KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q85707: Changing the Default COM Port and Baud Rate in Terminal

Article: Q85707
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.0a,3.1,3.11
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 01-OCT-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

The first time Microsoft Windows Terminal (TERMINAL.EXE) is started it prompts
you for the default port by displaying a Define Serial Port dialog box. The port
you select in the Define Serial Port dialog box will become the default port for
all subsequent Terminal sessions. However, the default communication settings of
Terminal (baud rate, parity, data bits, stop bits) are preset during setup. To
change these default settings, modify the WIN.INI file.

MORE INFORMATION
================

There are two methods to change the default COM port in subsequent Terminal
sessions.

1. Open the WIN.INI file in a text editor, such as Notepad, and search for the
  [Terminal] heading. There will be an entry such as Port=COM1. Change the
  existing entry to one of the following:

  a. Port=None

     -or-

  b. Port=COM1

     -or-

  c. Port=COM2

     -or-

  d. Port=COM3

     -or-

  e. Port=COM4

2. Optionally, after loading the WIN.INI file in Notepad, the [Terminal] heading
  and the entry below it can be deleted. The next time Terminal is started, it
  will prompt for a default port to use as if it were the first session of
  Terminal.

To change the default bit rate in the Terminal program packaged with Windows 3.0
and 3.1, add the desired settings description (baud, parity, data, stop bits) to
the port= line in the [Terminal] section of the WIN.INI file.

For example, to default to 2400 bits per second (BPS) on COM2, the following
changes/additions need to be made to WIN.INI:

     [Terminal]

     port=COM2:2400,N,8,1

Settings in individual *.TRM files will still override the default communication
settings.

In either of the above situations, Windows must be restarted for the WIN.INI file
changes to take effect.

KBCategory: kbsetup kbtool
KBSubcategory: win30 win31 wincomm

Additional query words: 3.00 3.00a 3.0 3.0a 3.10 3.1 3.11

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin300 kbWin300a kbWin310 kbWin311
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0a,3.1,3.11

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.