Both laptop and desktop Vista and W-7....

[Valorie *~~]

I agree that it is suspicious that 3 machines have suddenly stopped being
able to connect via dial-up, but I wouldn't have thought that any MS
updates
would have done that - unless you have installed any of the optional
updates
that sometimes are offered for hardware drivers.

We have auto-update set so our PCs are updated with whatever MS updates them
with. We don't update manually.

One thing that did stop dial-up in the village where I live was an
electrical storm in July this year. A number of modems and computers were
damaged by an overhead lightening discharge. An old external modem on an
ancient machine that I have runnung Millennium was partially fried in that
it would not pick up the dial tone. My broadband router on the other hand
was not affected. So any storms in your area recently?

One light rain passed through a day AFTER the problem started. If it was
caused by a storm wouldn't all the PCs be affected? We have surge
protection on them all after having a new color TV fried in an electrical
storm some years back. :*(

Also any work on your telephone line or any additions to your house
telephone system?

No. Nothing changed and no new software was added to any of the PCs.

Yes, I know that the modem in your XP machine is working, but it is
probably
a completely different type to those built into modern machines.

I have a new USB modem that I have never used. Tonight I plugged it into a
full updated W7 (Home premium 32bit) Dell Inspiron 580 desktop. I went to
Windows update to search for a driver, which it found and installed.

After entering the telephone number for my old dial-up account, together
with the username and password I was able to connect without any problem.

Would we suddenly need drivers for 3 different PCs w/3 different modems at
the same time? How would we know what drivers were needed?

So I don't think it is a general problem caused by recent updates to W7.

The USB modem that I used was an inexpensive little dongle from
StarTech.com, model # USB56KEM, which shows up in Device Manager as "USB
Soft Data Fax Modem with SmartCP"

The external modem we bought for the W-7 PC is a $59 Zoom USB modem from
Staples. W-7 can communicate with it just fine but when we try to add our
ISP's information we get the same small window we get on the Vista PC's
saying "Windows cannot locate a modem." It's exasperating and we can't find
help anywhere.

 

[Valorie *~~]

It sounds like the problem I encountered once. Vista and 7 have the added
feature of being able to update DRIVERS through Windows Update, that is
how my dialup connection was screwed up

IF THIS IS ALSO THE CASE WITH YOU, you need to "roll back" the driver:

1- right-click on "my computer" and choose "manage".

Just to let you know, there is no icon for My Computer on either Vista or
W-7. If it's there MS has it hidden somewhere like the desktop icon.

2- in the window that opens up, on the right side column select "device
manager".

To get that I had to type it in the search window.

3-now in the middle section which lists all the hardware on your computer,
expand "modems" and right click on the name of your modem and choose
properties.
4-choose the "driver" tab.
5-if the "roll back" button is NOT grayed out, then press it and roll back
the driver to the previous version.

The roll back button is grayed out.

-->if the button IS grayed out (disabled) then the problem is not the
driver

IF THE DRIVER WAS THE CULPRIT and rolling back the driver actually works,
then you will need to change the settings of the windows update to NOT
automatically download the updates and just NOTIFY you. this way you can
select NOT to download a updated driver for the modem.

It's not the driver. :*(

 

[Char Jackson]

OK, I thought a net-work is where two or more PCs can share information
among themselves. That's what the techs called it when they tried to get
all our PCs to see each other that time.

When two or more computers are connected to each other, they are
networked. If the networked computers are all at your house, they are
said to make up a Local Area Network, or LAN. The Internet is an
(extreme) example of a Wide Area Network, or WAN. Both are valid
examples of networks that your computer(s) could be part of.

 

[Char Jackson]

There is nothing to delete. The ISPs number is entered in a network window
but that window no longer works on the 3 PCs. As soon as we try to add our
ISP in the network window, another small window comes up saying "Windows
cannot locate a modem." That's as far as we can get. Our ISP didn't give
us a disk to install anything that can be deleted.

