How to clean-up unused COM# ports from old drivers?


  1. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 x64
       #1

    How to clean-up unused COM# ports from old drivers?


    Greetings,

    I seem to have some problem of being overbloated with old instances of COM ports from old drivers versions which evidently these drivers don't bother to free when updated/uninstalled.
    I'm using Atheros BT Suite which always after installation/update assigns to all BT devices a brand new set of COM# ports, completely ignoring to reuse the old ports. See the picture.



    So eachtime I update driver, my BT devices get assigned completely new COM ports for communication which results that all application software used to communicate with these devices have to be resetup to new COM port numbers, quite stupid isn't it?

    Is there an tool that could scan the dead COM ports and simply free them...it would come handy.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,872
    Windows 10 Pro x64, Windows 8.1 Pro x64, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1,
       #2

    Open Devices and Printers.

    Select a printer.

    On the menu bar, select Print Server Properties.

    Select the Ports tab.

    Here you can delete unneeded ports.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Tanks. I try it and see there's COM ports COM10-COM18 apparently not in use by anything. When I click on Remove port, I get the question You are to remove selected ports, these ports are curerntly not used. OK/Cancel, I choose OK end get error Some selected ports cannot be removed. This request isnot supported.
    I think this is the reason why updated driver always assigns new ports to my devices since it cannot remove the old, but the newly assigned ports again get the unremovable attribute.
      My Computer


 

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