Laptop comm port selection in iGuidance?

OK I see that iNav iGuidance is limited in its ability (why???) to select higher port ranges. Microsoft vista assigned ports 28 & 29 to the program. iGuidance either didnt think it was important to include it and only included 1-16 On my laptop ports 1-28 are already assigned. I know how to change the port number of a device through the device manager, however ..

How can I determine which programs are using which ports?

Thank you

It is unlikely that any programs are using any of these ports. They are probably assigned to a Bluetooth card and should be listed as such in device manager.
Terry

They also thought the titanic was unlikely to sink... so much for that...

Hi Kieran,

Welcome to Laptop GPS World.

Terry is right, though. Assign your GPS receiver a com port bellow 16, and you should be fine.

Hello,

How are any of these answers correct when they dont address the direct question I asked?

How can I determine which programs are using which ports?


I appreciate the help and I knwo you are taking the time out to help me etc... but it doesnt do me a lick of good if the question I asked is ignored.

thank you

Bluetooth hardware is assigning the ports. Comm ports are only required by communications programs, such as a modem. The modem itself (hardware) only uses one comm port (e.g. Comm 2) Programs that must communicate with the outside world using the modem use that Comm port (e.g. Comm 2). On an older laptop (probably not yours as it Vista), there may be a physical Comm port brought out as a 9-pin connector.

Bluetooth hardware ties up a bunch of ports with the expectation that certain programs that need to use Bluetooth to communicate with the outside world may need to use a serial-type interface to do this (e.g. BT GPS receiver hardware and associated GPS-aware mapping program).

My experience has been that I can tell the Bluetooth software which Comm port I want to be a GPS serial port and then direct the mapping software (program) to use that Comm port.

There are no programs on your computer using Comm ports.
If there is no hardware associated with a real or software generated Comm port, then no program may access that Comm port.
Terry

Kieran,
Another thought.
Although you have asked a specific question, it is unclear what problem you are trying to solve.

If you are using a usb hard-wired GPS receiver rather than Bluetooth, I can think of 2 ways to resolve your problem.

1. Uninstall the GPS receiver software. Turn off the internal Bluetooth. Reisnstall the GPS receiver software. This should provide Windows with some free lower number Comm ports to assign.

2. Uninstall the GPS receiver software. In Device Manager, delete a couple of low number Comm ports from Bluetooth. Reinstall the GPS receiver software. Again, Windows should see those low number ports and use them.

Good luck
Terry