Setting to PREVENT a modem answering incoming call (any)

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Lacking a modem and thus a dial-up connection, I am unable to advise someone how to turn OFF the option which causes their modem to answer incoming calls after a certain number of rings. This is causing problems with an answering machine on the same line!

I presume that this is set in Internet Explorer => Tools => Internet Options => Connections => {dial-up connection name} or perhaps in
Start => Settings => Control Panel => Phone and Modem Options.

Could someone knowledgeable please indicate the “turn off modem to incoming calls” option procedure? Thanks very much!

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Do you know what software is answering the calls?

I have Microsoft FAX answering my phone, which you control from the FAX control panel (not on this PC so I can’t give you the exaxt location)

StuartR

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I wish I did! I’m not even certain that the operating system is XP…

The actual problem is that BT’s “Call Minder” ‘answering machine’ isn’t working when the computer/modem is plugged into the BT socket, so I am making Large Assumptions that the modem is answering the call before Call Minder cuts in; but the person who is complaining of this problem will say “what’s a modem?”, so I’m a bit in the dark…

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I believe Stuart is right, that you’ll need to know which software is doing the answering and turn off auto-answer in that software. My lone machine that has a US Robotics modem installed (which I no longer use) is a Win98SE machine and I checked EVERYWHERE I could in Control Panel, Modem (properties, advanced, dialing properties, etc.) and AUTO-ANSWER is nowhere to be found. Similar to Stuart, I used to use WinFax Pro and that was where the auto-answer tick mark was. Even if the user is novice level, you could probably locate the program name via a perusal of all items in the Start Menu.

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Al

Ok, that sounds like good advice. I will really have to get to the machine, though, because I think “hands on” is the only possibility…

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Al

Ok, that sounds like good advice. I will really have to get to the machine, though, because I think “hands on” is the only possibility…

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I believe Stuart is right, that you’ll need to know which software is doing the answering and turn off auto-answer in that software. My lone machine that has a US Robotics modem installed (which I no longer use) is a Win98SE machine and I checked EVERYWHERE I could in Control Panel, Modem (properties, advanced, dialing properties, etc.) and AUTO-ANSWER is nowhere to be found. Similar to Stuart, I used to use WinFax Pro and that was where the auto-answer tick mark was. Even if the user is novice level, you could probably locate the program name via a perusal of all items in the Start Menu.

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I don’t believe that modems have the capability to actually answer calls. My understanding, limited as it is, is that they are simply a port through which the signal passes in or out. I’d agree with Stuart here and look into a FAX program being the culprit.

I have a seperate phone line just for my PC. The other day I was unable to get the modem to dial out to connect to the internet. Of course, the modem doesn’t actually do the dialing, the software for my ISP does it through the modem. A quick phone call from my other phone line showed that my FAX program’s controller had grabbed the modem and not released it. Most likely this was caused by an incoming solicitation call from a telemarketer. Once I shut down the FAX controller I was able to dial out again.

If you can, set the “Call Minder” to answer on the first ring and see if it supersedes the computer answering the calls. If so then it is likely software related and most likely FAX software. I don’t know of any other programs that actually answer calls.

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Well, Doc, this may be a matter of argument!

From about 1982 (IBM PC first introduced to the UK!!) to about 1990 or so I had to play with the Hayes “AT” commands to control modems. This was something of a “black art” (as you can observe from the plethora of arcane settings!), and somewhat modem dependent, but I remember that the command
ATS0=n (where n was from 0 to 255)
controlled the number of rings before the modem answered (with 0 being not “answer immediately”, as you might think, but “never answer”).

Obviously you’d have software to issue this command to the serial-port-connected modem (occasionally a modem card within the PC), but this command controlled whether or not the modem responded.

Now I don’t think I ever tested whether the ATS command was “persistent”, that is, once it was issued it stayed in force, even if the program which issued it was closed down. But since the “S registers” were persistent registers, so this may be the case!

Does anyone know otherwise?

Of course all this geeky stuff is hidden from the user now … [sob]

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Let’s not argue John !!! I freely acknowledge my limited knowledge about anything that happened before Windows 95 when they REALLY started hiding all that “geeky stuff” from the user. And after reading that page referencing all the setting the user had available to even consider fooling with, I can’t honestly say I’m sorry !!! I did find it amusing that the last line on the page read
[indent]

---

You’ve heard the lies…now Read The Truth!

---

[/indent]

However, even in your rebuttal, you acknowledge that it’s software that is issuing the commands and making the changes to an otherwise “dumb” piece of hardware, and that was my point. The setting must lie in a software package as most modems today come with few customizable settings or options.

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Let’s not argue John !!! I freely acknowledge my limited knowledge about anything that happened before Windows 95 when they REALLY started hiding all that “geeky stuff” from the user. And after reading that page referencing all the setting the user had available to even consider fooling with, I can’t honestly say I’m sorry !!! I did find it amusing that the last line on the page read
[indent]

---

You’ve heard the lies…now Read The Truth!

---

[/indent]

However, even in your rebuttal, you acknowledge that it’s software that is issuing the commands and making the changes to an otherwise “dumb” piece of hardware, and that was my point. The setting must lie in a software package as most modems today come with few customizable settings or options.

Reply | Quote

Well, Doc, this may be a matter of argument!

From about 1982 (IBM PC first introduced to the UK!!) to about 1990 or so I had to play with the Hayes “AT” commands to control modems. This was something of a “black art” (as you can observe from the plethora of arcane settings!), and somewhat modem dependent, but I remember that the command
ATS0=n (where n was from 0 to 255)
controlled the number of rings before the modem answered (with 0 being not “answer immediately”, as you might think, but “never answer”).

Obviously you’d have software to issue this command to the serial-port-connected modem (occasionally a modem card within the PC), but this command controlled whether or not the modem responded.

Now I don’t think I ever tested whether the ATS command was “persistent”, that is, once it was issued it stayed in force, even if the program which issued it was closed down. But since the “S registers” were persistent registers, so this may be the case!

Does anyone know otherwise?

Of course all this geeky stuff is hidden from the user now … [sob]

Reply | Quote

I don’t believe that modems have the capability to actually answer calls. My understanding, limited as it is, is that they are simply a port through which the signal passes in or out. I’d agree with Stuart here and look into a FAX program being the culprit.

I have a seperate phone line just for my PC. The other day I was unable to get the modem to dial out to connect to the internet. Of course, the modem doesn’t actually do the dialing, the software for my ISP does it through the modem. A quick phone call from my other phone line showed that my FAX program’s controller had grabbed the modem and not released it. Most likely this was caused by an incoming solicitation call from a telemarketer. Once I shut down the FAX controller I was able to dial out again.

If you can, set the “Call Minder” to answer on the first ring and see if it supersedes the computer answering the calls. If so then it is likely software related and most likely FAX software. I don’t know of any other programs that actually answer calls.

Reply | Quote

I wish I did! I’m not even certain that the operating system is XP…

The actual problem is that BT’s “Call Minder” ‘answering machine’ isn’t working when the computer/modem is plugged into the BT socket, so I am making Large Assumptions that the modem is answering the call before Call Minder cuts in; but the person who is complaining of this problem will say “what’s a modem?”, so I’m a bit in the dark…

Reply | Quote

Do you know what software is answering the calls?

I have Microsoft FAX answering my phone, which you control from the FAX control panel (not on this PC so I can’t give you the exaxt location)

StuartR

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