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Thread ID: 94504	2008-11-01 12:41:00	Need help fixing someones dial up urgently!	jamesyboi (6579)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
716495	2008-11-01 12:41:00	Help! ....I've been recommeded by my boss to fix a customers computer that is running Windows XP (Home I think), and a dial up connection. The problem is when attempting to dial up to the internet. An error message comes up saying the modem is unavailable or something along those lines, I will try update the error messages and details when I return to the owners house. So basically they have a dial up connection but they also have 2 Lan connections visible, one is a wireless ADSL router that they have (for some reason I dunno) which is not connected. The wireless connection has a standard name 'local area connection 2' or something. However the other has a wierd number like 1692 or something like that and reports that it is connected but it doesn't seem to be related to the internet so perhaps its something to do with the wireless mouse she has I really dont know... In device manager there is no modem listed, and under COM there is only LPT1 for printer (which is not connected). So no COM3 visible even with 'show hidden devices' enabled. When trying to dial up, clicking the settings and 'configure' on the modem listed as being in use, the modem icon has an X over it, and says it is not connected. I have tried to reinstall the modem via 'phone and modem' in control panel, it doesn't find the driver automatically so I select it from a list, I can see the driver in the list as it is seperated from the generic ones, I choose to install it and the next screen asks what COM port to install it on......However there is no COM port to select so there is no possible way to progress by clicking NEXT. I thought this would be quick and simple to fix but after 2~ hours later I gave up and went home, still got paid and feel like a complete theif until I fix her PC. It's an HP pc so I pressed F10 on boot and ran the system recover utility, that did nothing except revert her desktop icons and wallpaper back to default. The other connection is the dial up itself, there were 3 dial up instances in the internet explorer connections settings box, one looked like a generic HP one, the other was the number they dial, and the last was the actual one. So I deleted the other 2 dial up settings and disabled the 2 Lan connections also to avoid any conflict. Another strange thing is that the cable that is connected to the internal modem will not come out of the back of the computer, as if the cable's head has lost the clip to pop it out, i can't decide if this is a hardware or software issue though. Any help appreciated, sorry for not being specific. will update if i can.	jamesyboi (6579)
716496	2008-11-01 16:00:00	I am not an expert and don't play one on television . . . but I had a similar type problem with Dial Up and it was the Audio Card was in the same interrupt as the Modem . I think the tip-off was that the Modem didn't come on, but it would also not release the phone line until the puter was stone cold-dead . It seems that the sound card holds on till the very end of the puter shut down . Maybe?!? . . . just something else to confuse you . . . but it happened to me .	SurferJoe46 (51)
716497	2008-11-01 19:56:00	.I've been recommeded by my boss to fix a customers computer that is running Windows XP (Home I think), and a dial up connection. An error message comes up saying the modem is unavailable or something along those lines I thought this would be quick and simple to fix but after 2~ hours later I gave up and went home, still got paid and feel like a complete theif until I fix her PC. It's an HP pc so I pressed F10 on boot and ran the system recover utility, that did nothing except revert her desktop icons and wallpaper back to default. Another strange thing is that the cable that is connected to the internal modem will not come out of the back of the computer, as if the cable's head has lost the clip to pop it out, i can't decide if this is a hardware or software issue though. What are you doing even touching this PC? You obviously have no idea. Give her her money back immediately, you don't take money if you can't fix it. The first things to do would be to establish if the modem itslef is faulty or not. Then if its ok see if it is a driver problem, and download the correct one for that model and that O/S. You don't even know if its running XP Home or not? How can you not even know that? As for pressing F10, so you are saying after stuffing around for ages you factory restored her PC, wiping all her personal data and everything. You should be shot.	pctek (84)
716498	2008-11-01 20:01:00	What are you doing even touching this PC? You obviously have no idea . Give her her money back immediately, you don't take money if you can't fix it . The first things to do would be to establish if the modem itslef is faulty or not . Then if its ok see if it is a driver problem, and download the correct one for that model and that O/S . You don't even know if its running XP Home or not? How can you not even know that? As for pressing F10, so you are saying after stuffing around for ages you factory restored her PC, wiping all her personal data and everything . You should be shot . C'mon! Sometimes a boss will NOT accept an excuse and actually shames someone into going places where they shouldn't . This poor fella is just trying to not get fired and is asking for help, not a spanking . I make a lot of mistakes in the vein of being a Good Samaritan and although I am no longer employed, I can commiserate with the situation . I know you wrinkle at ANYONE doing what you do so well . . . but that's not the issue here and personally, I am ashamed of you for the bad attitude . Fer cryin' out loud, HELP THE GUY! You know HOW .	SurferJoe46 (51)
716499	2008-11-01 20:14:00	I am ashamed of you for the bad attitude . Fer cryin' out loud, HELP THE GUY! You know HOW . Sometimes a boss will NOT accept an excuse and actually shames someone into going places where they shouldn't . That might have been possible before he wiped her PC losing her emails, email settings, personal files, photos, etc etc . If he had asked before doing this to it . The thing to do would have been to establish if the modem was infact working first etc, as I said already . But now . . . . . . . . . . And being told to fix it by the boss and being "recommended" are two different things . Why would the boss insist unless he's atech, or has expertise as a tech . And a tech would know how to check the version of WIndows for one thing, looking at the COA on the case would be the screamingly obvious thing to do for starters, never mind even booting up and looking . All indicates to me a total disaster . Well, now that its wiped what do you suggest? Trying to retrieve all her data first? Or checking the modem first?	pctek (84)
