22 August 2001

Since installing the software that came with my Palm, my modem has stopped working.

An important component of the software that comes with a Palm PDA is the HotSync program. HotSync allows your computer and Palm to exchange data. The newer Palm's use USB to connect to the computer but the older models use the serial port.

Modems also use serial ports, even Internal modems have a serial port allocated. What has happened is the HotSync program is trying to use the same serial port as the modem. Because of this neither the Palm or the modem will be talking to the computer.

To change the setting, open the Palm Desktop click the HotSync menu, select Setup and click the Local tab and change the com port setting. You may have to keep doing this until you find the correct port for your Palm. If you already have a serial modem and mouse on your computer then you may need to add a new serial port.

Before installing any hardware it is a good idea to check exactly what is connected to your computer. Apart from modems and PDAs, devices that may use serial ports include mice and digital cameras. If you have Windows 98 or later on your computer USB equipment is a much better choice than serial.