Assigning Modems to Older Win OS's

[tweak-n-squeak]

Ok. We give up.

In recycling oldies and goodies, after loading the older version of Windows (specifically 98, 98SE) onto a newly formatted hard drive, everything matches up but the modem. Always. Plug and Play doesn't identify it, and it never ends up on the right COM port. Even with a proper device driver, it still doesn't seem to work. Even after squirreling around with the enumerator, and anything else that looks like it might be even remotely related, as well as the Windows advanced installation that includes all the bells and whistles.

What's the secret? How can we manually set the internal modem to the proper port? (Gave up on one I like to use and just got an external USB, but that's cheating.)

Thanks!

(Should I say I long for the days of simple 3.x and 95 before plug and pray - oops, plug and play? - Oh, so easy!)

[Gizmokid2005]

I have noticed recently in working with some win98 or 98SE machines that you have to try a few different modem drivers to find one that will work, and yet it still may not be possible for it to work.

As for assigning the IRQ I don't know of any porgrams that will do that.

[TurcoLoco]

If the Internal Modem in question is a PCI based modem card, this is rather a common problem with PCI based modem cards in Windows 9x systems due to poor IRQ/BUS management of Windows.

Whether an obvious IRQ conflict is listed in Device Manager or not, when a PCI based card does't see/accept the proper device drivers, it would be logical to relocate the card to another available slot.

After you remove the card from Device Manager, shutdown Windows and unplug the PSU, then open the side panel, touch the PSU to release static electricity (use both hands if you have a habbit of dragging your feet..lol).
Then carefully remove the modem card from its current slot and place it at another free slot. It is best not to use the middle PCI slot (if you have 5 of them) or the one right next to the AGP port (if it exists and also is used).

See if that helps...if not Gizmo has a big hammer that he could lend you...

~TL

[Gizmokid2005]

See if that helps...if not Gizmo has a big hammer that he could lend you...

~TL

I do have a few hammers that I could lend...or he could just bring it over and I can run it over a few times

[cauzomb]

If it is an add in pci/isa card usually it will have an irq setting or jumper on the card, there is a trick to set legacy pci/irq's in the bios, most internal modems work well on com4 irq is usually choosen based on what is NOT in use by other devices, most modems will work with default hayes compatible drivers but if it is 56k or x80 v90 etc you will need the correct drivers for that modem for your OS once you have setup your irq in the bios you go into windows device manager and configure the modem manually to use that com port and IRQ, a quick "diagnostics" check via the modems tool in control panel will tell you if the modem will initialise with the driver you have installed. From there you setup your dialup connection to use that modem as default. you may want to have a look at this artical from microsoft http://support.microsoft.com/kb/152064/en-us

[tweak-n-squeak]

Have tried changing slots before, but will reinvestigate that. Later I discovered that modem had bad capacitors (one of those Taiwanese pieces of junk) and was bad altogether. In regard to the others, who knows, I can't remember if I switched those around or not, and don't know if unc did with his few. I'll ask.

Yes, yes... will check out all the rest as noted, Cauzomb and Turbo. Am unsure about the hammers. I'm thinking the Windows CD's themselves may warrant and be more appropriately served by sledgehammers. (I like going directly to the top.)

As far as the junkyard dawgs, throw it into neutral for now, Gizmo. If it's necessary, I'll pay for the gas!


Anyway, THANKS, ya'll! Will be clanking around with the info! May take a few days, working it into everything, you know.

Will check back in with the results!

[Gizmokid2005]

Alrighty, I'll just wiat my time. You know where to find me if you need it

Good luck with getting it together.

[TurcoLoco]

Hahaha....he called me 'Turbo'! Oddly, that reminded me of the 80s break dance movie called Breakin'....lol.
Turbo's dance with the broom outside in the back of the shop was classic!!