"This device cannot start" error on com ports

[tristan777 0]

i am having a problem with my com1 and com3. they both share the same irq, so i changed com3's irq. when i restart, i went into device manager. com3 has an exclamation mark next to it and when i looked at the properties, it says "This device cannot start." so i tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it. after it restarts they are sharing the same irq again. so i change it. and i get the same error all over again. the only way i have found to fix this is to delete com1. this is really only a temporary solution because the next time i restart it automatically installs it again. it is very anoying to have to uninstall com1 every time i restart my computer. so does anyone have a permanent solution to this?

 

thanks,

-Tristan

[euankirkhope 0]

Goto hardware properties/my computer and update the driver, pick from known hardware the "standard PC" this will disable ACPI which is basically what messes up most com ports. Hibernation will stop working though.

[Preatorian 0]

ummm.... COM3 and COM1 are SUPPOSED to have the same IRQ! Thats the way the hardware is designed: COM1/3 share an IRQ and COM2/4 share an IRQ, unless one of the ports is a virtual port (ie COM3 is an internal modem, in which case you would have to just change the IRQ of the modem...).

 

But otherwise you can only have at most 2 COM ports active (ie using an interrupt) at the same time unless you buy an extra add-in card with more com ports on it.

[tristan777 0]

ok well i should have said that in the begining. com3 is my modem but there is no way to change the irq of my modem in it's properties... is there somewhere else i should be looking?

 

[This message has been edited by tristan777 (edited 05 June 2000).]

[euankirkhope 0]

Press Delete during boot to enter bios setup and change the serial 1 port address until it shows up as com4, or reserve irq 4 to prevent the PNP modem from using it, and if its any good it'll pick another IRQ. If it doesn't you have to change the jumpers/switches to manually change the port.