Member Avatar for BillyF

I have modem troubles on my Laptop. I have got on the internet about a month ago with no troubles but now I cant even dial out. My device Manager says the modem is working fine. I am afraid it is a virus and I have forgot to update my antivirus. I ask someone about it and they said my modem is just about gone or is gone.

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A short, practical triage that separates the two problems in this thread: (A) the dial‑up failure that returned "couldn't make the connection" / "port in use", and (B) the later complete boot/failure to reach BIOS after attempting a driver/INF update. Treat them independently — recovering a working system is required before doing safe driver or malware work.

Hardware/boot checks (for the blank screen / no BIOS): confirm AC adapter output and battery behavior; remove battery and hold power 20–30 seconds with AC unplugged to drain capacitors, then try boot with AC only; disconnect all externals (USB, PCMCIA, dock), reseat RAM and HDD, and test with an external monitor if available. If there is still no POST or video and fans/power LEDs are inactive or odd, stop further driver flashing and seek hardware service — repeated driver flashes or BIOS attempts can make recovery harder.

If the machine will boot, a focused modem checklist: verify the modem responds to raw AT commands (use HyperTerminal or any serial terminal on the modem COM port). Example sequence:

Open a terminal to the modem's COM port (find COM number in Device Manager).
Type: AT
Hit Enter — expected response: OK

If no OK, the modem/driver is not responding. Next steps: uninstall the modem from Device Manager (remove driver and delete the device), reboot and install the vendor/laptop OEM modem driver; from the modem's Advanced settings try a different COM port (COM3 or COM4) to avoid conflicts; inspect running services for TAPI/telephony apps (sync tools, fax/VoIP clients, remote‑control utilities) that can hold the COM port.

Because reported popups and correctly noted INF files don't "age", perform an offline malware scan before reconnecting to the ISP: boot from clean media or attach the drive to a known‑good computer to back up data and run updated scanners. If diagnostics still fail, collect exact error codes/log entries (enable connection logging) and pursue either a clean driver reinstall or professional repair depending on whether hardware or software is at fault.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

I have modem troubles on my Laptop. I have got on the internet about a month ago with no troubles but now I cant even dial out. My device Manager says the modem is working fine. I am afraid it is a virus and I have forgot to update my antivirus. I ask someone about it and they said my modem is just about gone or is gone.

Lets see it could be the wall jack, the modem jack ,spyware .virus, bad phone lines ,bad modem ,your ISP ,the list goes on .you haven't used it in a month ,just what error message do you get if any !

Member Avatar for BillyF

I am thinking that it could be a virus cause there are 1 to 2 programs that are poping up. And also I discovered that the .inf file hasnt been updated since last year. And also it said that the port that the modem is trying to use well another application is using that. I dont know if any. No errors is coming up. It just saying that the Dial-up couldn't make the connection

BillyF

Member Avatar for gonehere

I am thinking that it could be a virus cause there are 1 to 2 programs that are poping up. And also I discovered that the .inf file hasnt been updated since last year. And also it said that the port that the modem is trying to use well another application is using that. I dont know if any. No errors is coming up. It just saying that the Dial-up couldn't make the connection

BillyF

www.modemhelp.net
I have found this very useful for diag/tshoot modem issues, however this is only helpful if you know your way around a computer abit. it does have good directions tho, worth a look.
as said before, could be alot of things. check into spyware removal (I don't have alot of nifty links in my sig like some of the old-timers here). Worth having someone help you out if you don't have any internet access, atleast to burn some disc with some utilities on it.
Dump out your MSCONFIG startup to see if it is software related (open-port error can often be related to any internet answering service/call waiting type software) (start->run type MSCONFIG). Familiarize yourself with the startup tab, you will take everything out, atleast for troubleshooting, but see if there is anything you don't want/need on startup. only things I have running are av software and anti-spyware software.
reboot, try modem again. after that, follow spyware removal instructions, after that, check out modemhelp.net.
good luck.

Member Avatar for caperjack

is there really a link on that site for help with modem problems ,all click seem to go to the same kind of sites full of oudated news ,and adds !and stuff

Member Avatar for BillyF

This sounds very helpful. I will try it the next time. However this laptop I have just died. I found out one possible reason I have troubles with this modem cause the .inf files is not updated well I started to update. I went to the manufacture and found a possible solution well I restarted the laptop. then going to safe mode to see if I could go to the internet through this way. After I started the restart mode the screen went blank liek the hard drive went bad it cant even go into bios mode. It could be the power supply went bad I thought it might be the cord but I check it out and got voltage.

BillyF

Member Avatar for Catweazle

BillyF, to tell the truth it sounds to me like you 'think' far too much. It also seems to me that you listen to people who give poor advice. Goodness knows what problems are on your machine as a result of acting on the poor advice you've heard.

What you are saying about "the .inf files is not updated" simply makes no sense to me. Goodness gracious, people who use Windows don't even have to know what an 'inf' file is. And the particular 'inf' file which relates to your modem installation won't become 'outdated' over time all by itself. If the modem worked before, and it doesn't now, it's not because you haven't updated an 'inf' file.

Broadly speaking, there are 3 main reasons a modem has stopped working:

* Changes you've made on the PC have 'screwed up' the modem installation. The best way to ensure that this is not the case is always going to be a format/clean install. If you've done any amount of fiddling about and trying to make changes based on technical advice you've not properly understood, this is the best approach to take.

* Some change to your telephone line service or cabling has occurred. Added telephone service 'features' can interfere with dial-up internet, and damage or changes to lines, plugs etc can effect it as well.

* The modem itself could have become faulty. This is the least likely cause of the problem.

Member Avatar for BillyF

Hey Grandad I think you think too much about computers. Yes the modem does have .inf files cause I have seen them and read about them in my school books. Also my computer direct me to them through the troubleshooting site. However you did give me some advice about some of the problems of modems thanks.

BillyF

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