My computer is not recognizing the modem.

Solution 1:

The name for the should be either U.S. Robotics 56K FAX EXT or U.S. Robotics 56K FAX EXT PnP, depending on your operating system. If your computer shows a different name for the modem, it may have installed the wrong modem drivers. See My computer installed the wrong modem.

Solution 2:

You may be using a COM port that is either already in use or not configured correctly. For the modem to work properly, it must be plugged into an enabled serial port which is assigned to a free COM port. Most computers have two serial ports assigned to COM 1 and COM 2 respectively.

 

Windows Vista:

  1. Click Windows Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound.
  2. Double-click Phone and Modem Options and click the Modems tab.
    Look for a listed modem and check which COM port it is using. If a previous modem is already using the available COM port, use another COM port or uninstall the modem that was installed previously. See your previous modem’s manual for uninstallation instructions.
  3. Click Windows Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Device Manager.
  4. Look under Ports (COM and LPT).
    If the Communications port has yellow exclamation points or red “A” over it, your COM ports may not be configured correctly or you may be plugging your modem in to a disabled serial port. If this is the case, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer for information on enabling and correctly configuring your COM ports.

 

Windows XP

  1. Click Windows Start > Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Phone and Modem Options and click the Modems tab.
    Look for a listed modem and check which COM port it is using. If a previous modem is already using the available COM port, use another COM port or uninstall the modem that was installed previously. See your previous modem’s manual for uninstallation instructions.
  3. Click Windows Start > Control Panel.
  4. Double-click System and select the Hardware tab.
  5. Click the Device Manager button.
  6. Look under Ports (COM and LPT).
    If the Communications port has yellow exclamation points or red “A” over it, your COM ports may not be configured correctly or you may be plugging your modem in to a disabled serial port. If this is the case, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer for information on enabling and correctly configuring your COM ports.

 

Windows 2000:

  1. Click Windows Start > Settings > Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Phone and Modem Options and click the Modems tab.
    Look for a listed modem and check which COM port it is using. If a previous modem is already using the available COM port, use another COM port or uninstall the modem that was installed previously. See your previous modem’s manual for uninstallation instructions.
  3. Click Windows Start > Settings > Control Panel.
  4. Double-click System and select the Hardware tab.
  5. Click the Device Manager button.
  6. Look under Ports (COM and LPT).
    If the Communications port has yellow exclamation points or red “A” over it, your COM ports may not be configured correctly or you may be plugging your modem in to a disabled serial port. If this is the case, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer for information on enabling and correctly configuring your COM ports.

 

Windows Me, 98 and 95B:

  1. Click Windows Start > Settings > Control Panel, and then double-click Modems. If you have Windows Me and you do not see this icon, be sure to select View All Control Panel Options.
  2. Look for a listed modem and click the Diagnostics tab to find out which COM port it is using.
    If a previous modem is already using the available COM port, use another COM port or uninstall the modem that was installed previously. See your previous modem’s manual for uninstallation instructions.
  3. Click Windows Start > Settings > Control Panel.
  4. Double-click System and select the Device Manager tab.
  5. Expand Ports (COM and LPT).
    If the Communications port has yellow exclamation points or red “A” over it, your COM ports may not be configured correctly or you may be plugging your modem in to a disabled serial port. If this is the case, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer for information on enabling and correctly configuring your COM ports.

 

Windows NT 4.0:

  1. Click Windows Start > Settings > Control Panel. Double-click Ports.
  2. Make sure the port you are plugging the modem into appears in the list. If it does not, the port needs to be added, and possibly enabled in the BIOS. Consult your Windows NT 4.0 manual for information about adding ports. After you add or enable the port, follow the instructions in this guide for your operating system.

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