Finding the COM1 Serial Port on PC/XT/AT and PS/2 Machines

 Last reviewed: September 16, 1996
Article ID: Q44126
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Mouse Driver for MS-DOS, versions 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, and 9.0

SUMMARY

When connecting the Microsoft Mouse serial interface cable to your computer, you must first determine the location of the serial port.

On PC- or XT-class or PS/2 computers, the serial port is normally the male, 25-pin, D-shaped connection on the back of the machine.

On an AT-class computer, the serial connection is normally the male, 9-pin, D-shaped connection on the back of the computer.

There are exceptions, but these descriptions are a good rule of thumb.

Note: If the machine has only one serial port, it should be set up as COM1 using IRQ4. If the serial port is set up as COM2 and it is the only serial port on the machine, the Microsoft Mouse driver may install correctly, but the mouse may not function properly.

KBCategory: kbsetup kbhw
KBSubcategory:
Additional reference words: 6.00 7.00 8.00 8.10 8.20 9.00

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Last reviewed: September 16, 1996
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