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identifying com ports

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9 replies

by rburger

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I am trying to get a printer installed on a serial port but am having trouble identifying the com # for the serial port I am using. I am running NT4.0 SP6 and am unfamiliar with it on this point.

9 replies

by thechas

The manual for the system / motherboard should have an illistration showing which comm port is which.

Sometimes, these are marked on the motherboard.

For an ATX motherboard, the standard is comm 1 is nearest to the PS/2 ports.

Chas

by alpha-male

In the vast majority of circumstances, they are set up the way we (in the West) read - Left to Right, Top to Bottom. You can define the address and IRQs to the settings you need...

by fenaikh

Hi
I would not depend on the outside numbering since it its possible that the one who installed the COM port could mix up when connection the wire.I would connect the printer to a port and try.First I install the printer driver in say COM1 then connect it to any port if it prints then it is COM1 else it is COM2.
I would check which port is available:

1- Use WindowsNT Diagnostics utility C:\WINNT\system32\winmsd.exe

2- START->Setting->Control Panel-> Modem->Diagnostic
if any port say "No Modem Installed", it means that port is available.

3- make sure that The COM1 and COM2 are not disabled at BIOS.

Good luck

Mohamed

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