It would be helpful if you would review the article linked by Nil on
how to ask for technical assistance. In addition to all of the general
information that's missing from your request and has to be guessed at,
we don't know EXACTLY where you're clicking and where/how you're
trying to enter the ISP dialing information. Please either provide the
necessary information without further excuses or at least provide
links to the various screen captures. You're really making this harder
than it needs to be.

 

[Char Jackson]

When my husband called their tech support the only thing they offered him
was to sell us new equipment - with no guarantee it would help. They didn't
offer to log into anything and didn't know to ask. How old is your
brother's equipment? Ours is about 4 years old.

My brother is a dealer/installer...his own equipment is 3-4 years old
and works fine. Try calling tech support again and ask them to check
your service status. They can see your signal levels so they'll know
if your dish is misaligned, and they can see how often you've actually
lost the signal over time. You could have an equipment or cable
problem, but the most likely issue is a misaligned or loose dish.

 

[Char Jackson]

And yet I read that 40% or more of Americans are still on dial-up. Not all
of them can afford Satellite PC service.

I agree, satellite is expensive for what you get. Fortunately, DSL and
cable are much less expensive while offering much higher performance
than satellite Internet service, but of course they aren't available
everywhere.

I couldn't understand their explanations. Maybe today if we found someone
to come over they could get it working what with technology advancing as it
is.

Take extensive notes and ask lots of questions next time so that you
can tell the next tech what's already been done.

That could get costly where 3 PCs are concerned. Techs here charge as much
as $75 to $100 an hour. We lost our really good tech when he moved some
years ago. Housecalls were $50 but except for failing to get a network
working for us, he fixed every problem we had back then, added RAM, 2nd HDs,
got cranky printers working etc.

Which part of the country are you in? Maybe someone is willing to make
a road trip.

 

[Lewis]

Just to let you know, there is no icon for My Computer on either Vista or
W-7. If it's there MS has it hidden somewhere like the desktop icon.

It's in the sidebar... er, navigation bar.

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

On 10/14/2010 11:59 PM, Valorie *~~ wrote:

Just to let you know, there is no icon for My Computer on either Vista
or W-7. If it's there MS has it hidden somewhere like the desktop icon.

If you want an icon for Computer, or My Computer (if you rename it) you
can have one in Windows 7, at least in my Pro version.

Take your mouse into a blank area of your desktop and right click on it.
In the resulting box scroll down to "Personalize" and left click.

That will bring up a small windows, in that click on "Change desktop
icons", near the upper left of the window.

From there you can turn on the various icons, including the "Computer"
icon. Once it is turned on you can later rename the copy that is put on
your desktop to "MY Computer" if you so choose.

As for the "Show Desktop" icon, on my computer it is on the far right
lower corner of my taskbar (my taskbar is set to be on the bottom of the
screen). For what it's worth the icon looks like a small LCD monitor on
my system.

 

[Roy Smith]

And yet I read that 40% or more of Americans are still on dial-up. Not
all of them can afford Satellite PC service.

I'm not on dial-up or satellite service. Just don't forget that there
are other broadband options like DSL and Cable modem. Just the other
day I received a letter in the mail from AT&T offering their DSL service
for $14.99 a month. That's not much more that some dial-up providers...

I couldn't understand their explanations. Maybe today if we found
someone to come over they could get it working what with technology
advancing as it is.

Then you might want to take a look at this:

http://www.purenetworks.com/

This software makes setting up a home network so easy that anyone can do
it regardless of their knowledge of computers.



--

Roy Smith
Windows 7 Professional
Thunderbird 3.1.4
Friday, October 15, 2010 2:00:10 PM

 

[John Aldred]

Valorie *~~ wrote:

The external modem we bought for the W-7 PC is a $59 Zoom USB modem from
Staples. W-7 can communicate with it just fine but when we try to add our
ISP's information we get the same small window we get on the Vista PC's
saying "Windows cannot locate a modem." It's exasperating and we can't
find help anywhere.

Do you get a message like:
"Error 797 a connection to the remote access server was not made because the
modem was not found"
Or do you simply get "Windows cannot locate a modem"?

