XP Driver for PC Tel Software Modem

[pixturesk]

I am currently running Win98SE on a P3 600, 256 megs, Radeon 7000 32
megs, dsl internet. I want to upgrade to Win XPPro but only have a
98SE driver for my PCTel V90 K56Flex HSP PCI winmodem. Is there an XP
driver for this modem, if so, where can I get it? If not is there a
Win 2k driver that will work? Or is there some generic driver that
might work?. I am not a techie so please make your reply easy to
follow. Thanks.

 

[John John - MVP]

I am currently running Win98SE on a P3 600, 256 megs, Radeon 7000 32
megs, dsl internet. I want to upgrade to Win XPPro but only have a
98SE driver for my PCTel V90 K56Flex HSP PCI winmodem. Is there an XP
driver for this modem, if so, where can I get it? If not is there a
Win 2k driver that will work? Or is there some generic driver that
might work?. I am not a techie so please make your reply easy to
follow. Thanks.

My experience with cheap outdated winmodems has always been that you can
scour the internet for days and hours on end looking for drivers that
ultimately won't work with newer operating systems or you can do it the
easy way and buy a new modem and be done with it! A new winmodem costs
about $10, it will come with the proper drivers and it will be of equal
or better quality than the old one that you now have.

You say that you have DSL internet, so why do you even need the 56K
Winmodem? Are you faxing or receiving faxes from your computer? If no
you don't need the modem, you can just disable it.

On another note, your old computer is just barely adequate for Windows
XP, depending on what you use the computer for you may find that it will
run as fast as a snail! You might be better off getting a newer
computer, in the US or Canada a decent second hand computer with XP Pro
preinstalled can be had for as little as $200!

John

 

[pixturesk]

My experience with cheap outdated winmodems has always been that you can
scour the internet for days and hours on end looking for drivers that
ultimately won't work with newer operating systems or you can do it the
easy way and buy a new modem and be done with it! A new winmodem costs
about $10, it will come with the proper drivers and it will be of equal
or better quality than the old one that you now have.

You say that you have DSL internet, so why do you even need the 56K
Winmodem? Are you faxing or receiving faxes from your computer? If no
you don't need the modem, you can just disable it.

On another note, your old computer is just barely adequate for Windows
XP, depending on what you use the computer for you may find that it will
run as fast as a snail! You might be better off getting a newer
computer, in the US or Canada a decent second hand computer with XP Pro
preinstalled can be had for as little as $200!

John

Thanks John. One of the main reasons I want to upgrade to XP Pro is
that Avast, after 2009, will no longer support 98SE. That leaves only
Clam Win antivirus to support 98SE. I have a current Norton Ghost
image of 98SE so I might play with either XP Pro or 2000 pro sp4 to
see how each runs on my computer. I hope to make a complete switch to
Mac (either G4 or G5 running Tiger) in the near future (I am currently
playing with a G3/400 running Panther, learning a lot about Mac,
genuinely growing on me) so any Windows upgrades will strictly be for
backup, just exploring my options. In fact, I installed AutoPatcher
for Win98SE as well as Revolutions Pack 7.11 so my 98SE has updates up
to Feb/09 as well as the look of Vista, that's why I keep it going.
The modem driver was the only question mark as I occasionally fax but
can, as you suggest, just disable it. Thanks, Ken.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Thanks John. One of the main reasons I want to upgrade to XP Pro is
that Avast, after 2009, will no longer support 98SE. That leaves only
Clam Win antivirus to support 98SE. I have a current Norton Ghost
image of 98SE so I might play with either XP Pro or 2000 pro sp4 to
see how each runs on my computer. I hope to make a complete switch to
Mac (either G4 or G5 running Tiger) in the near future (I am currently
playing with a G3/400 running Panther, learning a lot about Mac,
genuinely growing on me) so any Windows upgrades will strictly be for
backup, just exploring my options. In fact, I installed AutoPatcher
for Win98SE as well as Revolutions Pack 7.11 so my 98SE has updates up
to Feb/09 as well as the look of Vista, that's why I keep it going.
The modem driver was the only question mark as I occasionally fax but
can, as you suggest, just disable it. Thanks, Ken.