716500	2008-11-01 20:20:00	Hey...YOU ARE THE EXPERT HERE...I defer to your expertise...I just gave the poor guy a light at the end of his tunnel last night (my time). This may indeed be a total disaster, but it's just nuts and bolts too....try talking to/with the guy...and let's see what can be resurrected. I appreciate your return and candor.	SurferJoe46 (51)
716501	2008-11-01 20:50:00	Okay Peoples stop fighting :horrified or you will all have to go sit in the corner over in the advertising section for 1 hour :lol::p BUT Pctek is right in what was said, you do need to check first to see if the modem is actually working or not, there was no need to run the system recovery and maybe lose every thing. All that said - IF the system recovery was run, sometimes there is the option to do a repair recovery which hopefully is what was selected, meaning the persons data is still there. If the recovery was run and as long as the original hardware has not been changed then all the correct drivers will be installed. Meaning the modem if its working will be detected by the original drivers, if its not then the modem needs to be removed and a known working one installed with the correct drivers as Pctek suggested earlier on. Not being sarcastic or anything here - but I do think the poster may be out of his depth - running system recovery is the last thing to do and fiddling around in side someone else's PC, and with the possibility of causing damage is not a good idea - its better to say to your boss/customer that its beyond your knowledge and get someone who does know what they are doing to fix the problem than stuff things up. Example in the last sentence of the original post - Another strange thing is that the cable that is connected to the internal modem will not come out of the back of the computer, as if the cable's head has lost the clip to pop it out, i can't decide if this is a hardware or software issue though. Seen this hundreds of times as well any other computer technician - 99.9% sure the clip will be there - what usually happens is when the phone plug is pushed into the socket, the little retaining clip will have "popped" under the rear of the case / Card slot - you need to carefully push the plug in slightly to take the pressure off the clip, then with a small flat headed screwdriver ease down the clip and the lead will simply fall out. A simple close inspection of the plug/socket and you should see this, not from looking behind the desk you need to pull out the PC and have full access to it.	wainuitech (129)
716502	2008-11-01 21:03:00	whats dial up?	plod (107)
716503	2008-11-01 22:30:00	Okay this is a help forum after all - BUT following on from the above - do this at your own risk since it does at first look /appear to be slightly out of the knowledge base - do something wrong and it could make matters worse. Like Pctek, I do this for a living - depending on the boot up speed of the PC,time to test the following, if you know what to do, --- 10-15 minutes. I’ll run through the steps I would take to fix this problem, up to you if you want to try, but it does mean “Getting your hands dirty” inside the PC. Dont do this on carpet as you run the risk of giving the PC a static Belt - wear a antistatic strap, or touch a metal part of the PC to discharge any static, and dont go moving around. With the PC turned off, remove the side of the case, look and see if the modem is seated in correctly and has not come out or loose for some reason. Even If it looks OK, remove the modem and blow out any dust and crap that may be about, in case dust is causing the modem to lose contact. Put modem back in and start up PC, see if its detected. If its not, turn off the PC – remove the modem and put it in another PCI slot, restart PC, if its working it should come up with “Found New Hardware” – let it install the drivers, being an HP they will already be there in a hidden folder on the system. If it doesn’t detect, turn off PC, install a known good modem or a new one – same as above, the PC should detect the modem and “Found new Hardware” should come up. Now depending on the Modem, windows may automatically install the drivers, other wise install the drivers that come with the modem on the CD or make sure you have downloaded them off the vendors web site BEFORE installing the Modem in the PC. IF a known good modem still wont detect, you may have failed PCI Slots on the Board, to test this, take the original modem and install in a known good working PC, if it detects then the Mother Board may be the problem, or it could be a software problem. To test if its software or hardware, you would get a linux live CD, boot the PC from that CD, The linux drivers should auto detect the modem, and you should be able to dial out. Depending on if you did a full recovery or a part recovery when pressing F10, will tell if its hardware or software as well, if a full recovery was done, and no modem(s) still won’t detect, there is a possible PCI slot failures on the board.	wainuitech (129)
716504	2008-11-01 23:05:00	bbbbbbbbbloooooody heck.... im a freakin video store clerk for crying out loud! - not a comptuer technician. and it was at midnight after work I was freakin tired okay.... geez, its not like I didn't try give the money back already.... anyways the first reply to this thread was the most helpful. and the rest ... i'll read it over now........ I was told that her son removed the audio jack from the back of the computer and put it in the front jack on the computer. now this may have done what SurferJoe46 was on about with the audio taking over the port or something. now I think we're onto it. And I know how to determine what windows it is I just don't remember >_<. the F10 on boot thing didn't give much prompt but I dont think it erased her harddrive contents, the only reason I did that was because after having a fiddle with it...... windows stopped booting at all.. and just went to a black screen.... with the amount of junk installed and in msconfig I thought something malicious could have been a problem. I have uninstalled the modem driver but it can easily be reinstalled. The reason I'm so retarded is because I think i was poisoned last night by her orange juice..... seriously haven't got any sleep and had massive stomach ache all night from 1 cup of just juice..... ugh. thanks for ur input though. Any advice on what to do assuming that the sound is what is causing the problem like SurferJoe46 suggested?	jamesyboi (6579)
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