serial port problem?

Topic

New Reply

I don’t know if this is a WinXP problem or a hardware problem, but I thought I would try this forum first. I have a Kodak DC215 digital camera which connects by cable to a serial port. I never had problems downloading images from the camera until, due to an unrelated problem, I had to wipe the drive and reinstall Windows XP Pro. Now I can’t get the computer to communicate with the camera. I tried it on another XP computer, letting Windows install the native XP driver for the camera, and it works fine, so it’s not the camera or the cable. On this computer I tried the XP driver and also the software that comes with the camera. The drivers install just fine but I get one of two error messages, one saying that it can’t locate the hardware, the other (not as often and not on any of my latest tries) saying that the camera seems to be busy doing something else. Looking in device manager at the ports (there are two Com ports, neither one of which seems to work), I am told that the devices are working properly and that there are no conflicts. I also checked to see that the ports are enabled in BIOS. Any idea what to try next?

Fafner

Reply | Quote

Replies

I would try to find and install another item on the serial ports (like an older style Palm Pilot), I have had many (ok, just a few) serial ports “just die”. On all but laptops, I solved this by purchasing an PCI card that had serial ports on it and using them. Don’t forget to configure the add-on cards ports as necessary (setting up as COM1 and 2 if necessary).

Reply | Quote

Thanks for your reply. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. So far I haven’t been able to come up with anything else to plug into either of the serial ports, but I will keep asking around. But does it seem likely that both serial ports would just “die” at the same time? If so, what makes them die. And, as I said, device manager says they are working properly. Is there some setting I haven’t found that could have disabled them when I reinstalled Windows?

Fafner

Reply | Quote

I don’t know if you’ve mentioned this or not, but are your serial ports “on board” or a separate card? I’ve found a few PCs at work not have the complete Motherboard Driver(s) packages installed correctly. This could also be true for a separate board with serial connections.

Check your supplied CDs, floppies, etc.. for anything that would be a “system board driver” disc… this could resolve your problem.

Then again, I could just be blowing smoke

Reply | Quote

Serial ports are on board. I have checked the supplied CD’s, as you suggested, and there don’t seem to be any drivers that I am missing. I haven’t been in the office much lately, hence my delay in responding to your post, but I have looked again at Device Manager and everything seems to be in order — proper drivers installed and “this device is working properly” — except that of course it’s not. I am completely stumped.

Fafner

Reply | Quote

Here’s what I would try next (not that it’s sure to work!). First, , unplug the camera from the serial port, uninstall the driver for the camera, and reboot. With the computer on, try connecting the camera. Any changes, or acknowledgement?

good luck,
kip

Reply | Quote

Well, I don’t understand it. I tried your suggestion and it didn’t work the first time. Not wanting to give up, I uninstalled the driver (for the umpteenth time) and tried exactly the same procedure, as you suggested, a second time, and that time it worked. Computers! Thanks a million.

Fafner

Reply | Quote

Glad to hear you got it working. Please don’t ask or expect me to explain how or why!! I just use this as a rule of thumb when dealing with device driver problems, that is,

uninstall, disconnect, reboot, reconnect, (hope that xp re-installs)

PS now that you are up and running, you may want to check to see if you have the latest driver for your device. The drivers that xp installs are by now probably a little outdated (You may want to set a restore point, first, though!!!)

kip

Reply | Quote

Glad to hear you got it working. Please don’t ask or expect me to explain how or why!! I just use this as a rule of thumb when dealing with device driver problems, that is,

uninstall, disconnect, reboot, reconnect, (hope that xp re-installs)

PS now that you are up and running, you may want to check to see if you have the latest driver for your device. The drivers that xp installs are by now probably a little outdated (You may want to set a restore point, first, though!!!)

kip

Reply | Quote

Well, I don’t understand it. I tried your suggestion and it didn’t work the first time. Not wanting to give up, I uninstalled the driver (for the umpteenth time) and tried exactly the same procedure, as you suggested, a second time, and that time it worked. Computers! Thanks a million.

Fafner

Reply | Quote

Here’s what I would try next (not that it’s sure to work!). First, , unplug the camera from the serial port, uninstall the driver for the camera, and reboot. With the computer on, try connecting the camera. Any changes, or acknowledgement?

good luck,
kip

Reply | Quote

Serial ports are on board. I have checked the supplied CD’s, as you suggested, and there don’t seem to be any drivers that I am missing. I haven’t been in the office much lately, hence my delay in responding to your post, but I have looked again at Device Manager and everything seems to be in order — proper drivers installed and “this device is working properly” — except that of course it’s not. I am completely stumped.

Fafner

Reply | Quote

I don’t know if you’ve mentioned this or not, but are your serial ports “on board” or a separate card? I’ve found a few PCs at work not have the complete Motherboard Driver(s) packages installed correctly. This could also be true for a separate board with serial connections.

Check your supplied CDs, floppies, etc.. for anything that would be a “system board driver” disc… this could resolve your problem.

Then again, I could just be blowing smoke

Reply | Quote

Thanks for your reply. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. So far I haven’t been able to come up with anything else to plug into either of the serial ports, but I will keep asking around. But does it seem likely that both serial ports would just “die” at the same time? If so, what makes them die. And, as I said, device manager says they are working properly. Is there some setting I haven’t found that could have disabled them when I reinstalled Windows?

Fafner

Reply | Quote

I would try to find and install another item on the serial ports (like an older style Palm Pilot), I have had many (ok, just a few) serial ports “just die”. On all but laptops, I solved this by purchasing an PCI card that had serial ports on it and using them. Don’t forget to configure the add-on cards ports as necessary (setting up as COM1 and 2 if necessary).

Reply | Quote