Your machine is good for Win 2000, but will crawl running XP.. look for a
decent ex-lease machine which has XP pre-installed and a COA sticker on the
side which has the same keycode as what is reported by the OS.

If you stick with your present machine, either replace the analogue modem or
just remove it..

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I am currently running Win98SE on a P3 600, 256 megs, Radeon 7000 32
megs, dsl internet. I want to upgrade to Win XPPro ...

I really wouldn't recommend that. Your system won't handle WinXP very
well. I'm afraid, given those specifications, that the the word
"glacial" comes to mind, and you'll want to upgrade to at least 512Mb of
Ram and probably a larger hard drive if you're planning on installing
many applications. The CPU will be the bottle-neck, I'm afraid.
Frankly, I wouldn't put any OS more demanding then Win2K on that old a
platform; you may also have problems finding WinXP-compatible device
drivers for the laptop's components.

Acceptable performance is, of course, a matter of personal opinion
and depends entirely upon what *you* expect to do with your computer. If
all you want to do is play WinXP's built-in games, send and receive
simple emails, browse the Internet (while avoiding the more "ornamental"
web sites) etc., such a machine may well meet your needs. If, however,
you plan to take advantage of WinXP's multimedia capabilities, play
graphic-intensive games, or do advanced word or data processing, such a
machine would probably be woefully inadequate.

... but only have a
98SE driver for my PCTel V90 K56Flex HSP PCI winmodem. Is there an XP
driver for this modem, if so, where can I get it?

If there is a driver, you'd get it from the modem's manufacturer. But,
if you have DSL, which would have a separate modem, why worry about this
device? Do you use it for something else?

If not is there a
Win 2k driver that will work?

Possibly, but not very likely. You'd have to experiment.

Or is there some generic driver that
might work?.

Again, not very likely. You'd have to experiment.




--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[pixturesk]

I really wouldn't recommend that. Your system won't handle WinXP very
well. I'm afraid, given those specifications, that the the word
"glacial" comes to mind, and you'll want to upgrade to at least 512Mb of
Ram and probably a larger hard drive if you're planning on installing
many applications. The CPU will be the bottle-neck, I'm afraid.
Frankly, I wouldn't put any OS more demanding then Win2K on that old a
platform; you may also have problems finding WinXP-compatible device
drivers for the laptop's components.

Acceptable performance is, of course, a matter of personal opinion
and depends entirely upon what *you* expect to do with your computer. If
all you want to do is play WinXP's built-in games, send and receive
simple emails, browse the Internet (while avoiding the more "ornamental"
web sites) etc., such a machine may well meet your needs. If, however,
you plan to take advantage of WinXP's multimedia capabilities, play
graphic-intensive games, or do advanced word or data processing, such a
machine would probably be woefully inadequate.


If there is a driver, you'd get it from the modem's manufacturer. But,
if you have DSL, which would have a separate modem, why worry about this
device? Do you use it for something else?


Possibly, but not very likely. You'd have to experiment.


Again, not very likely. You'd have to experiment.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

Thanks Mike, Bruce. First of all my machine is a desktop not a laptop.
I am about 50 miles north of Toronto, P4 2-3 gig processor machines
are quite cheap here less than $100. without the OS. I can install
either 2000 or XP. Surprisingly Bruce, I have a ton of software on my
98SE system but can't even fill 8 gigs of my 30 gig "C" drive. I am
excellent at backing up so I burn all my photographs, other essential
materials to other cd-rw's, as well as, Norton Ghosting my "C" drive
every few months. As I was mentioning, my intention is to migrate
completely to a Mac (either G4 or G5) when I locate an acceptable used
machine, I just want the PC in case the Mac can't perform a particular
function. I have a G3/400 running Panther, an XP equivalent machine,
however lacking enough hardware specs, so I rather use my money to
acquire the appropriate Mac, just, as you suggest, update my current
PC with 2000 Pro SP4 which ought to run OK. I even connect my 98SE PC
+ my iMac G3 to a router, run both of them at the same time. Just
exploring all my options. Thanks, Ken.