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[ Installations Plus+ PC Forum ] [ Archive 071299 ]

Posted by: Louis Bruno (Forum HOST) on January 30, 2000 at 12:16:34
Homepage: Installations Plus+
In Reply to: Re: modem upgrade-help posted by stephen petrovich on January 30, 2000 at 00:11:17

Subject: Re: modem upgrade-help

On your PC, it's not possible to actually disable the modem port in BIOS (the settings lie!). Re-enable COM1 and COM2 set the BIOS for a PNP operating system (O/S) if possible. In Device Manager, mark the existing modem as disabled, which tells the O/S not to use it. Now remove the new modem in Device Manager, shut down the PC, and remove the new modem physically.
Restart the PC and make sure the new modem isn't showing in Device Manager (it shouldn't be). Shut down the PC again, install the new modem, and boot up. If it's PNP, the O/S should find it automatically and attempt to install it on a COM port. Go with the system default and test that setting. If it doesn't work (as is likely), use Device Manager to change its Resources.
Most modems can use IRQs 3-7, but none of these may actually be free. IRQ3 is used by COM2 and shared by COM4. IRQ4 is used by COM1 and shared by COM3. IRQ5 is probably used by the Soundblaster. IRQ6 is used by the floppy drive controller. IRQ7 is typically used by the printer. If the modem doesn't work with the automatically-assigned COM port, try to move the printer to another IRQ, and failing that, try moving the Soundblaster to IRQ 10 or 11, which the Crystal card used, I think. After freeing up IRQ5 or IRQ7, re-assign the modem to that IRQ and you should be in business. Be aware that changing the Soundblaster IRQ away from 5 may cause problems with DOS applications, typically games.


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