Programming Pro-96 with Win96

[Bal222]

Dug out the Pro-96. Haven’t used it in a year or so. PC Windows 10. Program loaded, plugged in the cord and get message “com port not found”. Can’t get it to work. Have used it on this PC that is what is kind of weird. I kind of vaguely remember this happening several years ago and there was a setting in windows to get it to work?
Everything else seems OK.
Any ideas?

 

[kb3isq]

I think you have to change the com port. does it show a number?

 

[Bal222]

I think you have to change the com port. does it show a number?

Thanks for the response.
It says “com1 does not exist”.
also been to several sites to see how to change. All say open device manager then check “ports”. Ports does not show up in device manager. Can’t find them.

 

[gmclam]

Open Device Manager. Look under ports. Plug the cable in, wait for it to be found, you'll be able to see which port it gets assigned to.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Dug out the Pro-96. Haven’t used it in a year or so. PC Windows 10. Program loaded, plugged in the cord and get message “com port not found”. Can’t get it to work.
Any ideas?

Hi & welcome to the RR forums. The instructions are outlined in the Win96Help.chm file included in win96.zip which you downloaded to install the app. Focus on step 1b...

 

[Bal222]

That appears to be the way to do it. Went to some sites and all say the same.
However like I said ”ports” does not show up anywhere.
This seem weird. Not there. Nothing.
Or something is staring me in the face and I don’t see it.
Alphabetically listed In device manager.
other devices
print queues
processors
security devices

 

[Bal222]

Apparently this issue has been going on for a long time. Been to about a dozen sites about it. (Not being able to find ports) The solutions are all the same. Same as one above. Doesn’t work for lots of people for some reason.
Some threads keep going on and on about it. Tried this tried that. Didn’t work.
Just regular Windows 10.
Also tried contacting the guy that did the program a month or so ago and never heard back.
Ran across something that said he hasn’t been heard from for a few years and the website comes and goes away occasionally.
Still can’t do it.

 

[kruser]

It's nothing to do with the software. It's the drivers for the cable you are using.
If the drivers don't load for some reason, then the Ports section under Device Manager will not exist unless you have other working ports.

The radio does not need to be plugged in to the cable for the port to be seen by windows once you have the correct driver installed.
There are some old chipsets out there that windows 10 no longer supports also. I don't know which they are though.
I recall reading something to work around one of them and get them working again in recent versions of Win 10.

Who makes your USB to serial cable? Any marking or anything on it so it can be identified?

 

[Bal222]

The cable is a Radio Shack No. 20-047. When plugged in the computer recognizes it and says it is ready. Have the original disc that came with it but no mention of windows 10 on it so I assume the drivers are not going to work. (I did try)
Went to Radio Shack looking for cable or update nothing there.
Would be happy to get a new cable if anybody knows of one that is compatible with everything.

 

[gmclam]

I also use that cable, and I have used it with Windows 10 (although I try not to use Win10). It did require a new driver (ftdichip.com). I've run into so many issues getting these cables to work under Win10, it's tough to direct you where to go. Here's what I'd do.

Forget connecting the cable to the scanner. We only need to plug in the USB end. Have Device Manager open in Windows. Plug in the cable. Once it is discovered, UNINSTALL it. Then unplug the cable. Plug it in again. If it finds the cable, UNINSTALL it. Unplug it again. Keep doing that until it does not "automatically" find the cable. Once you plug the cable in, and it is NOT discovered, tell it to install the driver that you just obtained from FTDI. If it works, fine. If not, don't be afraid to unplug and re-plug. In the course of this process I recall also rebooting the computer once to make sure nothing is left in memory before installing the correct driver.

What I've seen happen is multiple drivers are installed. It's like one on top of the other. What I found works is getting all the drivers uninstalled so I can install ONLY the correct one. YMMV.

 

[Bal222]

I also use that cable, and I have used it with Windows 10 (although I try not to use Win10). It did require a new driver (ftdichip.com). I've run into so many issues getting these cables to work under Win10, it's tough to direct you where to go. Here's what I'd do.

Forget connecting the cable to the scanner. We only need to plug in the USB end. Have Device Manager open in Windows. Plug in the cable. Once it is discovered, UNINSTALL it. Then unplug the cable. Plug it in again. If it finds the cable, UNINSTALL it. Unplug it again. Keep doing that until it does not "automatically" find the cable. Once you plug the cable in, and it is NOT discovered, tell it to install the driver that you just obtained from FTDI. If it works, fine. If not, don't be afraid to unplug and re-plug. In the course of this process I recall also rebooting the computer once to make sure nothing is left in memory before installing the correct driver.

What I've seen happen is multiple drivers are installed. It's like one on top of the other. What I found works is getting all the drivers uninstalled so I can install ONLY the correct one. YMMV.

Plugged & unplugged 10-12 times with a few restarts. Always sees it. Also computer sees it and says it is installed and ready to go. (but doesn't).
Downloaded the FTDI driver. Kind of confusing. Then on same line down loaded "set up executable". Ran that and everything worked.
Don't know exactly what it did but now it's working!

 

[gmclam]

Awesome!

 

[Bal222]

Spoke to soon. Radio & Win96 working. Everything connects. Cable issue OK. Both radio & program are empty.
Got my back up CD with a few different sets of channels. THESE WERE CREATED WITH THE WIN96 PROGRAM.
They are saved in the format with the date & end with .p96. example 11-28-10.p96.
When I go to import I get message "the extension you selected is not supported .p96".
ALL I have end in .p96.
Only options to import are .csv & .xml.

 

[kruser]

Spoke to soon. Radio & Win96 working. Everything connects. Cable issue OK. Both radio & program are empty.
Got my back up CD with a few different sets of channels. THESE WERE CREATED WITH THE WIN96 PROGRAM.
They are saved in the format with the date & end with .p96. example 11-28-10.p96.
When I go to import I get message "the extension you selected is not supported .p96".
ALL I have end in .p96.
Only options to import are .csv & .xml.

Use the "Open" command from the Win96 File menu, not Import on your .p96 files you have saved assuming you are using Win96.

 

[Bal222]

Use the "Open" command from the Win96 File menu, not Import on your .p96 files you have saved assuming you are using Win96.

Thanks that did it.

 

[kruser]

Thanks that did it.

Good deal! Glad it was something simple