                     IDE/serial card combos

    A  problem  with internal modems can come when a computer uses  an  IDE
controller  card that has built-in serial ports. Often the modem  will  not
work  (com  3/4)  or the mouse (com 1/2) will not work when  the  modem  is
installed. An IDE controller, and seperate comport card works OK.

     Even  with  the  serial ports on the IDE  disabled,  the  problem  can
persist. If you are unsure if you have an IDE/serial, just look inside your
computer  and if there are cables from the Hard Drive controller  going  to
the ports, you have the IDE in question.

     I had one dealer on the phone who had an IDE/serial card in a computer
he  was setting up. Portutil scrambled the screen and went back to  prompt.
He  took out the IDE/serial and put in a plain IDE (while he was  still  on
the  phone) and Portutil and MTEZ would both work.  He then put in a  plain
serial card (for Com1/2).

     There  have been a few reports of the modem making noises, which  stop
after the modem has been initialized, or given any AT command. You can load
a  program and do AT, or look for a Dos program which can send an  AT  from
the Dos prompt, at put it in your Autoexec to send an AT to the modem.  The
ZOOM BBS (open 5pm-8:30am EST) has such a program available, AT10.ZIP. 617-
451-5284.

                                   Don Hinds - Zoom Tech
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