Hello

I am stuck in the middle of nowhere for about 6 more months and there is no
high speed internet available.  So I am stuck using an old computer and good
ole dialup.  But I've got a problem.  I have been having trouble with a new
modem I put in my computer.  It has to do with the ports. 


MODEM - Diamond SM56LE-SL SupraMax 56k Internal modem
COMPUTER - Hp Pavilion 511n - Windows XP (no service packs)


This new modem was working fine in the computer for a few months.  The other
day I could not get a connection.  The error I get is that the port is being
used by something else.  I am positive there is nothing else using that port.
I have tried many different troubleshooting ideas but nothing has worked.  I
had not changed anything on the computer or added new hardware.   I was using
the modem earlier that day and logged off and about 2 hours later I went to
connect and couldn’t. 

I have come across 2 different problems that may or may not have anything to
do with it but I am not sure and would not know how to fix it if one of them
was indeed the problem.

1 - While I was trying a possible fix (that I got at HP support website)  I
was in the BIOS and was checking the base I/O address on port A & port B. 
But I only seem to have port A, no other port shows in the BIOS or in the
device mgr.  Should'nt I have 4 COM ports?

2- I tried to update the BIOS and I got the error message - Can't find the
system bios hook.  I don’t know if updating the BIOS would solve the problem
but until I get around this I would not know.


I have done alot of the obvious troubleshooting like rebooting, updating the
drivers, putting the modem on a different port, putting it in a different PCI
slot, etc.  I have my old modem and I stick it in the same PCI slot and it
connects without a port problem (I just have to dial with my home phone and
help it along and its real slow)

But I do know that the modem is compatible with my computer because I had
been using it for several months.


Any ideas would be much appreciated!

Firstly, assuming this is a PCI modem. it won't use COM1 (or COM2 if fitted)
it will use a 'virtual com port'  created by the modem-driver. Thus,
adjusting the settings for the onboard ports will make no odds.

With this kind of issue I'd strongly suspect an ESCD problem. This is not he
same thing as a BIOS update.  The CMOS memory, along with the BIOS settings
also stores settings such as IRQs for PCI cards, and this area can become
corrupted. See if the BIOS config-screen has an option to clear the ESCD.

If this doesn't do the trick you might have to discharge the CMOS. On a lot
of these HPs it is done by one particular switch in a DIP bank. Or, it might
be a jumper. Afterwards you might need to put back any special BIOS settings
you had.

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