This article describes how to check and modify a serial communications (COM) port setting in Windows 95/98.

To check COM port settings, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon.
3. On the Device Manager tab, double-click Ports (COM & LPT).
4. Double-click the communications port, COMx (where x is the number assigned to that port) you want to check. This opens the Communications Port Properties window.

Determining if a Device Conflict Exists

If two hardware devices are assigned to the same resource setting, a conflict exists and your hardware may not work properly. Interrupt Requests (IRQ) or Direct Memory Access (DMA) settings are two examples of such device resources.

To determine if there is a device resource conflict, look at the Device status window on the General tab of the Communication Port Properties Window. If no device resource conflicts exist, the status window should contain the following message: If resource conflicts exist on the system, the Device status window should contain the following message: Next, click the Resources tab and check the Conflicting Device List to determine what, if any, hardware is causing a conflict.

Checking Port Settings

To check the port settings for a COM port, click the Port Settings tab in the Communication Port Properties window. This tab shows the following settings for the COM port:

• Bits per second (baud rate)
• Data bits
• Parity
• Stop bits
• Flow control

Modifying a COM Port Setting

If you want to modify COM port settings, do the following:

1. Click the arrow next to the setting you want to change.
2. Click the new setting.
3. Click OK.

For additional information about communications port settings in Windows 95/98, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: