Win XP SP 3. Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another program is using the port." No other program is using the port.
Sanford Aranoff wrote: > Win XP SP 3. > Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another > program is using the port." No other program is using the > port. What changed? One day it was working fine, next day it is not - something happened between working fine/not - what was it? New software? New hardware? Both? Updates? Power outage? -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Shenan Stanley wrote: > > Sanford Aranoff wrote: > > Win XP SP 3. > > Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another > > program is using the port." No other program is using the > > port. > > What changed? > > One day it was working fine, next day it is not - something happened between > working fine/not - what was it? > > New software? > New hardware? > Both? > > Updates? > > Power outage? > > -- > Shenan Stanley > MS-MVP > -- > How To Ask Questions The Smart Way > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html We installed a new software, but uninstalled it. Actually, there is nothing different. We run virus checkers. Very strange. Cannot dial.
Sanford Aranoff wrote: > Win XP SP 3. > Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another > program is using the port." No other program is using the > port. Shenan Stanley wrote: > What changed? > > One day it was working fine, next day it is not - something > happened between working fine/not - what was it? > > New software? > New hardware? > Both? > > Updates? > > Power outage? Sanford Aranoff wrote: > We installed a new software, but uninstalled it. > Actually, there is nothing different. We run virus checkers. > Very strange. Cannot dial. If the uninstallation of software only actually cleaned up as well as it messed up - but most software packages do not put much effort in their cleanup process - after all - their purpose was to get the application on your computer in hopes you would never remove it and pay them for life. Did the dialing work right before you installed the application? Did the dialing work right after you installed the application, but before you removed it? What was the application in question? How much time has passed since it worked? Can you use System Restore to go to a date when it *did* work? -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Outlook-specific newsgroups include: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.general news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.bcm news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.bcm.developers news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.calendaring news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.contacts news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.fax news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.installation news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.interop news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.printing news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.program_addins news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.program_forms news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.program_vba news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.teamfolders news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.thirdpartyutil Sanford Aranoff wrote: > Win XP SP 3. > Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another > program is using the port." No other program is using the > port.
Shenan Stanley wrote: > > Sanford Aranoff wrote: > > Win XP SP 3. > > Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another > > program is using the port." No other program is using the > > port. > > Shenan Stanley wrote: > > What changed? > > > > One day it was working fine, next day it is not - something > > happened between working fine/not - what was it? > > > > New software? > > New hardware? > > Both? > > > > Updates? > > > > Power outage? > > Sanford Aranoff wrote: > > We installed a new software, but uninstalled it. > > Actually, there is nothing different. We run virus checkers. > > Very strange. Cannot dial. > > If the uninstallation of software only actually cleaned up as well as it > messed up - but most software packages do not put much effort in their > cleanup process - after all - their purpose was to get the application on > your computer in hopes you would never remove it and pay them for life. > > Did the dialing work right before you installed the application? > > Did the dialing work right after you installed the application, but before > you removed it? > > What was the application in question? > > How much time has passed since it worked? Can you use System Restore to go > to a date when it *did* work? > > -- > Shenan Stanley > MS-MVP > -- > How To Ask Questions The Smart Way > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html System Restore. Now we can dial. Great. We still do not know what the problem was. Why did we have to do something this drastic?
