Product

• All Windows 2000 workstations and servers, Service Shell, Print Console

Operating system

Windows 2000

Symptoms

Cause

• A card has been replaced with a newer type card without uninstalling the old one first.
• A driver has been upgraded to a newer one without uninstalling the old one first. Note that updating a driver through the GUI should not cause this problem.

Solution

1. Uninstall the serial card using device manager and physically remove the card from the computer.
2. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Hardware.
3. Click Next.
4. Select Add/TroubleShoot.
5. In the Hardware Device Window, select Add a new device.
6. Select No, I want to select the hardware...
7. Highlight Ports.
8. Select Standard Port Types.
9. Select Communications Port.
10. In the Windows could not detect warning window, Click OK.
11. Select a configuration that produces no conflicts.
12. Click Start Hardware Install.
13. Restart the computer
14. Select Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools.
15. Select Computer Management.
16. Select Device Manager.
17. Select Ports, (click the + to display all ports)
18. Highlight the newly created COM port (COM7, for example).
19. Right-click, and select Properties.
20. Select the Port Settings tab and click Advanced.
21. In the bottom left corner of the Advanced settings for COM x window, open the COM Port Number box. The missing COM ports should be shown, followed by an in-use tag.
22. Click on one of the ports that is not in use COM 4, for example) and click OK.
23. Phantom port COM7 is now labeled COM4 (in this example).
24. On the Port Settings tab, select Advanced and repeat the procedure for phantom COM4.
25. Repeat the procedure for all unused ports that you wish to free up.
26. Click OK.
27. Restart the computer.
28. Highlight the phantom port.
29. Right-click and select Uninstall.
30. Uninstall the COM port.

Technical contact(s)

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