Hey... I used to know this stuff but since I've had high speed for too many years I can't remember squat about modem setups... anyway... my family member (over the phone, long distance help request) has a problem and it should be an easy fix. 70ish grandmother was trying to connect to the internet without her glasses... some how removed the modem, now no net connection. What I know... it's a dial up modem, the modem can still be found in some areas of XP but in others it doesn't exsist. I'm assuming she got the "dial up" window to open but started clicking things and removed it there somehow. I'm moving towards com ports or a disabled modem type of remove here. The modem does NOT appear in device manager, but is still listed in "phone/modem" under control panel...although it's "removed" under it's status. thoughts? I'm still doing a google to try refresh my memory on dial ups. TK.

Maybe any software from her ISP sets up the dialup connection ?? Uninstall, Reinstall.

naw... the dial up software is installed fine I've just found out. It's more like someone removed the com port for the modem.... it's a strang problem.

OK... WinXP has the drivers, the dail software for the ISP is installed correctly, and the BIOS is set for "Plug & Play OS"... I have removed the modem. I have tried to install the modem again using add hardware but when it asks what port I should use I have no ports to select. I tried adding a port (came up as COM3) but WinXP says the port is not configured and then asked for IRQ & I/O settings (not going there)... so I removed the port. In Device Manager, Com1 & Com2 do not show up, just the printer port does. We tried System restore once, no luck. Next two things I'll be trying (unless someone else has an idea) will be the following: Physical removal of modem and restart to get windows to "find new hardware" Reinstall of modem drivers for XP (which XP already has). It seems to be that if I could just add the correct Com port and set the modem to it would be working fine. thoughts? TK.

Is this an internal or external modem. Mention of Comm 3 suggests and internal modem. If this is the case you are going to need manufactures modem drivers that came with he modem. As you suggest removing the modem and re-booting. Then remove all traces of modems from anywhere you can find them. Reinstall the modem and start again from scratch with the manufactures drivers. To set the modem up for the Internet you don't normally need the manufactures software unless it is something weird like AOL. All you need is to go into Internet options > Connections > Add. You will need the Username, password and telephone number to connect to and just follow the prompts. Stuart