Cannot Use COM1

[rchrdm]

I have an old ham radio programming application that uses the serial port, COM1, to connect a special cable to the radio. I installed Virtualbox and enabled COM1 in the settings before I installed Windows XP.

When running XP in Virtualbox, the Device Manager recognizes COM1 and the application I am running allows me to select COM1 as the port to use. However, when I send data to the radio, nothing happens.

I am running Virtualbox on a Windows 10, 64 bit PC.

How can I get data to move through COM1?

[mpack]

Please show me two screenshots:

1. Screenshot of host's Device Manager, Ports (COM & LPT) branch, showing that COM1: exists on your system.
2. Screenshot of the serial ports configuration panel in your VM settings.

Also, a VM log usually proves useful: with the VM fully shut down, right click and "Show Log" in the GUI, save "VBox.log" (no other file) to a zip, and attach the zip here.

[rchrdm]

Thanks! Here are the requested items.

Richard

[mpack]

TMK, the formal host path/address name should be "COM1:" (with a colon), not "COM1" (without a colon) as the latter is a file or pipe name, not a device name.

Also, does COM1 physically exist in the host machine? I'm seeing a lot of USB serial ports in there, it seems to me more likely that you need one of those otherwise why are they there? COM1, if it exists, is the internal serial port of the PC, brought out to the backplane or a PCI slot. In many modern PCs and especially laptops, it still exists on the motherboard (and hence in device manager) but they don't bring it out to a physical port.

[rchrdm]

Thanks for your reply. I will change the path/address.

Yes, this PC has a physical COM port with a DB9 connector on the back.

For the installation of XP that I now have, the "Serial Ports" page in "Settings" is grayed out. Do I have to re-install XP again to be able to configure the port properly as "COM:"?

Richard

[socratis]

the "Serial Ports" page in "Settings" is grayed out

Because the VM is running, is paused or in a saved state, i.e. anything but completely shutdown. Shutdown the VM completely before you make any "hardware" changes (settings). You wouldn't change the hardware in your actual computer while it was running, would you?

[rchrdm]

I see in the manual for configuring serial ports that they use, "COM1:I/O base 0x3f8, IRQ4." Is all that necessary to define the path?

Richard

[rchrdm]

Thanks for the fast reply.

When I start up VM, I see the XP machine that I installed. "Start" is still available. "Pause, Reset, and Close" are grayed out.

How do I shut it down completely?

[mpack]

Shut down the virtual PC in the normal way, i.e.by choosing <start menu>|Shutdown inside XP. If you must use the close (X) button then choose "Send shutdown signal" from the menu, not "Save machine state".

[rchrdm]

I tried a few things and selected, "Discard saved state." That shut the XP machine down and I changed the serial settings to "COM1:"

Richard

[rchrdm]

I changed the serial port settings to "COM1:" but my application could not access the serial port. I also tried the longer string that I sent (from the manual), but the XP machine would not start.

What should I put in the serial port settings window for COM1?

Richard

[mpack]

I assume that "my application" is an XP guest application, and that VirtualBox did not give an error message concerning the availability of COM1.

Is COM1 listed as an available port inside the XP guest?

XP serial ports are legacy devices, they are not plug and play. If the port is not listed then you have to go into the XP Control Panel and tell it to search for new hardware. Hopefully you have not been fiddling with the port configuration inside the guest otherwise.

Do not change any of the serial port settings. Other than the mispelled (non) device name, all of the settings are correct.

[rchrdm]

Also, how do I set up WIFI access from within the XP machine?

[rchrdm]

COM1 is available in the XP virtual machine "Device Manager" panel.

There was no error message from VirtualBox when I started up using "COM1" or "COM1:"

RIchar

[rchrdm]

By the way, the application I am using is for programming a handheld ham radio. It runs OK on a dedicated XP laptop. It can send/receive data from the radio OK.

Richard