Guest Gannis Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Hi, How do I uninstall a non visible COM port device/driver? Whenever I plug in a USB2serial converter a new virtual port is created and the COM port number increases. Every new combination of converter type and USB connector used gives a new increasing number. The Device Manager only lists - and allows uninstalling - devices currently in use/connected. Is there a way to uninstall the device formerly called e.g. COM37 without having access to the hardware used when the device was installed. Thanks.
Guest RalfG Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Re: Uninstall obsolete COM ports/devices In Device Manager, try ticking the option " show hidden devices" under View. Usually the unattached devices will become visible in their relevent categories and you can uninstall them. Not familiar with those converters so you might find entries to remove in both the USB and Ports sections. "Gannis" <Gannis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:3AF85690-5E4D-4DC3-8C1C-1E498AA37F64@microsoft.com... > Hi, > > How do I uninstall a non visible COM port device/driver? > > Whenever I plug in a USB2serial converter a new virtual port is created > and > the COM port number increases. Every new combination of converter type and > USB connector used gives a new increasing number. > > The Device Manager only lists - and allows uninstalling - devices > currently > in use/connected. Is there a way to uninstall the device formerly called > e.g. COM37 without having access to the hardware used when the device was > installed. > > Thanks. >
Guest Gannis Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Re: Uninstall obsolete COM ports/devices Nope, Neither under Ports, nor USB. Only found some root hubs and universal host controllers. G. "RalfG" wrote: > In Device Manager, try ticking the option " show hidden devices" under View. > Usually the unattached devices will become visible in their relevent > categories and you can uninstall them. Not familiar with those converters so > you might find entries to remove in both the USB and Ports sections. >
Guest poatt Posted August 23, 2007 Posted August 23, 2007 Re: Uninstall obsolete COM ports/devices I think(which is dangerous in itself) that in the MB bios under USB config. That there in an option could be USB legacy2. That if you enable this it will disregard any USB ports not being used even though they may have been used in the past. Which in turn the OS will no longer see them. "Gannis" wrote: > Nope, > > Neither under Ports, nor USB. Only found some root hubs and universal host > controllers. > > G. > > "RalfG" wrote: > > > In Device Manager, try ticking the option " show hidden devices" under View. > > Usually the unattached devices will become visible in their relevent > > categories and you can uninstall them. Not familiar with those converters so > > you might find entries to remove in both the USB and Ports sections. > >
Guest M.I.5¾ Posted August 23, 2007 Posted August 23, 2007 Re: Uninstall obsolete COM ports/devices "RalfG" <itsnotme@la-de-da.deda> wrote in message news:%23qcj96K5HHA.5424@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > In Device Manager, try ticking the option " show hidden devices" under > View. Usually the unattached devices will become visible in their relevent > categories and you can uninstall them. ... > Not so. That only shows the devices that are normally hidden to the user. If you want to show all the devices that are not currently connected then you need to set an environment variable first. Easiest way is from a command prompt window. Enter: set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 then: start devmgmt.msc Selecting 'show hidden devices' should now list every device that has ever been connected.
Guest Gannis Posted August 23, 2007 Posted August 23, 2007 Re: Uninstall obsolete COM ports/devices Great! This solves it. Thanks! "M.I.5¾" wrote: > > "RalfG" <itsnotme@la-de-da.deda> wrote in message > news:%23qcj96K5HHA.5424@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > > In Device Manager, try ticking the option " show hidden devices" under > > View. Usually the unattached devices will become visible in their relevent > > categories and you can uninstall them. ... > > > > Not so. That only shows the devices that are normally hidden to the user. > > If you want to show all the devices that are not currently connected then > you need to set an environment variable first. > > Easiest way is from a command prompt window. Enter: > > set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 > > then: > > start devmgmt.msc > > Selecting 'show hidden devices' should now list every device that has ever > been connected. > > >
Guest RalfG Posted August 23, 2007 Posted August 23, 2007 Re: Uninstall obsolete COM ports/devices Just checked and somewhere along the line I had set that environment variable and forgotten about it meanwhile. "M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote in message news:46cd406a$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net... > > "RalfG" <itsnotme@la-de-da.deda> wrote in message > news:%23qcj96K5HHA.5424@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> In Device Manager, try ticking the option " show hidden devices" under >> View. Usually the unattached devices will become visible in their >> relevent categories and you can uninstall them. ... >> > > Not so. That only shows the devices that are normally hidden to the user. > > If you want to show all the devices that are not currently connected then > you need to set an environment variable first. > > Easiest way is from a command prompt window. Enter: > > set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 > > then: > > start devmgmt.msc > > Selecting 'show hidden devices' should now list every device that has ever > been connected. >
Recommended Posts