Question : COM port not found.

The object of our attention is an NT4 Server running SP5. Up until a week ago it was happily using the USR External Courier V.everything modem on its COM2 port. Then in the middle of the day while users were just doing ordinary tasks (no installs, crashes, shutdowns, etc.) the computer failed to establish communication with the modem. If I fire up Hyperterminal and try to connect to any destination, NT responds with COM2 NOT FOUND. The same happens regardless of the communications program I try to use.

I have done the following. I have tested the modem on a different computer and it works fine. I have checked the cable as well. I have tried a different modem on the COM2 port. I have booted the server to DOS and run both a COM port diagnostic and a modem diagnostic. Both programs affirm that COM2 is functional, that the modem is attached to COM2, and that the modem can be reached through COM2. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the modem using the latest driver obtained from the 3COM site. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the COM2 port using the PORTS control panel (with the default the base address and IRQ that are set in the BIOS). The modem service is set to manual.

However, if I use the modem control panel and tell the server to detect the modem, the detection simply hangs. The hourglass appears, but never disappears. I can stll get to other applications on the server though while the detection hangs. As I said previously, any application that needs to use the modem won't work, and fails to establish communication through COM2.

My question by now should be obvious. Does anyone have any idea about what else I can try to get COM2 recognized by the NT server, and communication established with the external modem?

Answer : COM port not found.

Your comment about Com1 not showing up in the Ports control panel , may be the key to the problem.
I have had similar problems, and until all the com ports are properly defined in the ports section, NT will continue to ignore your modem.

Remove all the com ports and add them back with the standard definitions for IRQ/IO port. Make sure that the MB BIOS is setup the same way.

You should then remove the modem device and re-install it.

It is best to instal lit with a STANDARD MODEM setup first for testing it.

I hope this helps.