In Control Panel | System Properties | Device Manager select your modem
from the list then select Properties. A multi-tabbed window should
appear (General) which states that the device is "working properly". One
tab should be resources. That is where Windows assigns the Interrupt
Request, Memory Range, and Input/Output Range. Windows usually assigns
these values automatically. But there is a box to remove the check mark
so that you can manually assign values. Before changing anything, you
should write down what is there first.

But from what you describe, it may not be a virus but a trojan or adware
that has control. I would download Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D and run them
to make sure there is nothing else there. It would seem that 'something'
started accessing your modem comm port. Maybe someone on this list knows
how to search an XP machine for programs that are using a particular
device (like Comm port 3).

Jean Bourvic

Loy Pressley wrote:

> I have a friend with a Toshiba laptop who called me this morning
> with a problem with the modem.  The modem would not dial out and the
> error message was that the dialing software could not access the
> modem because it was in use by another device.  The modem has worked
> previously and no new devices have been installed.  We tried
> deleting the modem and reinstalling it but got the same error
> message.  The software is installing it on Com-3.  We tried the
> manual install and it would not let us select another port other
> than Com-3.  I think the problem is an IRQ conflict but I can't find
> where the IRQs are listed.  BTW, in Device Manager, it states there
> are no conflicts.
>
> Norton Anti-Virus says that there is a possible(?) clandestine
> script accessing the modem and but the Norton message does not give
> any directions on how to fix it.
>
> The operating system is WinXP.  The laptop operates at 2.4 GHz and
> there is at least a gig of ram and plenty of hard disk space.
>
> Could it be a virus causing this problem?  If so, what can we do
> about it? If not, what else could be causing this problem and what
> can we do to fix it.
>
> Thanks...
>
> Loy
>
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>

               The NOSPIN Group Promotions is now offering
              Mandrake Linux or Red Hat Linux CD sets along
             with the OpenOffice CD...  at a great price!!!
             http://freepctech.com/goodies/promotions.shtml