How to Install an Internal Modem in Windows 95

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows 95

SUMMARY

This article describes how to install an internal modem in a computer running Windows 95.

MORE INFORMATION

To install an internal modem in a computer running Windows 95, follow these steps:

1. Physically configure the modem to use the appropriate serial port, I/O address range, and interrupt request (IRQ) line. Be sure to choose a serial port, an I/O address range, and an IRQ line that is not already in use by another device. For information about how to configure the modem, consult the documentation included with the modem, or contact the modem's manufacturer.

   NOTE: If the modem is a Plug and Play modem, you do not need to physically configure the modem to use a specific serial port, I/O address range, or interrupt request (IRQ) line. However, depending on the configuration of the existing legacy (non-Plug and Play) devices in your computer, installing the Plug and Play modem may create a resource conflict that prevents the modem from functioning properly. To work around this behavior, configure the legacy devices to use a different I/O address range or IRQ line, or configure the computer so that the appropriate I/O address range or IRQ line is reserved for the legacy device.

2. If the modem is configured to use a serial port that physically exists in your computer, disable the serial port in your computer's CMOS settings. For example, if the modem is configured to use the COM2 port and your computer contains two physical serial ports, COM2 must be disabled in your computer's CMOS settings. For information on how to disable the serial port, consult the documentation included with your computer, or contact the computer's manufacturer.

   NOTE: If your computer contains a Plug and Play BIOS, disabling a serial port in the computer's CMOS settings may not free the resources that the serial port is configured to use. This may create a resource conflict between the serial port and the modem and may prevent the modem from functioning properly. To work around this behavior, use either of the following methods:

       - Physically configure the modem to use a serial port that does not
         exist in the computer. For example, if your computer contains two
         physical serial ports, configure the modem to use the COM3 port.
   

         NOTE: In addition to configuring the modem to use a different serial
         port, you may need to physically configure the modem to use a
         different IRQ. The COM1 and COM3 ports and the COM2 and COM4 ports
         are configured to use the same IRQ line by default. If a modem is
         configured to use COM1 or COM2 and is conflicting with the serial
         port that it is configured to use, configuring the modem to use COM3
         or COM4 may not eliminate the conflict.
   

       - Reinstall Windows 95 using the following command:
   

            setup /p i
   
         The "/p i" switch causes Setup not to report the existence of a Plug
         and Play BIOS. When you disable the serial port in your computer's
         CMOS settings after using this command to reinstall Windows 95, the
         resources that the serial port is configured to use are freed. For
         more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft
         Knowledge Base:
   
            ARTICLE-ID: Q128400
            TITLE     : Windows 95 Setup Switches
   
   

3. Turn off your computer, insert the modem in an open slot, and then turn the computer back on.

4. If the modem is not detected automatically when Windows 95 starts, run the Install New Modem Wizard. To do so, use the following steps.

   NOTE: Follow these steps only if the modem is not detected automatically. If the modem is detected as a standard modem type or is detected incorrectly, skip to step 5. If the modem is detected, but you are prompted to select which driver you want to install, skip to step 6.

   a. In Control Panel, double-click Modems.

   b. If you do not already have a modem installed in your computer, the

         Install New Modem Wizard starts automatically. If you already have a
         modem installed in your computer, click Add to start the Install New
         Modem Wizard.
   

         To install the modem after the Install New Modem Wizard starts,
         click the "Don't detect my modem..." check box to clear it, and
         then click Next.
   

   If the modem is still not detected, the resources that the modem is configured to use may conflict with the resources being used by another device. To work around this behavior, eliminate the resource conflict by configuring one of the devices to use different resources.

5. If the modem is detected, but Windows 95 is unable to accurately identify the modem, a standard modem driver or other incorrect modem driver may be installed. If this occurs, follow these steps:

   a. In Control Panel, double-click Modems.

   b. If you do not already have a modem installed in your computer, the

         Install New Modem Wizard starts automatically. If you already have a
         modem installed on your computer, click the Add button to start the
         Install New Modem Wizard.
   

         After the Install New Modem Wizard starts, click the "Don't detect
         my modem..." check box to select it, and then click Next.
   

   c. In the Manufacturers box, click the manufacturer of the modem. If

         the specific modem you are installing appears in the Models box,
         click the modem and then follow the instructions on the screen.
   

         If the manufacturer of the modem does not appear in the
         Manufacturers box or the specific modem does not appear in the
         Models box, Windows 95 does not include a driver for your modem. To
         use the modem in Windows 95, use the standard modem driver or
         contact the manufacturer of the modem to inquire whether a
         protected-mode driver that is compatible with Windows 95 is
         available.
   

6. If Windows 95 is able to accurately identify the modem but determines that the modem is not supported by the drivers included with Windows 95, you are prompted to select which driver you want to install for the modem. The following options are available:

       - Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer
       - Do not install a driver (Windows will not prompt you again)
       - Select from a list of alternate drivers
   

   If you have a disk from the modem's manufacturer that contains Windows 95 drivers, click the "Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer" option. If you have information from the manufacturer that this modem emulates another modem Windows 95 supports, click the "Select from a list of alternate drivers" option and select the appropriate modem from the list.

   NOTE: The prompt described above is typically displayed when an unsupported Plug and Play modem is installed in the computer. If you installed an unsupported Plug and Play modem and configured Windows 95 to use a driver included with Windows 95, you can configure Windows 95 to use a driver provided by the hardware manufacturer instead. To do so, follow these steps:

   a. In Control Panel, double-click System.

   b. Click the Device Manager tab, click the modem, and then click

         Remove. Note that some Plug and Play modems may appear on the Other
         Devices branch in Device Manager instead of the Modem branch.
   

   c. Turn the computer off, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on.

   d. When you are prompted to select which driver you want to install for

         the modem, click the "Driver from disk provided by hardware
         manufacturer" option.