Serial Port not working?

[Kooldino]

I have an IBM T20 laptop that I use to tune my piggyback EMS (for my car) with. I haven't used it for months, and never had issues with it.

I tried to use the software today to tune my ECU via the serial port, but it couldn't connect. I've tried reinstalling the software and restarting the laptop several times.

The only thing I've changed since the last time I used it was the fact that I added a Netgear wireless 54G card.

I tried my friend's laptop, and everything worked fine.

So while the problem is with my laptop, I don't know if it's hardware or software. Everything appears to be ok in the device manager and the BIOS.

Cliff notes: Serial port on laptop suddently doesn't work. Haven't changed anything except for adding a 54G card. Any suggestions/tests I can run?

Edit: w00t, 2000th post!

[Wombat]

Windows should be able to do a COM port test. Start there.

[VJ]

You could try removing the com-port in the hardware list, and then add it again with the new hardware thingy...


Jörg

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by Wombat
Windows should be able to do a COM port test. Start there.

Couldn't find a test per se, but when I go into hyperterminal and try to use com1 (my serial), it says that "Another program is using the selected Telephony device"

The only thing I have running is my Netgear software for my 54G card.

edit: tried disabling Netgear software...didn't change a thing.

[Kooldino]

Also tried doing a "Com1AutoAssign=0", but it doesn't seem to apply to Windows XP.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q130402/

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by VJ
You could try removing the com-port in the hardware list, and then add it again with the new hardware thingy...


Jörg

No dice.

[Byock]

Does your Device mananger show Com1? If not, you may want to check the bios, and make sure it is enabled.

[ZokesPro]

This may help as it might not, but for laptops, best to reset bios defaults (often jump starts non-working devices in Dell laptops) and try clearing nvram or reset configuration data". I also like to clear static electricity every now and then by removing all power devices then holding down pwr button for 10secs or so, often fixes many bizarre problems.

With that out of the way, the rest is up to windows.

But, you don't have to try any of this, as no one ever does whenever I suggest it anyways.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by Byock
Does your Device mananger show Com1? If not, you may want to check the bios, and make sure it is enabled.

Yes, it shows it, and there are no "bad" icons floating over it.

[Kooldino]

Reset the BIOS. Nothing.

Disabled the COM1 port, re-enabled it, tried to run hyperterm...same error.

[Kooldino]

I think I got it (or at least made some progress).

I brought it to a friend to get his opinion, and while talking to him, I remembered that I had tested a touch screen LCD of his on my laptop a few months back. The touch screen used the serial port as the "mouse" input from the screen.

Even though I disabled the software from startup, I guess it still had a service enabled. I uninstalled the software and am now able to connect to COM1 in Hyperterm (ie, I no longer get the above error).

I'm going to try to connect it to my car shortly.

[Kooldino]

Just got in from tuning the car. Needless to say, it works like a champ. It's really great how that stupid software used the serial port even though I wasn't running the touch screen display, and I disabled the program from startup.

Hey, I'm just glad it wasn't a hardware issue.

[ZokesPro]

Glad you found it, would have never thought of that myself.

[VJ]

Yup, glad you found it!

(testing a lot of hard/software can mess up a proper system, and the bad thing is: there is not much you can do about it)


Jörg

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by VJ
Yup, glad you found it!

(testing a lot of hard/software can mess up a proper system, and the bad thing is: there is not much you can do about it)


Jörg

Guess that means that I should ghost it while I have a good setup.