ON another site, a member suggested that computer tutors would be nice, someone to walk you through common procedures using easy to understand instructions. I immediately emailed her and offered to send her a step by step guide to modem installation, which she accepted. She then suggested I post it here, as it could be valuable to other readers.

Here are easy instructions on replacing your modem in less than an hour, and with no outside labor costs
involved.

1. Purchase your new modem. You can get internal or external, internals are best because they don't take up desk space and they plug directly into your motherboard.

Go to 'Start' "Settings' 'Control Panel' 'Modems' and pick Diagnostics. Write down which COM port your old modem is on. Look in your new modem manual and see if there's a 'dip switch setting' you have to set on the new modem to assign it to a specific com port. Most new modems don't have that, but it pays to check before you install it.

Changing dip switch settings is easy, it just involves moving a little plastic 'bridge' from one set of pins to
another.

2. The modem will come in an anti-static plastic bag. Leave it in there for now. Remove the cover from your computer. Leave it plugged in, but make sure it's OFF.

This will ground it and prevent static electricity from building up. Touch something metal on/in your computer case. The outside if it's metal, or the power supply housing inside. Make sure you do this before you touch any of the internal cards. This gets rid of any static build up you have.

3. Find the old modem (look for where the phone plugs in on the back) and remove. This isn't a stupid step, because I periodically grab and remove the wrong card when I'm changing things. LOL.

You'll probably have to remove a screw that keeps it attached to the case. Take it out by gently pulling on it and wriggling it if you have to.

4. Insert the new modem into the same slot, making sure it's firmly seated, you shouldn't be able to see any of the white edge that goes into the slot, or any of the printed metal lines on that edge.. Put the phone line into the correct jack. The modem has two phone jacks, one for an incoming line, and one outgoing line so you can plug a phone into it if you want to. Make sure you have the phone line in the right one.

5. Turn on the computer (before you put the case back on). If you have Windows 95/98 it should detect the new hardware and ask you if you want to install drivers.

Insert the drive disk that came with your computer into the floppy drive, and click on the 'have disk' button that pops up in the driver install screen. Tell it to look on the A drive. This should install it correctly. If it can't find the drivers, just cancel the driver install thing for now.

Your driver disk should have a setup routine to install the drivers from the disk. Just follow the instructions that come with the modem. It should be printed right on the disk.

6. Go to 'Start' 'Settings' 'Control Panel', and click on the 'Modems' icon. Your new modem should be listed in the big white box.

If your old modem is listed also, make sure the new one is the one highlighted. Next click on the Diagnostics tab and you'll see your modem listed next to a COM1 or COM2. (or possibly 3 or 4), it should be the same COM port that the old modem was on..

Highlight the COM part, and click on 'More Info'. The computer should communicate with the modem and let you know that it's working okay. If everything is okay so far, try connecting to the net with your modem. It should work. (BTW, it may list your old modem also. Make sure the new one is selected.)

7. If anything in Step 6 isn't like I described it (if your new modem doesn't show up, won't connect, etc) do this-

Go back to 'Start' 'Settings' 'Control Panel' 'Modems'. Make sure the modem is highlighted in the "general" box, and click the 'Remove' button. Remove any/all modems listed. Now click on the 'System' icon in the Control Panel, and click the plus sign next to 'modem' if the modem is listed there, highlight it and click 'Remove', again delete all modems..

This will remove all modem settings from your computer. Restart your computer and it will find new hardware AGAIN, and maybe ask you to install the drivers again. It might not, since the drivers are on your computer already.

Now go back to step 6, and everything should work great!

If there's still a problem, if you got a manual with your new modem, check it for troubleshooting tips. Some modems have odd settings. If that doesn't work, call the manufacturer. Modems do get damaged in shipping, sometimes they're just defective.

As you can see, the hardest part is finding and changing or deleting modem settings if Windows Plug and Play can't install the new modem correctly.

Upgrading or replacing computer parts is not difficult at all, and is usually just a matter of disconnecting one device and connecting the new one.

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