PC MMTA: Err Msg: Failure to Initialize the Modem Session

Last reviewed: November 14, 1995
Article ID: Q139369

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Mail Multitasking MTA, version 3.2

SYMPTOMS

When you try to run the OS/2 Multitasking MTA (MMTA) using serial communications, the following error may occur in the SESSION.LOG:

   Failure to initialize the modem session.

CAUSE

The OS/2 operating system requires the device driver COMMxx.SYS to be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file before it will enable and recognize the communications port.

RESOLUTION

You can use the serial communications port by setting up the appropriate device driver. Before you set up a device driver for a communications port, choose the driver that works with your hardware.

Refer to the following list to find the driver that matches your hardware:

Driver         Hardware

COM01.SYS      IBM PC/AT or compatible computer
COM02.SYS      IBM PS/2

To direct COM01.SYS to load from the OS2 directory on drive C, add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS file before any Microsoft LAN Manager settings:

   device=c:\os2\com01.sys

When this driver is loaded, OS/2 and MS-DOS programs can use the serial communications ports on IBM PC/AT (or compatible) computers.

To use a communications port, set up the port in addition to specifying the device driver. To set up a port in OS/2, use the MODE utility.

To display the status of a serial device, type MODE followed by the name of the asynchronous port. For example, to see the status of the device that is connected to COM2, type the following:

   MODE com2

To set the operating arguments for a serial port, type MODE followed by a combination of the following options:

Option         Purpose

com#           Specifies the number of the asynchronous
               communications (COM) port.

baud           Specifies the transmission rate. Valid rates are 110,
               150, 300, 600, 1200, 1800, 2400, 3600, 4800, 7200,
               9600, and 19,200. The first two digits specify the
               transmission rate.

parity         Specifies the parity. Valid values are N(none), O
               (odd), E (even), M (mark; the parity equals 1), os S
               (space; the parity equals zero). The default value is
               E.

databits       Specifies the number of databits. Valid values are 5,
               6, 7, or 8. The default is 7.

stopbits       Specifies the number of stop bits. Valid values are 1,
               1.5, and 2. The default value is 1.

The baud option must be set; all other arguments are optional.

For example,

   MODE com1: 9600,N,8,1

For more information regarding this procedure, please refer to the OS/2 "User's Guide," pages 399-403 and 466-467.

Additional reference words: 3.20 mta lan man
KBCategory: kbenv kberrmsg
KBSubcategory: MailPCMMTA

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Last reviewed: November 14, 1995
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