Unable to get Modem working Win 98SE

Hi folks

I have recently formatted the HD and re-installed windows 98SE for a freind. Unfortunately i am now unable to get the Modem working. Its only a 56k Pine PCI Modem on an old PC. His new PC is on order but would like this to keep online in the meantime.
It is a plug and play modem. I have managed to find all the other driver files online for the onboard graphics on the Asus motherboard. I also found all the requested driver files for the Modem too. Unfortunately upon returning the computer and installing the dialup ISP software we are unable to connect as it says the modem cannot be found. If i use device manager and check the Modem in there it tells me that the device is working properly. However if i try to go to Control Panel/Internet Options/Connections to configure the Modem it does not appear in the list at all. When checking on the list of Modems connected it tells me that the modem software is corrupt!? Asking Windows to auto search for the Modem proves fruitless too. Removing the modem and rebooting and installing the requested files doesnt seem to work either, even from the supplied CD that came with the modem. I installed Broadband to download all the updates/AV and a firewall for my friend after the re-install, then removed all the BB software. The PC is a very old one with only a 200MHz CPU and 28MB of RAM. This is more a case of me not wanting to be beat than anything else!

Your help is much appreciated. Please advise me as a novice because i am at the limits of my understanding here.

Cheers folks

Rich D Lincs UK

 

Hi Rich,

Suggest you boot into Safe Mode and go to Add/remove programs, Control Panel > Modems and Device Manager and remove anything related to modems. Shut down and remove the modem card. Boot to normal Windows and run the installation CD. Shutdown and put the card back in. On boot, Windows should recognise the card. Get the driver wizard to check in the folders of the CD if it does not find them automatically. You can also uncheck all the search "places" which will make Windows look in it's own system files, otherwise see if you can find it in the model "list ".

When you have the drivers installed, go to Control Panel > Modems (you can highlight and check it's properties). If it is Com Port 1 or Com port 2 then reboot the machine. Check again, it needs to be on Com 3 or higher BEFORE you try to connect to the internet. If it is on Com 3(+), go to the Diagnostics tab (highlight it) and click more info. If it is installed properly you should see a lot of info come up with very few OK's.

You could run the card manufacturers updated drivers from their website if you like.

Follow the ISP's instructions for connection configuration.

I hope this will get you going.

Matt

PS If you still can't get a good install of drivers, look at the main "chip" on the card. Search for chipset drivers at the chipset manufacturers website. (NB these may not run "added extras" that the original manufacturer had installed).

 

In case you do not know how to get into Safe Mode, go to Start\Run and type in Msconfig and press Enter. Click on the Advanced button, and put a checkmark for Enable Startup Menu.
Reboot and you will be able to choose Safe Mode.

 

Thanks markp62, I lost track of the novice part.
Rich D, post back if I lost (confused ) you anywhere.

"This is more a case of me not wanting to be beat than anything else!" , you'll get there.

Matt

 

Thanks guys for the replies. I have yet to go and have another go at the problem. All i will say is that if i remember correctly the installation CD didnt auto run. I had to search the CD for the requested files and then point Windows in the right direction. I havent tried removing the Modem physically as yet so that will be the next step. Thanks again and i may well be back.

 

Hi again folks

Been back to my mates house and had another go using your instructions for another 3 hours. Im afraid its exactly the same. I followed your instructions Matt to the letter. Unfortunately the Modem Software CD does not auto run. After removing the modem from control/panel/modem, then shutting down, inserting the card back in and rebooting, I get prompted " Please insert the disk labelled ESS Windows 2000 Modem Driver Installation Disk ". Purely inserting the CD thats came with the Modem results in the computer prompting "Cannot find file Mycat.cat ". I then search the Cd manually and find a Mycat.cat file in D:/ESS/PCI/ES2819/Win2000. I click ok. The OS then boots up ok with no errors. I then go to control panel/modem. I find "ESS ES56T-PI Data Fax Voice Modem" is the only one on the list. I click "properties ". I get " The modem properties cannot be displayed because the modem information is corrupt. Remove this Modem by clicking remove and adding again ".
I do so and i get exactly the same over and over .

The Modem Details are :

Pine Technology Ltd FM-3621 MODEM

Date label 11/08/00

Chipset Details on Modem :

Large Chip : ESS Tel.eDrive
ES2898S C150
TAVB6059S

Small Chip : ESS Tel.eDrive
ES2819F F140
TTWAN1729A

OS Is Windows 98SE

Motherboard is an Asus SP97-XV

28MB Ram installed ( i know it is pitiful )

200Mhz Pentium CPU

I have tried the Windows drivers from the Pine website. I can only assume i am doing something wrong. If one of you could do me a step by step method to correct me where i am going wrong then i would be most grateful. A link to the correct driver would be a bonus as there are so many to choose from. I am getting prompted for a Windows 2000 installation disk when i have got Win 98SE. So two main questions really as well as the req`d information. Are Win 98SE and Win 2000 classed as one and the same when installing hardware ? And as i now have bought the PC back to my house for another go with your help ( hopefully ), am i able to install the 56K modem without having it plugged into a phone line? I am on DSL so im assuming i cannot plug it into my line ?

Plug and play USB on Win XP is so much more simple!

I await your help patiently. Many thanks again so far and sorry to be a pain. This is really bugging me, i hope you are up for the challenge!

Richard

 

Hardware drivers for 98 and W2k are completely different. You mentioned the CD will not autorun, but have your browsed the root of the CD for a file named Autorun.Exe?
http://members.driverguide.com/inde...M-3621&qa5=10&qa6=819&dp=2&sm=b&jmd=and&fzz=b
The above link has several flavors of drivers for different OS's for that modem. Sign in with 'drivers' as the user, 'all' as the password.
You can plug it into your phone line that has DSL, all the modem does is make a phone call.

 

Thanks Mark and Matt for your help. I have yet to try it on dialup but i think i have sorted it at last .

I reinstalled using one of the drivers from the site you mentioned above but got exactly the same upon booting to OS. I find "ESS ES56T-PI Data Fax Voice Modem" is the only one on the list again in control panel/modems with a picture of a chip next to it rather than the yellow telephone.
I clicked "properties ". I got " The modem properties cannot be displayed because the modem information is corrupt. Remove this Modem by clicking remove and adding again ".
However, i then clicked "Add" in control panel/modems and reinstalled the modem using the driver above and it worked. I then removed the corrupt version. I can only assume upon plug and play installation it was using some windows files that werent compatible. The only one i was geting prompted for was mycat.cat so thats why i thought all should of been good. I had the correct file for the correct OS. Probably very simple for you guys now you know what i was doing wrong but i thought id post my methods for those who are here to learn like myself .

Many thanks again, id of been stuck without both of you for your help.

Richard

 

Good you found it. I think I've gone along that path before, trying to install through the hardware wizard rather than the "add modem" wizard, sorry I did not think of it. Actually, I think Windows Help may have gotten you there more directly or at least pointed you to the modem wizard.
I have an ESS based soundcard and I've just looked at the driver CD. There is no autorun, no setup.exe, no readme or instruction files, just the driver files in various folders. You need to direct Windows all the way. Then there are no Win98 drivers listed, so Win95 would be the compatible ones. Easy!! (if you started using Windows back in Win3.1 days )

Matt

 

Yeah cheers Matt. I like a challenge but it must of took about 8 hours fiddling to get it sorted. I hate being beaten by any such problem and wasnt about to quit. Thanks again.