When you say W-7 can communicate with the modem. Did you go to
Control Panel > Phone and Modem > Modem > Properties and then to the
Diagnostics Tab and the Query Modem button. This should list about 12 "AT"
commands and replies such as "ATQUV1E0 - Success" and "AT14 - USB Soft
Data/Fax Modem"

So if Windows is seeing the modem and can communicate with it, is Dial-up
Networking configured to use this modem?

If you can right click on your Dial-up Networking connection and open up the
Properties box you should see the same modem listed there as is shown under
Modems in the second paragraph. This should also be the same modem as is
shown in Device Manager.

The only other thing that I can suggest is to ring your ISP and ask if
others are reporting the same problem.

Best of luck

 

[Valorie *~~]

It is perhaps not a good idea when you apparently are asking for help to
call people who are able to help you very silly names.
How would you like to be called a thickie, a dumbo or a PC idiot?

Who are you replying to? I haven't called anyone names. I never have. I
have no idea what you're talking about. ?!?!?!?!?

Open Control panel, select Phone and Modems. Click the Modems tag and
'remove' the modem. Restart and have a look to see if it has detected its
presence and reinstalled it. If it hasn't, use the same control panel
selection to add a modem.
If you have had a recent thunderstorm down your way, the modems might have
been spiked (I am using a word there without the foggiest notion of
whether it is correct: the fact is that I have had a modem bust by a
lightning flash while I was logged in.) I would recommend an external
modem anyway because one can see the lights. Also check the connections
and wires. Plug a PC that won't work into one of the modems that does work
and see what happens. Guess what comes next: plug the modem that doesn't
work into a PC that does work with its own modem. If a modem plugs into a
USB port, try another USB port. (If a USB connection wobbles, it has
gone to the great yonder and sleeps the big sleep.)

He's now tried everythying on these 3 PCs. He's been on the phone with tech
support for HP and Zoom (modem). In Modem properties it SEES the external
modem and the Vista PCs SEE their internal modems. But when we try to use
dial up we get the "Windows can't detect a medem" error.

I am interested in your comment that the PC can not 'see' the modem.

Wrong terminology. They can all see and communicate with the modems until
we try to get online. Then it says "Windows can't detect a modem."
Suddenly they can't find/see/detect their modems.

Almost

all modem problems except those lightning buggered can be fixed by working
through the normal windows help system. The only thing I would suggest as
an addition is that it is important to have a 56K modem and cable
connection for use when in trouble - you can get a nice little USB modem
for very little money and which is about the size of a memory stick. If
the modems are wireless, all bets are off because I know zilch about
wireless.

Just wondering if you had a problem with W-7 and a dial-up ISP. A cable
connection? The cable is built into the USB external modem.

 

[Valorie *~~]

I agree, satellite is expensive for what you get. Fortunately, DSL and
cable are much less expensive while offering much higher performance
than satellite Internet service, but of course they aren't available
everywhere.

They have cable less than 1/2 mile down the road from us but they wont bring
it down our road. They say there isn't enough homes out here. We've signed
petitions several times but then the cable Co ignores us. Satellite has to
be close to the bottom of the barrel, just a step above dial-up.

Take extensive notes and ask lots of questions next time so that you
can tell the next tech what's already been done.

My husband keeps track of all those things. Finding a tech that comes to
the house these days is like seeking needles in haystacks where we live.

Which part of the country are you in? Maybe someone is willing to make
a road trip.

The backwoods of central TN.

 

[Valorie *~~]

I'm not on dial-up or satellite service. Just don't forget that there are
other broadband options like DSL and Cable modem. Just the other day I
received a letter in the mail from AT&T offering their DSL service for
$14.99 a month. That's not much more that some dial-up providers...

We have 2 choices where I live. No DSL and no cable. We have satellite or
dial-up. Verizon wireless is coming into the area but people are complaining
about constant dropped connections or poor signals. In a few years that
will probably be straightened out.

Then you might want to take a look at this:

http://www.purenetworks.com/

This software makes setting up a home network so easy that anyone can do
it regardless of their knowledge of computers.

I'm definately going to check it out.... but more important at the moment
is getting online with our dial-up ISP. My husband spent a lot of time on
the phone with the tech from Zoom modems and HP and made no headway at all.
We still get the same small "Windows cannot detect a modem" window.

