COM Ports pulling a switcheroo.

Okay. So I've got this Win95 laptop at home (you know those old gray Toshibas with the green pegs for the mouse?) And I have a NIC card in. Now, the NIC card used to work just fine. This of course, was before the person who eventually gave the computer to me pulled a PEBKAC and removed it without disabling it. Ever since, and I don't know how this got pulled off, but the computer tells me the card is on COM 4. It's not. I have to PCIMCA slots on the side of this thing. The one it's in is regarded as COM 2. Or at least was. I've tried disabling, removing, reinserting, refreshing the device, nothing. How can I inform my computer that my card is on COM 2 without offending its delicate sensibilities? Without it, I can't connect.

 

I'm not sure if it works in WIndows 95, but usually if you boot into Safe Mode and open Device Manager you get a list of every device ever installed. Try deleting the offending deviced from Device Manager, rebooting into normal mode, and then reinstall the device (they should autodetect, however).

 

No such luck...it doesn't even recognize the card in safe mode....anyone else have an idea? I actually brought the laptop into work with me today, if that helps. I can provide whatever info you might need.

 

Okay, I fixed it. At the advice of a co-worker, I went back into the DM under safe mode. And wouldja believe it, there were ghosts of improperly removed parallel and serial devices. Under the modem. As they were ghosts, I deleted them. With nothing else under modems to reference, the laptop took to the NIC like a fish to water. Thanks for a point in the right direction.