Here's the dilly-o:

My friend bought a computer from his friend mainly for internet use, everything is working fine., this is his first computer ever and he is having great fun on the internet, even buys a fishin' pole off Ebay, life is great.

Friends woman does something that causes computer to no longer want to sign on to the internet.

Friend, who knows nothing about computers bravely attempts to uhm...fix problem. Can't blame the guy for giving it a go, that's how I got started fixin' 'em.

However, details are a bit sketchy as to exactly what went on while admittedly computer illiterate friend tries to uhm...fix problem with modem.

 Being somewhat experienced with troubleshooting and correcting PC woes, I offer to take a look at friends machine. I bring the machine home with me and have it set up and running, right next to this one.

 I think this is not too difficult a problem, but I keep my own computers running pretty much flawlessly, so it's not everyday I get to try to figure out a problem like this and excercise my troubleshooting skills.

 So here's a couple of questions:
 Does anyone know how to get to the setup screen on an e-machine before Win98 loads?

 When I try to get the machine to find the modem, it goes straight to a message with the heading of "Opencomm" and the message "Couldn't open port".

 Anyone know how to fix this? or have any ideas of what I should be looking for?

 Let me know if there is any other information that might help, although I don't know a lot about this machine.
 Personally I have never worked on an Emachine, and I never had Win98, but it seems to be typical of Windows OS's.

That was going to be my advice. Turn off, remove modem if its not  part of the motherboard. Reboot. look for any drivers that deal with the modem and remove those. Reboot, after reboot turn off agian, reinstall the modem, turn the puter on, should tell you that there is some new toy added. Just follow the new hardware wizard. You might have to have the factory disk with you, also try looking for updated drivers for the modem.

Thats what I would do at least

Chris

Quote:


  I'm sorry Will, but no one is getting any beer until we get this fellows computer working correctly again.

Quote:


  Good suggestion Daz, but I've already been that route and there are no errors showing in the device manager, as a matter of fact, at first it was not even showing a COM port in the device manager.

Quote:


  I do have the install disc for the modem, because that was one of the things I was thinking I may have to do (re-install modem).


  Here's the latest clue to this mystery:
  Last night I went into MSCONFIG and turned off everything but the very basic functions and restarted the PC, now the COM port shows up in the device manager, however, now when I go into the modem diagnostics and click on the 'more info' button, I get a new error that says "Modem not responding, verify correct interupt is set for port".

  Here's what we have showing:
Port: 1
Interupt: 4
Address: 3F8
UART: NS 16550AN

Standard 56000 bps V90 Modem
Identifier: USRK2_Gen

  This morning I am going to try a few things, I am going to move the modem to a different PCI slot, and I am also going to remove the modem and try re-installing it.
  If none of that helps, I may take a modem out of one of my other machines and see if I can get that to work, if it does, then I will be thinking his modem is bad.

  Keep the ideas coming, I'm keeping that beer on ice until I can sign on to the internet with my friends computer.

 Try to fool me will you...  Some people think that just because I bought that Scientology book, joined Reverend Moon, Ordered those Ginsu knives, bought that bridge, and voted for George Dub-ya that I'm gullible.  Well I'm NOT!  

ooh not pretty to lost the serial numbers.....i know what my mind is saying but im not gonna even suggest doing anything ilegal on these forums to get around it

  HAHA!! Paz prevails!
  I am typing this from the computer we thought was a complete loss.
  Once I return to my machine there will be a round for everyone who tried to help.

  Here's the scenario:
  I ask my friend today at work if he has the document for the OS, naturally and just as I expected he says "no", but his woman had contacted Microsoft and received a new Key code.
  So when I got home I called them and got the code, which did not work....
so, I called Microsoft and got yet another key code, which did work!
  I let Win98 do it's thing, re-installed all the drivers and now everything is working fine.

  I'm not sure what happened, they installed a new modem and I don't know what they did wrong, but the computer was no longer able to communicate with COM1, now, there is nothing on the COM1 port and windows automatically installed the modem to COM4, and everything is working fine.

  I should do them a favor and install zone alarm on here while I have it in my possession.
Yes, I think I will keep it another night and follow Rollerballs advice and check for any kind of mischief that may have caused the problems in the first place.

  Thanks everyone for your ideas, I love it when I get peoples PC's working for them, I wish I could do this for a living.

Thanks Paz - I'm totally underoverwhelmed by that magnificent gesture....