FAST and Windows XP

[Craig Smith]

Well everyone, here's the latest on what I found with Windows XP.

First off, no matter what operating system you use, if your laptop says Toshiba on it, put it in the trash. Seems like every time I talk to someone with some funny laptop problem, the unit is made by Toshiba. Today was no exception.

We have a Toshiba laptop in from a customer. Equipped with Windows XP and no serial port. A Belkin F5U-109 adapter was with it. As near as we can tell, this adapter simply won't work with a FAST system. Tried all sorts of stuff on the Toshiba, on Lance's XP-equipped Dell (which is the brand to get), and on my Win98-equipped Dell. Nothing we could think of made this adapter work. This is particularly odd in that the customer uses this adapter with his programmable MSD stuff.

Went and bought a Belkin F5U-103 adapter. Tried it on the Toshiba, no luck. (At this point things got ugly with the Toshiba.) Loaded it on Lance's laptop and it worked perfectly!

So now that we know the F5U-103 works, we tried to get the strange Toshiba problems figured out. At this point, every time I plug the adapter in, the laptop reboots, and won't boot back up unless you disconnect it. After a couple tries at getting around this, the laptop got to the point where it would not boot at all, no matter what you did. Further investigation revealed that an entire directory of system configuration files deep within Windows has somehow vanished. We had to reload Windows XP just to get this laptop working again.

Once we got the laptop back up and running, we again installed the F5U-103 serial adapter, and it works like a champ! Whatever was preventing it from working in the first place is a mystery, but it was obviously deep-rooted and quite serious.

As I learn more about other adapters I will share this info.

 

[Reggie West]

I can attest to the Toshiba problems.

The laptop we are currently using is a Toshiba.

We have not lost any files from it freezing up though.

I have noticed that the software for the adapter will not let Windows shut down the computer. I cant tell you why.

Hope this helps.

 

[pioneerp]

Sony Vaio/XP/Gen7+

I don't have a serial port on my Vaio My USB port adapter worked on my old Toshiba laptop but not my Vaio. The Vaio is XP, the Toshiba is WIN98. I'll try reinstalling XP.

 

[Craig Smith]

NO!!!

Don't do that unless it's an absolute last-resort. Update the drivers for the serial port adapter first. Reinstalling XP takes about an hour and it wipes out all your personal settings.

 

[pioneerp]

Thanks Craig,
Great Suggestion
Mike

 

[sinister]

Craig, My early Tashiba works fine but my USB Tasheba will not. It do not try to reboot, it just painly says not conected.....

 

[Reggie West]

You have to reload the driver on the USB port again.

I have the same problem.

What is the statistical probability of ALL FAST users have a Toshiba laptop?

 

[SPEEDSTAR]

Craig , I have an ASCENTIA -P SERIES , pentium 100, has a serial port, windows 95, 256 cach, and can be up-graded to 40 ram. Can this laptop be used for fast b2b , or seq.

thanks JEFF

 

[Mikes88Stang]

OEM stuff

double

 

[Mikes88Stang]

OEM stuff

The problems with reinstalling windows XP from an OEM is usually that entails also installing the 3-4 gigs of other crap bundled on the recovery CDs. Dell does a good job and usually gives you your OS and apps on separate CDs. Sony does not. If you are going to reformat your Vaio use your CD key that you paid for and install the same version (Home, Pro, Corp) using a Microsoft CD.

I just bought a Vaio. It came with XP home. The first thing I did was a reformat, and put XP Pro on. I had to play with some Sony software to get the recovery CD to work. I managed to use the recover CD for only a few selected apps. Along with the Vaio I also bought a docking station. The dock has a serial port. I have connected it to my FAST and communicated perfectly.

Moral of the story...get a laptop with a serial port....save some time and headaches.

 

[540Malibu]

see this is how them japs get back at us for having faster cars.......

 

[TurboV8]

Does anyone has a Compaq laptop that work. My laptop is a Presario 1500 P4 2.4 Ghz. I installed the USB to 9pin port adpater and cannot get it to work. I did installed the driver that came with the adpater. Does the speed of the laptop has anything to do with the connection failure? In otherword, do I need a 100 mhz or slower laptop processor to work. Thanks, Robert

 

[LinearX]

I can say that the HP Pavillion series, namely the ze1xxx models, will work with XP and F.A.S.T. and a USB adapter.

