. Thanks again.

I did what you recommended, but with no success. The "Port Settings" were
defaulted to "Never Use an Interrupt" so I also tried setting it to "Use any
available" but that didn't help either. Rick "Nutcase" Rogers over on
another board suggested that it might be because the card was adjacent to
the AGP slot. He also referred me over here for better help. I moved it
down one slot, uninstalled and restarted and that didn't work. Now I have
moved it down to the second slot below the AGP and that didn't work.
Actually, in the Properties it shows that the driver is installed. But it
says it cannot find enough free resources......... I have also tried just
disabling all the other ports but not uninstalling them...... no luck.

Any other suggestions?

I'd try Steve's next suggestion. I sounds like a BIOS problem to me,
too.

If that doesn't work...take out the lpt1 card (or disable in the BIOS)
and then see what lpt number and IRQ Windows gives it. That might
give you a hint as to the problem.

Also, make sure the new card is a true PCI card. Some came with
jumpers...especially if you have a combo serial and LPT card.

One more also...some of those cards come with software to turn off
electronic jumpers. Did you get a floppy or cd with the card?

Good luck...let us know.


Have a nice one...

Trent

Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!

 

[joust in jest]

Ralph:

If your tech manually set IRQs in BIOS, then absolutely that is the root of
your problem. He will have to assign an IRQ for your COM card.

I haven't kept up to date on the capabilities of Motherboards, but -- unless
things have changed in the last year, setting IRQs via BIOS puts you up
against the x86 architecture limit of 15 total IRQs.

Good luck,