I agree with the above comment that you need to provide more information that you DO know, but am happy that you narrowed down you OS ( Operating System ). I dont use ME, and only patch and repair and re-install it on "somebody else's" computer when it dies. On a few computers, ME works well since it was OEM ( Original Equipment Manufacture ) installed on a hidden partition with a restore function ( Dell, Gateway, etc. ) and all the hardware and software, as ORIGINALLY installed is certified to work with ME.
Some of my instructions are guesses, since I don't have ME on the screen in front of me to verify the clicks, but you need to
go into the CONTROL panel, Hardware, SYSTEM, and look at
the installed devices, and look at the COMPUTER, Properties, to
see the IRQ, the DMA, and the MEMORY useages.
Also in SYSTEM, you can go down the list to MODEMs and again in
Properties, look at the IRQ's, DMA, and I/O and Memory.
Often, you will get a Blue mark ( warning ) a Yellow mark ( device is "there" but has a problem ), or a RED mark ( severe
IRQ, DMA, I/O, or Memory conflict, etc. )
AND...
In SYSTEM devices, go down to PORTS, and see how many
LPT ( PRINTER ) ports and how many COMM ports " are in fact " detected, and working, and what the IRQs, DMA, I/O. and Memory assignments are listed...
THEN...
Restart your computer, press the key combination for whatever machine you have, often listed BRIEFLY on the screen on startup, in the black and white DOS screen, just after the computer's first BEEP from the BIOS POST startup, and
get into the BIOS SETUP. ( Typically the screen sayes PRESS
DEL to enter SETUP , or PRESS CTRL F10 to Enter Setup, etc. )
Once in SETUP, where the Flash Programmed BIOS chip can
allow you to choose various options, such as ENABLE COMM PORTS, usually on the 2nd or 3rd page of the BIOS menu,
and check, with your list of IRQ's, DMA's, I/O, and Mem, what
Comm Ports, Or Serial Ports, are turned on in your BIOS, for
your MOTHERBOARD. These settings are seen by WINDOWS ME, " BEFORE " your desktop loads, so that these devices take precidence over any "added" cards, internally, or Modems, added externally. If you look on the back of your computer case, you will see, ( Usually ) two connectors with 9 pins, 5 in a row on top of 4 in a row. ME is an older OS, so that I am assuming you are using an older Motherboard, which commonly had 2 Serial, or
Comm ( Communication ) ( Commonly called "Mouse" ports, since the older " Serial" or 9- pin Mouse would use these ports ).
Most People have BOTH Serial Comm ports turned on, and running in the BIOS, --- with nothing ever plugged in --- wasting the IRQ's and I/O resources, and conflicting with any modems
either internal or external, added later. My advice is to turn OFF
all unused COMM or Serial ports in the BIOS. Iff you are using an older 9-pin Serial mouse, you should have it plugged into COMM Port 1 ( "A" of ports "A and B" on some computers ) and turn OFF Serial Port ( Comm Port ) 2 or B, in the BIOS page which refers to the ports.
Otherwise turn off BOTH ports, if nothing is plugged into them on the back of the computer..
COMM 1 ( Serial Port 1, A, etc. ) Should, be set at the standard,
Input/Output ( I/O) Range of 03F8 ( to 03FF ) noting that
in the BIOS setup, only the First digit of the Hexadecimal "range"
is listed) and assigned IRQ ( Interrupt Request ) 04.
COMM 2, unless used for something that you have neglected to state in your description of the problem, would be turned OFF,
and if turned on, would have IRQ 3 --- hopefully this is turned off,
since your modem is normall set to work by default on IRQ 3.
SO.... ideally you have both Serial Ports turned off now in the BIOS, so that when ME first Boots, it "sees" no Motherboard Comm ports, and frees up the IRQs and I/O needed for you
modem.
Iff you have a serial, COMM 1 port mouse, then now you should still have COMM 2, Serial Port B, turned OFF, and the modem
you are adding internally or externally ( you don't state which ),
can use the I/O and the IRQ that are most commonly used....
Re-boot ME and again go into the Device Manager in the Control panel, in SYSTEM, and look at the listed PORTS. You may have to MANUALLY remove the COmm or "Serial" ports that you turned off in the BIOS, since most "windows" versions in 95A, 95B, 95C, ME, 98, and 98SE, will non PnP ( Plug and Play - often refered to as Plug and Pray ) automatically to remove them.
