Garmin V help - "Com1 Serial port Access Denied"

[+citrix_99301]

My friend recently purchased a garmin V with the MapSource software and is having some trouble uploading a map to the GPSr from his IBM Thinkpad notebook running Windows 2000 Professional. When he starts to upload the map he gets an error like "Com1 Serial port Access Denied." He says it had been working fine until day before yesterday but doesn't know of any changes that might have made it quit working.

 

I have a Meridian Platinum and don't know much about the Garmin V. Does anybody have any ideas here?

 

Thanks.

[+jollybgood]

Did he happen to chance the preferences on MapSource and make sure the default port is COMM1?

 

I used to have this problem with EasyGPS which always defaulted to a different port.

 

Also, is he using a USB/Serial adapter by any chance? The drivers on some adapters create a COMM3 or even COMM4 port -- in which case you may have to change the default port in preferences. I know my computer usually won't find the right port unless I do this.

[+culpc]

Check to make sure that a PDA isn't "hogging" the port. My Palm will not share the port with MapSource (but will with EasyGPS-go figure). Anyway, disabling the Palm desktop eliminates the port hogging problem.

 

Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers. - Socrates

[+raouljan]

That would be the Hot Sync agent... right?

That little sucker always gets in my way...

[+ApK]

quote:

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Originally posted by citrix_99301:

My friend recently purchased a garmin V with the MapSource software and is having some trouble uploading a map to the GPSr from his IBM Thinkpad notebook running Windows 2000 Professional. When he starts to upload the map he gets an error like "Com1 Serial port Access Denied." He says it had been working fine until day before yesterday but doesn't know of any changes that might have made it quit working.

 

I have a Meridian Platinum and don't know much about the Garmin V. Does anybody have any ideas here?

 

Thanks.

---

 

Some ThinkPads default COM1 tot eh infrared port (I don't know what model or OS he has) so check device manager and make sure that the serial port is enabled and verify the number there.

[+zenrandom]

I've found that occasionally a course adjustment of the serial cable is necessary. Take a pair of needle nose pliers, gently pull on the gold contact bars on the serial cable, and then try it again. I had this problem with my venture, and it went away.

 

-ZR