Please help me!! Modem trouble!

[PacMan II]

I recently upgraded to XP from Win98, but XP doesn't seem to recognise my modem! I've reverted back to 98 dozens of times just to be able to connect to the net and its really getting tiring now.

As far as i can tell, my modem is an HSP Micromodem (thats what XP says it is anyway, 98 lists it as a V.90 K56Flex HSP PCI) and it uses a PC Tel PCT789T chipset. I have tried updating the XP drivers with ones that i've found on the web, including the one downloaded directly from the PC Tel website.

Everything works fine in 98 and has done for years, but when i try and connect with XP, all i get is a couple of clicks from the modem, no dialtone at all and then an error message.

Its really starting to annoy me now installing and uninstalling XP, so is there anything i should try before i finally give up?

Would it just be a case of my modem just not being compatiable? If thats the case, its a big thumbs down to Microsoft and a complete waste of my £130 buying XP.

[glc]

Well - please don't take this personally, but I feel it's more an issue of wasting 10 pounds on a HSP Micromodem. These are very low budget software modems.

Also, upgrading from 98 to XP can cause a lot of hassles, doing a clean install will always give better results.

[sierrawolf]

HSP modems are winmodems or software modems that rely on drivers to get them going see if a XP driver is available for your particular modem and download it to a floppy or cd if it is to large or someplace you can retrive it once you install XP.

[PacMan II]

Thanx for the replies. I sort of guessed that it was a problem with the modem and not the software, but when you have the people selling you a PC and expensive software telling you that everything will work ok, its hard to tell if they are wrong... afterall they are supposed to be the experts.

I have already downloaded an XP driver from PCTel, which i believe is the right one because it matches the code printed on the actual modem chipset, so i it really beyond me why it shouldn't work. Sounds to me like someones not doing their job right and i'm less than impressed.

However, no point in flogging a dead horse, so i think the best solution would be to get a new modem, any idea on how much an XP compatiable one would cost?

[GaryRouth]

Hi PacMan II

I just finished dealing with the exact same modem for a WinMe system I was cleaning/repairing. Strange thing is that the drivers for the WinME version were newer than the XP versions - Go figure.

When you put XP in, are you just using the Upgrade option? (rather than a clean install). If so, you're Win98 drivers are probably still hanging around, and you need to COMPLETELY uninstall them. Uninstall, delete, hunt 'em down, one-at-a-time if you have to.

To start hunting: In XP, it recognizes the modem (since it lists it correctly as the HSP MicroModem). So in Device Manager, look in the Drivers tab under Driver Details & copy down the names of all the files it lists. Then go to the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs applet and uninstall anything with HSP or PCtel or modem listed. Then boot into Safe Mode and select any modems listed, and click on Remove. Do the same for your COM ports. Then go to Windows Explorer and search for the files you copied down as being part of the modem's drivers, and delete them (if you accidentally delete a system file that's shared with another HSP device - like a cheap sound chip - don't worry, Windows File Protection will replace it. Then extract the XP drivers to a folder you can find easily (perhaps create a subfolder in \Windows\Temp for them). The file for the XP drivers should be PCI_800_0026 WinXP.zip, if you downloaded the reference drivers from PCtel.

Now on reboot the system should find your modem and COM ports correctly and install the corresponding XP drivers.

Now you have to make sure your ISP software is aware of the change. It's possible that your modem has been working all along in WinXP, but that your ISP software wasn't. [To simply check if the modem dials at all, you can set up a HyperTerminal connection, or fax a document to your home fax machine, or a friend's fax machine,...whatever. Also run the Diagnostics tab in the Modems control panel applet to see if you get a response from the modem.]

From within your ISP software, delete the current modem listed, even if it looks correct, and exit the program. Reboot. Then start the program again and let it re-detect the modem.

HSP modems are indeed very cheap, and getting them to work can be a major headache - but they are nearly free, and often work quite well if carefully setup and lucky enough to have quiet phone lines to work with. I have both hardware and software modems, and really don't care which is which as long as they work. A good hardware modem for a decent price often recommended here is the USR 2977 PCI internal for about $40 USD. The WinModems ("software modems") that seem to get along best with WinXP are probably those based on the Intel/Ambient and Lucent chipsets. (usually $10 - $15 USD)

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[sierrawolf]

I use to run a duel boot system GNU/Linux on 1 side and windows on another since changed to 2 seperate machines, anyway Linux won't reconize a winmoden (software) So I went to a external modem which was fairly cheap and I can use it on anything, and if anything ever goes wrong with it I do not even have to open the case..... just a thought.