iGuidance 4.0 on laptop doesn't detect GPS on com port 12

Using a Bluetooth GPS receiver and iGuidance 4 on a laptop, the actual com port is com 12, but iGuidance will not auto detect it. iGuidance always comes up in com 1.

Is there a way to set iGuidance to default to com 12 rather than com 1, or is there a fix for the auto detect?

I no longer have version 4 on my laptop, but I'm guessing if you go to Device Manager, and change the com port to a lower number, it could work. The new iGuidance 2009 has better support for higher port numbers.

I tried that first. The problem is -- and I think this will be true with most computers -- Com 1, the iGuidance default, is already in use by the computer for another device. There is no option to change the com port of the bluetooth devices in device manager. Only the com port it has chosen is shown as an option.

I was hoping someone would know a Windows XP registry edit or a config file edit that will change the iGuidance default com port. I found one instance in the registry of an iGuidance com port listing and com 1 was specified, but changing it didn't have any effect. If there is no way to change that, I was hoping for a way to fix the auto detect problem. The com port auto detect function of iGuidance has never worked for me.

Can't you set the COM port that iGuidance looks at under Menu-Settings-GPS COM Port? I know you can in 2009 and I thought v4 was the same.

I do know how to change Bluetooth COM ports in some cases but the other solution is way easier. Also, as you say, COM 1 is in use on your computer (by what?) and could not be used by Bluetooth.

Terry

Yes, you can set the com port, but it's not persistant. Everytime iGuidance is closed and the machine turned off, it reverts to com1 when it's restarted. Yes, it should stay where you put it, but it doesn't. And as I said, autodetect never has worked.

The solution would be way easier if it solved anything, but it doesn't. Com1 is used by some unidentified pnp device. Not something that can be changed. The bluetooth com ports are set when it's installed and there does not seem to be any way to specify a particular port -- it's just random it appears.

To see if there's any difference, I just changed from XP Pro to Vista on my computer. The bluetooth installed this time on com4. We'll see if that works any better.

Thanks for the response.

I can no longer test iGuidance 4, however I do not remember any of the problems you are experiencing. The program always came up on whatever port I set in Settings. Also, I found the autodetect to be better than the one in 2009. It would list all of the devices I had attached (or accesible by Bluetooth) and let me choose. COM 1 never came up anywhere that I can remember but it is usually associated with a serial port and the laptop and UMPC don't have one.

I would suggest a reinstall or repair. As you have changed to Vista though, you have probably already done that.

Terry

Did you see this note in the FAQ on the iNavcorp site? It doesn't state what version they are discussing but sounds like it might apply to your situation. I don't know which key you already tried though.

2. My bluetooth dongle automatically assigned COM 17 for my receiver, but iGuidance only shows up to COM16 under auto detect mode. What can I do?

2) change HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\iNav\iGuidance\CommPort from 1 (default value) to 17 (decimal). Follow the same steps for iGuidance Laptop version.

Terry

I now have v4 running on my other laptop thanks to some quick assistance from inavcorp. I have checked autodetect with a Bluetooth iTrek M7 on COM 4. It found it ok. I then looked at that key in the registry and it was changed to COM 4. Restarting iGuidance found the GPS within 10 seconds. I do not have any high number COM ports assigned to GPS on this computer though so I can't test that.

It might be time for you to contact inav as your installation is having issues I cannot duplicate.

Terry

I now have to agree with your findings.
I created a new BT COM port 13 (12 wasn't available) and connected a QStarz BT GPS to it. iGuidance v4 autodetect couldn't find it so I set it from the drop down (and changed the registry key). iGuidance worked fine even after a restart. However, after putting the laptop through a hibernation cycle, the drop down and the registry key had been reset to COM 1 and iGuidance could not find the GPS.

You are probably not having an issue right now as it seems to work ok with single digit COM ports. However, I tried a similar test with 2009 (on my UMPC). I let BT assign its default COM 40 and iguidance 2009 autodetect found it. The message is confusing but it works even after a sleep cycle.

Terry

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Enough of this. Tests I performed today with v4 and COM 13 were perfectly acceptable. I didn't bother with autodetect as it decided not to detect anything. I set the COM port manually and started the BT manually as well. This time, after a computer restart, iGuidance found the GPS immediately and the drop down and registry both indicated COM 13.

Terry

Yes, it seems to be unpredictable. After loading Vista, the bluetooth installed the GPS at com4, and after I set it there manually the first time, it seems to be sticking there in iGuidance and working each time. I'm having the same experience with autodetect that you are having and I have always had -- it doesn't, regardless of whether the com port is high or low. Oh, well, it's time to look at the new version anyway, I guess.

Regards,

Ron