The case of the disappearing modem
I have just reformatted my friend's XP desktop computer. All went well - security in place, Internet connected wirelessly, updated and programmes installed.
Took it back and set it up, then the Found New Hardware wizard popped up.
Device manager showed Other with 8 instances of PCI/yellow question mark. Couldn't fathom what it was finding and the drivers weren't on the motherboard disk.
The wizard wouldn't go away even when I ticked don't alert me again so I assumed it was the dialup modem which I didn't need and decided to select don't use this device to shut it up.
This morning the wizard popped up again and when I checked in Device Manager it was the HP all-in-one which my friend hadn't installed properly. However, at this point I happened to notice that the Modem key was displayed along with Intel Best Data Fax modem (no yellow question mark).
The printer was duly installed, went back to DM and lo and behold - the Modem key was not there.
This is all very strange to me as I am not all that au fait with reformatting - in fact I have only done two.
I am assuming that it displayed briefly because the wizard had popped up (albeit for another issue) but has now gone into hiding because I have ticked that I don't want to use the device.
At some point in the future I will probably obtain the drivers for it from the Internet so what do I do about installing them when I can't see the Modem key in the list?
Took it back and set it up, then the Found New Hardware wizard popped up.
Device manager showed Other with 8 instances of PCI/yellow question mark. Couldn't fathom what it was finding and the drivers weren't on the motherboard disk.
The wizard wouldn't go away even when I ticked don't alert me again so I assumed it was the dialup modem which I didn't need and decided to select don't use this device to shut it up.
This morning the wizard popped up again and when I checked in Device Manager it was the HP all-in-one which my friend hadn't installed properly. However, at this point I happened to notice that the Modem key was displayed along with Intel Best Data Fax modem (no yellow question mark).
The printer was duly installed, went back to DM and lo and behold - the Modem key was not there.
This is all very strange to me as I am not all that au fait with reformatting - in fact I have only done two.
I am assuming that it displayed briefly because the wizard had popped up (albeit for another issue) but has now gone into hiding because I have ticked that I don't want to use the device.
At some point in the future I will probably obtain the drivers for it from the Internet so what do I do about installing them when I can't see the Modem key in the list?
The all-in-one device may have been recognised (correctly, or incorrectly) as being a modem.
Some of them do have a modem function, as they are also fax machines sometimes.
Or, because XP didn't recognise it, it could have just been mistaken into thinking it was a modem.
Either way, its nothing to worry about.
Some of them do have a modem function, as they are also fax machines sometimes.
Or, because XP didn't recognise it, it could have just been mistaken into thinking it was a modem.
Either way, its nothing to worry about.
