Microsoft KB Archive/120401

= Works Err Msg: The COM3 Port Is Unavailable or Assigned... =

Article ID: 120401

Article Last Modified on 11/15/2004

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Works 3.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Works 3.0a
 * Microsoft Works 3.0b
 * Microsoft Works 4.5 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Works 4.5a
 * Microsoft Works 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Works 4.0a

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This article was previously published under Q120401



SYMPTOMS
After installing the Charles Schwab's Street Smart software, you may receive the following error message when you open a Communications file in Works:

The COM3 port is unavailable or assigned to a DOS application.

Do you want to try to assign the port to Windows?

Selecting Yes will not clear the error message. You must restart your computer.



RESOLUTION
By default, Street Smart replaces the Window's COMM.DRV with its own TURBO.COM driver. The TURBO.COM driver prevents Works from operating correctly, and needs to be removed using one of the following methods.

NOTE: Removing the TURBO.COM driver will not negatively impact the performance of Street Smart in any way.

METHOD 1
To remove Turbocom, run Setup for Street Smart again and choose to uninstall Turbocom in the Custom Install section.

NOTE: The option to Uninstall Turbocom must be the only option selected.

Street Smart will remove the TURBO.COM driver entries from your SYSTEM.INI and your CONFIG.SYS files.

METHOD 2
You can manually edit the SYSTEM.INI and CONFIG.SYS files in a text editor such Notepad, and undo the changes Turbocom has made as follows:

SYSTEM.INI
In the [boot] section, do the following:

  Delete the line: comm.drv=turbocom.drv   Remove the semicolon from the line ;comm.drv=comm.drv so that it looks as follows: comm.drv=comm.drv 

In the [386Enh] section:

  Delete the lines device=turbovcd.386 device=turbobuf.386   Remove the semicolons from the lines: <pre class="fixed_text">;device=*vcd so they look as follows: <pre class="fixed_text">device=*vcd device=*combuff </li></ol>
 * device=*combuff

CONFIG.SYS
Remove the line: <pre class="fixed_text">  DEVICE=C:\TURBOCOM.SYS For more information about Street Smart, contact Charles Schwab at (800) 334-4455.

<div class="moreinformation_section">

MORE INFORMATION
This problem may also occur with other third-party communications drivers.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.00a 3.00b 4.00 4.00a 4.50 4.50a reboot

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprint kbprb kb3rdparty KB120401

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