COMM port changing

[sggaunt]

Does anyone know a reason for this, I have a PC which has an external modem connected to COMM2, however after any restart it replaces COMM2 with COMM3 in device manager and the modem no longer works.
If I manualy remove the COMM3 and refresh, Windows (98) then finds COMM2 and all is fine until the machine is powered down.
On the next switch on COMM3 is back.
Can anyone help??
Steve.

 

[edfair]

Sounds like addressing in CMOS may be wrong. You may want to verify the hardware setup for addresses and IRQs. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[aspectz]

PORT I/O IRQ
1 3F8h 4
2 2F8h 3
3 3E8h 4
4 2E8h 3


These are the default values. You don't really want Comms 1, 2, and 3 to actually be there and all use the default IRQs. Either com1 or com3 will have to use the non standard IRQ. Your BIOS may well be set to use the I/O address associated with com3 in the BIOS. Changing it 3F8 in the BIOS should work. You may need to load the BIOS defaults to get the change to stick though. But take care to note the othter settings first. Most particularly IDE hard disk, and parallel port settings.

But can it work ok on com3. With standard dial up networking to the internet, this should be ok. Just change the settings in the properties. So you can leave the BIOS alone, if you don't feel confident. The PC may not be bootable afterwards, unless you know what to change back.

 

[sggaunt]

Thanks for your help Guys

All four answers I have recived to this question suggest a problem with BIOS Settings, unfortunatly the Now 'Out of Business' PC manufacturer has password protected the BIOS, so we will have to re-set it.

No new hardware has been added, but the problems started after a 'PGA Tour golf' game was installed.
(this is not one of my own PC's)

All Attempts to get the modem to work on COMM3 have failed (so far).

I forgot to mention before that the PS2 mouse port is also none functional, I suspect this may be related to the same problem.

Steve.

 

[sggaunt]

Update

We had to wait for the boss to buy his new machine then transfer stuff over.

Turns out the the PS2 port was NF because of a disconnected lead !!

The PS2 port shares a sub panel with couple of USB ports and an IR port, so the who lot was disconnected , but refitting the plug did not cure the port switching.

But this was OK after we reset the BIOS

The motherboard info shows that there is a Serial port 2 Mode setting.
This can be set to redirect Port2 to the IR Port,
So my conclusions are.

1. The Golf game detected the IR port and reset the BIOS to attempt to use it?

OR

2. The BIOS couldnt find the Port hardware (as it was disconnected) and set itself to redirect the port to IR?

OR

3. The BIOS or Battery is flakey.

Thanks again for you help.
Steve..