There are REMOVE buttons in the Device manager. If you are not using a serial mouse, REMOVE both Serial Ports.
Shut down, reboot, and check again when ME comes on, to see
if the Device Manager "sees" any Comm ports.
NEXT....
You do not say if the modem is external or internal. If the modem is internal ( 85% chance that it is ) then, .... you do not state whether or not the modem is PCI or ISA. If it is ISA, it fits in a commonly black, large slot on the end of the row of card slots.
If it is PCI ot commonly fits in a white PCI slot at the power supply end of the row.
Then, Iff it is ISA, there are 2 kinds, the older hardware type, which have 2 ISA devices built into the card, and the second type that is Plug and Pray, and Me may just "FOUND NEW HARDWARE DEVICE" and install, or ask you to direct it to the driver disk.
In Case 1, Hardware modem, you are installing 2 separate devices. ME may boot with " FOUND NEW HARDWARE DEVICE" and COMMUNICATIONS PORT, and install the bottom half of the 2 device hardware card, the ISA card's Serial Port, which, hopefully, if you turned OFF the unused Motherboard Serial Ports, now can use the standard COMM 1 or 2, IRQ's 4 or 3, and the I/O's that were tied up doing nothing.
THEN, you must reboot, and see if ME now "sees" the ISA hardware MODEM, sitting on top of the just installed new COMM PORT 1 or 2. If ME does not auto PnP the new modem, then you must go into the CONTROL PANEL, ADD NEW HARDWARE, and let ME scan for newly added hardware. It should now find the modem added on top of the new Serial port. It should either add it as a common device in the INF look up tables, or ask you direct to the CD or Floppy with the INF files from the manufacturer.
Then go into the CONTROL Panel, and under MODEMS, Diagnostics, check to see if the AT ( Attention ) commands are
listed, verifying that ME is "talking" ok to the modem. Done.
In Senerio 2 of ISA, you have a PnP newer modem, and ME
will automatically find it, hopefully installing it as one of the listed
devices, or at least see it, and ask you for the software installation disk.
OR....
You are installing a PCI modem, which are usually PnP, software
driven devices, using your Motherboard's ram and the Motherboard's CPU to do the real modem work. These usually require you to AVOID the ME's found new hardware wizard, and
use an .EXE PROGRAM to manually insert the .INF information
into the Windows registry to allow ME to "SEE" and setup the card on a subsequent re-boot. You usually install the card,
ignore the "NEW HARDWARE FOUND", and CANCEL, put in the driver disk or CD, and "RUN" the setup program, and re-boot.
ME will now have the proper look up tables in the CATROOT and INF directories and all DLLs etc. in SYS and SYS32 so that
when you re-boot, the modem is installed by PnP.
If things look confusing after turning OFF the Motherboard's COMM ports, REMOVE the internal Modem card, and reboot,
check the BIOS settings, and go into the CONTROL Panel again in Device Manager in SYSTEM, and make certain that all
all COMM PORTS listed match the COMM ports turned on or
off in the BIOS - ie, iff both ports are turned off on the motherboard, then ME should now see NO comm ports, and if there is one or more listed, REMOVE them. If Comm A is used for a serial mouse ( which you neglect to mention in your description of the problem ) then now ME should see only one COMM port, A, and only one MOUSE, Serial, in the Device Manager.
Go into MODEMS, and since you just removed the card, there
should be nothing. If there is something listed, REMOVE it.
Shutdown, re-boot, and check again. If everything matches the BIOS,
shutdown, reboot, and put in the modem card. Watch carefully what ME Auto detects on boot up - either FOUND PORT,
or FOUND MODEM, and proceed as I listed above.
Iff you are installing an external modem, it will be assumed that you are using one of the two external Motherboard, BIOS, controlled Comm ports, and that you are adding the modem
with CONTROL PANEL, Add new hardware, and auto detecting it.
Checking in the BIOS to see what ports are turned on, as I describrf above is the first step, Then check the Device Manager in ME to see what it detects as PORTS, and then check under MODEMS. If all else fails, again REMOVE all traces of the MODEM in the CONTROL PANEL, re-check the PORTS, and
settings, and re-plug the MODEM, re-install with ADD NEW HARDWARE, and hopefully the device will be detected.
hope this helps
robin