I did that on a friend's Mustang last season.

 

[John Morgan]

Originally posted by TurboV8
Does anyone has a Compaq laptop that work. My laptop is a Presario 1500 P4 2.4 Ghz. I installed the USB to 9pin port adpater and cannot get it to work. I did installed the driver that came with the adpater. Does the speed of the laptop has anything to do with the connection failure? In otherword, do I need a 100 mhz or slower laptop processor to work. Thanks, Robert

I have a Compaq Presario 1500 P4 1.7ghz and tried the same thing on a Gen 7 and had trouble with the USB to 9 pin as well. I suspect it is a problem with the motherboard on the Compaq as I cannot get any drivers other than Compaqs crummy drivers to work. For example, I have a ATI video card and cannot use the latest video drivers from ATI's own website on this computer. You can only use the Compaq drivers. It seems that any driver other than Compaq's own drivers have problems. I am going to try this computer on a FAST system soon and will try and remember to post here with my results. If it doesnt work with the FAST this computer will be for sale.
John

 

[Mikes88Stang]

John,
The reason for your driver probs is because Compaq commissions the manufacturers to make hardware for them. This hardware is not a 100% copy of the hardware they sell on shelves (compaq would lose too much $$ if they did this).

 

[fast4d]

I have an old toshiba (P133, 128mb ram). The win version works fine but I have to make changes to a number of cells it'll take 10-15min. I like the DOS version better for edits anyhow.

 

[John Morgan]

I stated in an above post that I would get back to everyone with a Compaq computer stating how mine worked with a FAST system and USB connector. I have Win XP and a 9pin to serial adapter and it is working perfectly with my FAST bank-bank system. I did have to change the USB port setting in the laptop to Com2 to make it work properly ( its default was Com 5 ). There is also a Com setting in the FAST C-Com software but once both were changed the computer is working flawlessly so far. I am using the Windows version of the software and it is version 1.005. Anyway there is hope for you other Compaq users.

 

[TurboV8]

Hey John Morgan,
May I ask you what adpater you are using and where you get it from? What did you do to change the setting of the USB port to COMP 2? Just seeing if you did anything diferent from what I've done. Thanks Robert

 

[John Morgan]

Hi TurboV8,

I dont remember who made the adapter as I have thrown the box away and the software doesnt have a name on it but I did buy it here http://www.usb-shop.com/ .

The way I checked and changed my Com port on my computer was to go into Device Manager and then look under PORTS ( YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE USB CABLE ATTACHED TO YOUR LAPTOP OR THE USB PORT WILL NOT SHOW UP!!!). You should see your Communications Port, Printer port and the USB ADAPTER PORT. If you right click on the USB ADAPTER PORT it will give you some options....click on PROPERTIES. A new screen will pop up with PORT SETTINGS on the top. After you go to PORT SETTINGS click ADVANCED and you will see a drag down screen that will allow you to change the USB PORT to whatever you want. You need to put the port at COM 1 COM 2 COM 3 or COM 4, whatever is avalible. I set mine to COM 2.

Then I went into the C-Com software and looked under COMMUNICATIONS and clicked on SETUP. There you will see the option of what COM PORT you want to use with your laptop. Just make them the same.

After this if you have more than one USB port you must plug the USB ADAPTER into the same one everytime since they all use thier own seperate COM PORT settings.

Hope this helped if not or if something I said wasnt clear just post back or send me a e-mail.

John

 

[John Morgan]

Actually here is the USB adapter that I am using.....it is the second one down http://usbstuff.com/serial.html .

GWC Tech USB Serial Converter ... US $39.95

Full compliance with the USB Specification Version 1.0/1.1 and USB CDC Version 1.1; Support the RS232 serial interface; Support automatic handshake mode; Over 1 Mbps data transfer rate.
Features: • Support remote wake-up and power management. • 96 bytes buffer each for upstream and downstream data flow. • Support default ROM or external EEPROM for device configuration. • On chip USB transceiver. • On chip crystal oscillator running at 12MHz. • Single chip solution in a 9 Pins SOIC package. Also works with the Lego SpyBotics programmable robots! and all serial GPS systems. System Requirements:IBM - Compatible PC and Available USB port. For Windows 98 /SE/ME/2000/XP

Good Luck............John