BIOS Problem

[Nascar]

I was installing a Viking 56K modem as per the directions. It would not recognize the new modem. (Old modem 14.4 not plug & play). I called Viking and we tried for 1 1/2 hours to get this modem to work. The tech said that he thought the BIOS needed to be upgraded. I found out through a company that sells BIOS, but not mine, that I may need to change my motherboard too. The mobo is a FIC-PIO-2. I am only slightly computer savvy, but at the same time I have no clue as to what a BIOS is? Please help. Thanks

[This message has been edited by Nascar (edited 12-17-1999).]

[Susan]

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[This message has been edited by Susan (edited 12-18-1999).]

[DavidX]

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is the firmware on a chip inside your PC that allows the various components to work together. From what you said, it sounds as though your computer may be old and that the BIOS is not "Plug & Play", i.e. it can't recognise any Plug & Play components.

Your new modem is presumably Plug & Play. Therefore your BIOS cannot "see" it.

An easier and cheaper solution to getting a new BIOS would be to simply exchange your modem for one with jumpers.

Alternatively, you could try using the software "Plug & Play Configuration Manager" from Intel (I think it is a free download from their website). It is a software solution for those without a Plug & Play BIOS and it does work!

Good luck!

[Nascar]

Thanks David. We (the tech & I) did change the jumper on the modem itself to the "non" plug & play mode, and it still did not work. Do you think your suggestion still work if we already did this?
The computer is 4 years old and has never been upgraded. My mom gets on the internet and does her bookkeeping in a made for her DOS program, so the computer worked fine, but she wants a little more speed for the web.
Thanks again.

[DavidX]

If your new modem can be set to non-PnP by setting a jumper, then there must be other jumpers to set the IRQ, I/O address and the DMA. Did you set these?

What O/S are you using? DOS, Windows 3.1, 95, 98?

[Nascar]

David, I'm not totally sure what we did today! The other jumpers on the modem itself, the tech said, dealt with the comports. I am trying to figure out what you mean by IRQ/I/O address and DMA? I'm new to this and it's a "strange language" to me.
I do know that the O/S is Windows 95!
I also know that I'm crazy!
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[DavidX]

Nascar~
Computers are enough to send anyone crazy!! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

From what you said, it sounds as though the jumper merely overrides the PNP comport setting, allowing you to set it manually. But if there are no other jumpers for IRQ, etc. then moving that jumper does NOT make the modem truly non-PNP!

For a modem to be truly non-PNP you must be able to manually set the IRQ, etc. - otherwise a non-PNP BIOS (like yours) will NOT be able to see it. Merely being able to adjust the comport manually is not enough.

Either exchange the modem for one in which those settings can ALL be made by jumpers or use the Intel software I mentioned.

[DavidX]

Another point I should ask . . .

Is the modem a "soft" or "hard" modem? Your old 14.4 was a hard modem, i.e. it used its own hardware to carry out functions. Many modern modems are soft modems and instead rely on software for some functions. These require a powerful processor (Pentium 133 upwards) and will not run properly on earlier systems.

[Nascar]

I believe all we did do was override the PnP.
I am going to "hop" over to the Intel website to find that program. With my current 14.4 modem I may need to start downloading it tonight to use it by noon tomorrow. LOL (It took 5 hours to download the Netscape upgrade!)
Thanks!

[Nascar]

The new modem was the only one I could find at CompUSA that did not need a pentium. It had a disk to load with it, but nothing seemed to work.
I went to Intel's website, but I can't seem to find the PnP config. manager. What would I look under?
Thanks

[DavidX]

If you can't find it at Intel, try here:

http://members.aol.com/THHaworth/ICUhelp.html

That page talks about USR but it will work with ANY make. Also, despite what it says, it DOES work under Windows 95 (and presumably Windows 98).

edit~ Oops! I forgot to mention that it is only for ISA items. However, from what you said it does seem likely that your modem is ISA.

[This message has been edited by DavidX (edited 12-18-1999).]

[Nascar]

I found that site! I'll have to wait to try it tomorrow after I get off work. That's where I am right now.
Thank you oh so much.
I'll keep you posted on how I do.

[EVGTech]

did you say the program you want to run is a dos program? you may want to consider looking for a 33.6 modem. There are a couple of 56k non win modems and they are expensive.
http://www.fic.com.tw/techsupport/motherboards/486/486bios.htm

it appears though there may be possibility that you can get a PNP bios for your system.

[Nascar]

Thanks. The DOS program has nothing to do with me or my mom surfing the net. That is all that she uses her system for and that's why I was questioning her buying a new machine as opposed to upgrading her BIOS. I use the system at my job most of the time, so I was just looking to make her access to the internet faster.
I appreciate your help and will see if I can use the info from the website you posted for me.
Thanks.