ProntoEdit says com1 is in use and I know it's not how can I tell my comp to release that com port??

Thanks,

Adam

The only time a com port should be "in use" is when another application is active and is using it - modem, mouse, UPS, handheld PC etc. Try pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL in windows and "End Task"ing everything but SYSTRAY and EXPLORER.

Daniel,

Still no worky, access denied.

Adam

Is the port turned on in the BIOS? did any device ever work on that port? What OS are you using w95 w98 or NT? Do you have an IR port on the machine thats using Com1? Go to Control Panels -> System -> Device Manager -> Ports and make sure its not disabled.

port is on. win98. not disabled. My daughters Barbie digital camera worked fine a few days ago, and the only program i am running is prontoEdit, I even removed the camera software just in case, and i have just removed the com port and re-installed it.

Adam

Also ProntoEdit says Com2 is free with no pronto connected, but Com2 belongs to my modem

Try the Pronto on Com2 then just to eliminate variables. If that works see if the modem works on Com1. I'm not saying to leave it that way, it's just to give you hints at to what's going on.

You might possibly have a bad cable.

The digital camera might be bypassing Windows API and going straight to the COM1 port. Something could have it allocated while having some software still work. The Digital Camera software also might not use the interupt on COM1.

Also check your interupts in general.

Go into Device manager (Right CLick on My Computer|Properties|Device Manager Tab and then Double click on Computer. COM1 should have IRQ4 and COM2 have IRQ3. ProntoEdit might be having a problem allocating the interupt for COM1. Something else might be using it and it does not have to be another COM port.

Adam,

I saw a show recently on XDTV regarding such a problem. Had to do with the BIOS having ports enabled vs having then set as disabled. As I recall, there was also dicsussion of the registry, but not for the weak at heart to be playing with.
I looked at my registry via regedit.exe and it shows:

HKEY_Local_Machine
hardware
devicemap
serialcomm >>> showed both com1/com2 in R/H screen area
Have a look, it may help. Also, as you have WIN98, there's a registry checker program that XDTV people suggested running when having silimar problems. I would hope it's not a cyrix issue.
Do be careful in regedit as it a wrong keystroke could have some serious side effects.
Jack

Just a thought Adam: Try disabling the "PnP OS" at the BIOS level, depending on the kind of BIOS your PC has, select the option within the BIOS that lets the BIOS handle the IRQ and COM port assigment instead of Windows. Reboot the PC and go into Windows and make sure the COM port is not disabled in the Hardware Profile tab.
After this you may still have to reboot the PC one more time.

Also,
If you've been inside your PC lately you may have accidentally diconnected the COM1 port ribbon cable from the motherboard.

Yes, having the port disabled in the BIOS will sometimes free the interrupt and get used by another PnP device.

Device Manager usually tells the whole story.

FIXXED! Bios problem..... Thanks Guys!!

um. im having the same problem. What exactly is the BIOS? and how do i turn it on (or off)

help can someone tell me how to get to mt bios so i can
enable my com ports im using win 98