Modems are not installing

[anticode]

OS: Windows XP.

I had been using the modem Genius GM56PCI (Lucent) for about half a year. And had no problems. Recently the modem disappeared from the modem list (Control Panel -> Phones and Modems). Therefore, it was not accessible.
I tried adding them manually by using Add modem. OS could not find it. Then I move the modem to another PCI slot. And OS have found it. Therefore, I was using them for a week.
After that, the modem disappeared once again. I try moving it to another slot, reinstall drivers, etc. Nevertheless, it does not help.

Then I change modem to a cheap PCTEL model. And have the following symptoms: XP was finding a new hardware, say that all is OK, but the modem wasn't in the modem list. Moreover, the hardware dispatcher wasn?t showing them. I tried to move the new modem to another PCI slots, try a bunch of different drivers, but it doesn't help again.

Now I?m playing a similar game with the new Genius GM56PCI (Agere). I'm having the same symptoms... Modem isn't accessible...

I think it's the problem of XP. I'm completely confused. Have anyone encountered the same problem?
Could somebody advise?

Thank in advance!

 

[LTC8K6]

Typically with a PCI modem, you install the drivers without the card in the computer. Then shut down and install the card.

I would uninstall all of the modem drivers you have installed, remove the card and start over with a fresh install of drivers without the card in the computer.

 

[anticode]

LTC8K6
Is there a standard/system method of removing drivers. Or should I use an uninstaller of a particular driver?

 

[LTC8K6]

If they show up in Add/Remove programs, you can just remove them that way. If they have an uninstall option, I think that is best.

There are driver removal programs, but I don't think they would work on modem drivers. Driver Cleaner is a good one if you need to clean out things like video card drivers.

 

[anticode]

Thanks for the recomendations!

It really looks like that the source of the problem is operation system or motherboard.
My GPRS modem (in fact a mobile phone, which is connected to COM1) works well, and a sound card in PCI slot looks healthy. But now it's the third internal hardware modem, that doesn't work.

I've tried removing all the drivers and modem devices, rebooting, installing the drivers, and so on. But now OS doesn't find any modems. It can't automatically find the modem as a plug-n-play device, the new hardware wizard won't help, and even new modem dialog doesn't help.
I've tried manually add a modem device on diffrent ports, but the results won't work.

Now I think if it is possible, that my PCI bus is physically broken in such way, that modems became damaged? (But the sound card working...)

Is is possible to diagnose the modem omitting the OS? I.e. try to sent some request to it and get some results.

Thanks!

 

[LTC8K6]

That's strange. You've got me stumped.

Can you tell if the BIOS sees the modem during boot?

You might try changing the Plug and Play OS setting in your BIOS, try booting with it on and then off. It should be set to off or non plug and play for XP, but changing it might do something with the hardware detection by the BIOS.

Maybe even try clearing the CMOS.

 

[anticode]

Can you tell if the BIOS sees the modem during boot?

Yes, the BIOS said, that "Simple COMM. Cntrl" uses 11 IRQ, the same as two "Serial Bus Cntrl".
If I take the modem out, the "Simple COMM. Cntrl" diasappears from the boot screen.

You might try changing the Plug and Play OS setting in your BIOS...

Maybe even try clearing the CMOS.

My motherboard is Soltek SL-75DRV4. I've turned the "PNP OS" option off. Boot. Turn it on. Boot once again. In both cases OS couldn't find the modem, even when I tried the new hardware wizard.
The same result after the clearing of BIOS.

If if try adding the modem manually, for example on COM2, sometimes it appears in the modem list with "working" status. But when I try to test it with Modem Properties, I get the message, which tells me that it's impossible to communicate with the modem. I try installing the modem in the above way for all available ports (they are COM1, COM2 and COM5) with the same result.

Anyway, which port usually is using for the modem?

Maybe, there is some conflict with other ports or hardware?

 

[anticode]

Yes!..

I back to an old restore point (Janury 9th), and now the modem works even with an old driver from Lucen.
But I would to know what it was...

 

[LTC8K6]

Glad you got it going.