Sanford Aranoff wrote: > Win XP SP 3. > Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another > program is using the port." No other program is using the > port. Shenan Stanley wrote: > What changed? > > One day it was working fine, next day it is not - something > happened between working fine/not - what was it? > > New software? > New hardware? > Both? > > Updates? > > Power outage? Sanford Aranoff wrote: > We installed a new software, but uninstalled it. > Actually, there is nothing different. We run virus checkers. > Very strange. Cannot dial. Shenan Stanley wrote: > If the uninstallation of software only actually cleaned up as well > as it messed up - but most software packages do not put much effort > in their cleanup process - after all - their purpose was to get the > application on your computer in hopes you would never remove it and > pay them for life. > > Did the dialing work right before you installed the application? > > Did the dialing work right after you installed the application, but > before you removed it? > > What was the application in question? > > How much time has passed since it worked? Can you use System > Restore to go to a date when it *did* work? Sanford Aranoff wrote: > System Restore. Now we can dial. Great. We still do not know > what the problem was. Why did we have to do something this > drastic? Obviously something changed. If you would give the details I have asked for, perhaps we could discover what. As for it being 'drastic', you restored the system files to a state they were in before there was a problem. You used a *backup* of sorts of the system files kept automatically for you for this purpose. I would not call this 'drastic' - I would call it 'used as designed'. Hopefully you have backups in place for your files that would allow you to recover your data in case of a problem as well. If you would like to dive deeper into what happened - please provide some detail. We know you have "Windows XP with Service Pack 3", so that means you have some edition of 32-bit Windows XP updated to at least the latest service pack. Which edition (Home, Professional, Media Center (2002? 2005?), Tablet PC, etc?) and what specific version (Start button --> RUN --> einver --> OK --> copy the line starting with the word 'version".) We have been told you are using Microsoft Office Outlook, but do not know what version of Microsoft Office Outlook ('97? 2000? 2002? 2003? 2007? 2010 beta?) You say the only thing that changed between the task you desire to work doing aso/not doing so was the installation and subsequent uninstallation of an applications, but although asked, you have not provided the manufacturer name, name of the software, version of the software nor if the task you you desire to work was working right after it was installed/before it was uninstalled. You say you run "virus checkers", I assume you mean antivirus software. Okay - what antivirus software are you using? Some are known to cause as many issues as they prevent and/or just use up large amount of resources for no good reason. Also - is it kept up to date, not just the definitiions, but the program itself (having the 2002 version of a modern antivirus software can be almost as bad as having the definitions it uses from last month)? What about antispyware scans? You may *think* your antivirus is protecting you from this more common than virus threat, but it is doubtful. What antimalware software have you used in the past/use to actively protect you now? Wondering why you would have to provide that information? Put yourself in the situation of those you are asking for assistance from. We cannot see your computer, have no idea what you have/have not (insert action verb here if needed)... We only have what you provide and if the story you weave is not descriptive, is not complete - your answer will equal that of the information given or just be a lucky guess or one based off years of experience of people saying, "I cannot use Word" and asking them to verify their electricity is on. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Shenan Stanley wrote: > > Sanford Aranoff wrote: > > Win XP SP 3. > > Recently unable to dial a phone via Outlook. "Another > > program is using the port." No other program is using the > > port. > > Shenan Stanley wrote: > > What changed? > > > > One day it was working fine, next day it is not - something > > happened between working fine/not - what was it? > > > > New software? > > New hardware? > > Both? > > > > Updates? > > > > Power outage? > > Sanford Aranoff wrote: > > We installed a new software, but uninstalled it. > > Actually, there is nothing different. We run virus checkers. > > Very strange. Cannot dial. > Correction: It had nothing to do with the new software. The problem happened the day before we installed the new software. Some system file was corrupted by somehow. There are so many system files that one cannot know which was corrupted, and now that we did a restore we may never know. > > We know you have "Windows XP with Service Pack 3", so that means you have > some edition of 32-bit Windows XP updated to at least the latest service > pack. Which edition (Home, Professional, Media Center (2002? 2005?), > Tablet PC, etc?) and what specific version (Start button --> RUN --> > einver --> OK --> copy the line starting with the word 'version".) No such program einver. > > We have been told you are using Microsoft Office Outlook, but do not know > what version of Microsoft Office Outlook ('97? 2000? 2002? 2003? 2007? > 2010 beta?) 2002 > You say you run "virus checkers", I assume you mean antivirus software. > Okay - what antivirus software are you using? Some are known to cause as > many issues as they prevent and/or just use up large amount of resources for > no good reason. Also - is it kept up to date, not just the definitiions, > but the program itself (having the 2002 version of a modern antivirus > software can be almost as bad as having the definitions it uses from last > month)? > > What about antispyware scans? You may *think* your antivirus is protecting > you from this more common than virus threat, but it is doubtful. What > antimalware software have you used in the past/use to actively protect you > now? > Trend Micro. Webroot AntiSypware. Everything up to date. I'll try to answer any question you may have. -Sandy > > -- > Shenan Stanley > MS-MVP > -- > How To Ask Questions The Smart Way > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html