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# Works Err Msg: The COM3 Port Is Unavailable or Assigned...

Article ID: 120401

Article Last Modified on 11/15/2004

APPLIES TO

- Microsoft Works 3.0 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Works 3.0a
- Microsoft Works 3.0b
- Microsoft Works 4.5 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Works 4.5a
- Microsoft Works 4.0 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Works 4.0a

This article was previously published under Q120401

## SYMPTOMS

After installing the Charles Schwab's Street Smart software, you may receive the following error message when you open a Communications file in Works:
The COM3 port is unavailable or assigned to a DOS application.
Do you want to try to assign the port to Windows?
Selecting Yes will not clear the error message. You must restart your computer.

## RESOLUTION

By default, Street Smart replaces the Window's COMM.DRV with its own TURBO.COM driver. The TURBO.COM driver prevents Works from operating correctly, and needs to be removed using one of the following methods.
NOTE: Removing the TURBO.COM driver will not negatively impact the performance of Street Smart in any way.

### METHOD 1

To remove Turbocom, run Setup for Street Smart again and choose to uninstall Turbocom in the Custom Install section.
NOTE: The option to Uninstall Turbocom must be the only option selected.
Street Smart will remove the TURBO.COM driver entries from your SYSTEM.INI and your CONFIG.SYS files.

### METHOD 2

You can manually edit the SYSTEM.INI and CONFIG.SYS files in a text editor such Notepad, and undo the changes Turbocom has made as follows:

#### SYSTEM.INI

In the [boot] section, do the following:

1. Delete the line:

       comm.drv=turbocom.drv

2. Remove the semicolon from the line

       ;comm.drv=comm.drv

   so that it looks as follows:

       comm.drv=comm.drv

In the [386Enh] section:

1. Delete the lines

       device=turbovcd.386
       device=turbobuf.386

2. Remove the semicolons from the lines:

       ;device=*vcd
       ;device=*combuff

   so they look as follows:

       device=*vcd
       device=*combuff

#### CONFIG.SYS

Remove the line:

       DEVICE=C:\TURBOCOM.SYS

For more information about Street Smart, contact Charles Schwab at (800) 334-4455.

## MORE INFORMATION

This problem may also occur with other third-party communications drivers.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.00a 3.00b 4.00 4.00a 4.50 4.50a reboot

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprint kbprb kb3rdparty KB120401