Troubleshoot COM1

You only need to do that if you're using the modem for Internet access.  I strongly doubt Ecco Pro requires that.

I think you are right about this.

The modem is not being used for Internet access. It's used strictly to dial numbers and then

it bows out. It's finished its job.

Ecco never required anything more than a modem on a COM port, that's it.

Uh it would tell you if the modem works yiu can use it to test dial

Well I set it up for Dial-up and it worked!

I dialed my cell phone and it connected, using my landline.

So the modem works as it should.

OK I just took the next logical step.

I have a second computer that's identical to my main computer.

I installed Ecco Pro on it and then unplugged my modem from my main and

plugged it into my second computer.

I set up the port to COM1 and tried to dial out.

It failed.

I changed the port to COM2 and got the error message I mentioned above.

Then I changed the port to COM3 and it worked!

It dialed out!

Shoot I just lost making $500 US because we couldn't seal the bet.

Anyway.

I still have to get my main computer to work now...

So the next logical step was to try COM3 on my main computer.

It didn't work.

Neither did COM2 or COM4.

I get the error mentioned above.

The only port that doesn't give the error is COM1.

...

My printer keeps nagging me in my mind.

I went into my Devices and Printers page.

My printer is not showing there, despite it being able to print!

My modem is showing.

But there is a yellow exclamation mark next to my Desktop.

The exclamation mark traces to:

Hardware/PCI Data Acquisition and Signal Processing Controller.

The only error noted in Devices (that I saw before).

Edited by MarkBeepBeep, 03 July 2024 - 11:21 PM.

Hi Folks,


 Well I have a happy ending to this problem.
 
 I'm not sure which was the critical part but I made two basic changes.
 
 1. I set the COM port to COM3 in my modem's settings (under device manager).
 
    At the same time I changed Ecco to COM3.
    It didn't take hold (make any difference).
    
    I was going to re-boot to see if it would make a difference.
    
    While I was trying to re-boot Windows intercepted and forced me to do a Windows Update!
    I tried to abort it a couple of times but it was persistent and wouldn't let me.
    
 2. So I let the update run its course.
 
    
    When it was finished, I opened Ecco and tried to dial out.
    It worked!
    
    So I don't know exactly what did it.
    The changed port or the update.
    
    Anyway I'm back in business so I'm happy about that.
    This had me derailed for a couple of days.

Com 1 and 3 are very identical but not quite. So something might have been using resources tgat com1 was using.

Yes I was thinking along those lines too.

Before I tried the last changes, I was trying to trace what might be using COM1

downloading cports.exe and serial analyzer etc. but they didn't find anything for me.

So It was left a mystery.

There used to be a way in legacy bios systems to see your comport settings.

Well my BIOS settings are very limited.

I went into the BIOS on both my main and second computer,

and checked the COM port setting.

It only mentioned one COM port, which was COM1.

I couldn't activate another. I could only disable it.