 

[Valorie *~~]

Did you read the article I suggested about how to ask a good question?
You haven't yet followed any of its advice.

I read it and thought I was asking properly. I can't ask like a tech
because I'm not a tech. It seems no one here has ever had a problem with
their dial-up connection or got the "Windows can't detect a modem" error.

 

[Valorie *~~]

When two or more computers are connected to each other, they are
networked. If the networked computers are all at your house, they are
said to make up a Local Area Network, or LAN. The Internet is an
(extreme) example of a Wide Area Network, or WAN. Both are valid
examples of networks that your computer(s) could be part of.

OK. Gotcha. Have you any idea why these 3 newer PCs suddenly say
"Windows cannot detect a modem" when we try to dial-up? But that can
communicate fine with them otherwise?

 

[Valorie *~~]

My brother is a dealer/installer...his own equipment is 3-4 years old
and works fine. Try calling tech support again and ask them to check
your service status. They can see your signal levels so they'll know
if your dish is misaligned, and they can see how often you've actually
lost the signal over time. You could have an equipment or cable
problem, but the most likely issue is a misaligned or loose dish.

OK, I'll pass your message info to my husband and let him handle it. It's
really a PIA to have the Sat' service constantly lose the signal with even a
light rain or snow flurries. That's why we got the dial-up backup 2 years
ago. And until a few days ago it worked fine on the Vista PCs. W-7 didn't
come witha modem but the problem is the same with the external one.

I just read my husband your reply. He just said he'll call them tomorrow.
He has a wake to go to tonight.

 

[Valorie *~~]

It would be helpful if you would review the article linked by Nil on
how to ask for technical assistance. In addition to all of the general
information that's missing from your request and has to be guessed at,
we don't know EXACTLY where you're clicking and where/how you're
trying to enter the ISP dialing information.

We click on Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Devices and Printers/USB modem.
And it sees the modem there. Right-click USB Modem/select dial-up
networking/create a dial-up connection and then we get the screen that says
"Windows cannot detect a dial-up modem." Now can you tell us what's wrong
with these 3 PCs? That's each step we take.

Please either provide the

necessary information without further excuses or at least provide
links to the various screen captures. You're really making this harder
than it needs to be.

The above is step by step how the ISP info is added.

 

[Valorie *~~]

It's in the sidebar... er, navigation bar.

The left-hand side bar on both W-7 and both Vistas does not have anything
called "My computer." I just looked. Could there be a new name for it? Or
how else can it be located? I remember a "My Computer" on the XP PCs. It
was an icon on the desktop.

 

[Valorie *~~]

On 10/14/2010 11:59 PM, Valorie *~~ wrote:



If you want an icon for Computer, or My Computer (if you rename it) you
can have one in Windows 7, at least in my Pro version.
Take your mouse into a blank area of your desktop and right click on it.
In the resulting box scroll down to "Personalize" and left click.
That will bring up a small windows, in that click on "Change desktop
icons", near the upper left of the window.

From there you can turn on the various icons, including the "Computer"
icon. Once it is turned on you can later rename the copy that is put on
your desktop to "MY Computer" if you so choose.

OK, THAT got it on the desktop. Others here assumed it was already there.
It wasn't.

As for the "Show Desktop" icon, on my computer it is on the far right
lower corner of my taskbar (my taskbar is set to be on the bottom of the
screen). For what it's worth the icon looks like a small LCD monitor on
my system.

On mine also. On Vista it's still a small icon on the taskbar.

 

[NQ]

The left-hand side bar on both W-7 and both Vistas does not have
anything called "My computer." I just looked. Could there be a new name
for it? Or how else can it be located? I remember a "My Computer" on the
XP PCs. It was an icon on the desktop.

W7 version of XP's "My Computer" is called "Computer"--ummm if you had
attempted to click onto "Computer" you would of noted that it is the
same as XP's My Computer.

You"ll find Computer by clicking onto the Start icon and looking in the
right column of the Start menu for "Computer".