Com1 in Ports vs. Com1 in Modems

Hi, My current challenge is to get a 56K modem working in my new (bought used) desktop running Windows 7. My question is: Is the Com1 referred to in "Ports" in Device Manager the same Com1 that is referred to in "Modems" in Device Manager? Should I have Uninstalled and Reinstalled Com1 in Ports as part of the process of adding the modem? (Getting an error message currently when trying to query the modem). At this point I have not Uninstalled anything. Would it be safe to Uninstall and Reinstall the Com1 in Ports? Before I added the modem there was no entry in Device Manager for Modems, now there is, and it is assigned to Com1. I think there was an entry for Com1 already set up in Ports before I added the modem, but I am thinking I may need to let Windows 7 Ports know that Modems now has a Com1 also. No? Thanks

Thanks for the reply. I can click on modems in Device Manager and it tells me the port is Com1 but it won't let me change it.

Thanks for responding, rvcjew. Device Manager says the hardware ID is "moto1_gen". The actual modem has no brand name on it, but is model number 1456VQH87. The chip is a Conexant RH56D-PCI. After I ran Wizard, drivers that Wizard loaded for the MODEM were windows\system32\drivers\modem.sys and windows\system32\drivers\RootMdm.sys. I noticed the drivers for PORTS are different. They are windows\system32\drivers\serenum.sys and windows\system32\drivers\serial.sys. I have not added any new drivers. I let Wizard do whatever it did. I'm trying to be very sequential and minimalist here, to make it easier for me. I have not yet uninstalled anything. Wondering if doing something with Ports to let Ports know there is a new modem on Com1, would fix things.

There is a silver box about 1 inch by 1 inch by a half inch that looks like it is connected to the motherboard, which also has a jack input going into it. You can connect a phone line into it from the back of the computer. The port to the silver box looks like a phone jack, but has more fins inside and has a different symbol next to it, but you can click a phone line into it. Maybe this was what the previous owner was using for internet access. He disabled an entry for an ethernet adapter when I told him I would be using a dial up modem. Don't know if he used BIOS or DM to disable it. The entry in dev manager for the disabled device is under Network Adapters: SiS 900-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter. Location is PCI Bus 0, device 4, function 0. DM doesn't say anything about Com ports associated with the adapter, in Resources it says it isn't using any resources because it is not currently enabled. I'm assuming if I enable it, it will say it is assigned to Com1. I'm still back at sqaure 1, trying to make sure the com1 in ports is the same as the com1 in modems. I'm thinking I have to "re-enable" Ports to get Ports to pick up the new assignment for Com1 at the modem, as opposed to the ethernet adapter. Don't know if this helps the discussion, but the location of the Com1 device under Ports is "on PCI standard ISA bridge". I apologize if I have provided a lot of much non-useful information. I'm all for trying to reassign the modem to Com2, if possible. The pc I am currently posting from is using Windows ME and has Ports assigned to Com1 while the modem is assigned to Com2, and works fine. No conflicts. And Device Manager in Win ME lets me click on Modems and change the port. But Modems in Windows 7 will not allow me to change the port. I can, however, In Win 7, go into Ports and change the com port to some other number desired. Maybe I'll change the com port in Ports to Com2 which will take the ethernet adapter away from Com1 and onto Com2, freeing up Com1 for the modem ?? Any risk in trying it?

OK, went ahead and changed Ports to Com2, then got a "conflict" error when querying Modem which is still on Com1. This implies Win 7 wants modem and ports to be assigned to same com port? But in Windows ME I can have modem on com2 and Ports on com1. I give up. Wait, there has to be a way to change the com port assigned to the modem in Win 7. Maybe uninstall and reinstall the modem in Device Manager, and ask for com2 when reinstalling?

From googling, it looks like I have one of those modems that cannot have com port reassigned by Dev Mgr, but can be reassigned by uninstalling and reinstalling the modem and selecting different com port when Wizard asks me. So I will try that now.