2 Port 16C550 Serial and 1 Port EPP/ECP Parallel Slot Saver PCI Card

Questions & Answers

How do I install my serial or parallel card in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11 (.exe method)
To install your serial or parallel card in Windows, download the latest driver package from StarTech.com, extract the files, run Setup.exe as an administrator, and restart the computer if prompted. Explanation: Before installing the card, ensure that Windows is fully updated with the latest service packs, security updates, and feature updates available for your operating system. To install the driver: Download the latest driver package from the StarTech.com Drivers & Downloads page. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file. Open the folder for your version of Windows, if applicable. Right-click Setup.exe and select Run as administrator . Follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver. Restart the computer if prompted. After Windows restarts, the operating system will complete the driver installation and the serial or parallel card will be ready to use. Note: If Run as administrator is not available, ensure that you are running Setup.exe from the extracted folder rather than directly from the ZIP file.

How do I install my serial / parallel card in Windows XP? (.exe method)
Prior to installing this device, ensure that your operating system is up to date (for example, you have installed the most recent service pack). To install the driver: Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website ( http://www.startech.com/Support ). You can find the part number and product ID on the product’s packaging. Note: Windows will typically save the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:Documents and Settings your_name My DocumentsDownloads). Once the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, select Extract All , and follow the on-screen instructions. Select the appropriate folder for your operating system. Double-click Setup.exe . Follow the on-screen prompts to install the device drivers and restart the computer when prompted. Your computer will automatically complete the driver installation and your device should be ready to use.

Is there an alternative method to install my serial card driver in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11?
Yes. If the standard Setup.exe installation method does not work, you can manually install the serial card driver through Device Manager by selecting the driver's .INF file. Explanation: Before installing the serial card, ensure that Windows is fully updated with the latest service packs, security updates, and feature updates available for your operating system. To manually install the serial controller driver: Download the latest driver package from the StarTech.com Drivers & Downloads page. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file. Open Device Manager by pressing Windows Key + R , typing devmgmt.msc , and pressing Enter . Locate PCI Serial Port or the device with a yellow exclamation mark ( ! ) or question mark ( ? ). Right-click the device and select Update Driver . Select Browse my computer for drivers . Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer . If prompted, select Show All Devices and click Next . Click Have Disk . Browse to the extracted Drivers folder and open the folder that matches your system architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). Select the StnMF.inf or NmXpMf.inf file (only one will be present), then click OK and Next to install the serial controller driver. After the serial controller driver is installed, install the COM port drivers: In Device Manager , locate each device under Ports (COM & LPT) that requires a driver. Repeat the manual installation process for each COM port. When prompted to select a driver file, choose StnPorts.inf or NmPorts.inf (only one will be present). Notes: The Show All Devices screen may not appear on all versions of Windows. If it does not appear, continue to the next step. To determine whether Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit, open System information in Windows Settings or System Properties. Once all drivers have been installed, the serial ports will appear under Ports (COM & LPT) in Device Manager and be ready for use.

Is there a different or more advanced way to install my serial card in Windows XP?
Before you install the device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed). Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at http://www.startech.com/Support . The part number and product ID are on the product packaging. Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:Documents and Settings your_name My DocumentsDownloads). After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All , and complete the instructions. Press the Windows key + R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter to open the Device Manager. Right-click PCI Serial Port , which will have “!” or “?” next to it to indicate a driver issue. Click Update Driver . On the Hardware Update Wizard screen, click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) , and then click Next . Select the Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install option, and then click Next . On the Hardware Type screen, click Show All Devices , and then click Next . Note: The Hardware Type screen does not appear on all systems. If you do not see this screen, skip this step. On the Select the Device Driver you want to install for this hardware screen, select the Have Disk option. In the Install from Disk dialog box, click Browse . Browse to the Drivers folder and open the 32-bit or the 64-bit folder, depending on your system type. Note: To view your system type, press Windows key + R, type control /name microsoft.system, and press Enter. Click the StnMF file or the NmXpMf file (only one of the file names is displayed). Click OK , and then click Next . The COM ports are listed in Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT) . Repeat steps 4 to 11 for each of the COM ports, selecting the StnPorts file or the NmPorts file in step 11.

How can I make sure my serial port is working in Windows?
To check whether or not an RS-232 serial port is working, perform an RS-232 loopback test by doing the following: If your serial port is not female, convert it by taking a female/female cable or gender changer and plugging it into the serial port. Take a metal paperclip or wire and cross pins 2 and 3. If you look closely at the female end, the pins should be numbered. Open a telnet session on the COM port number of the device that you are testing. To find out the COM port number, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/faq/com-port-listing-windows . Note: To open a telnet session on the COM port, you need a telnet client like PuTTY or Hyper Terminal. Windows XP comes with Hyper Terminal. When the session is open, anything you type into it you should see. The loopback test fails when you cannot see what you are typing. If the loopback test fails, make sure that the serial cable or gender changer that you are using works and that the adapter is in the correct port. You can check multiple ports at the same time by opening multiple sessions, putting the loopback adapter on one port, and trying to type into each session. When you can see what you are typing, you know that the COM port is working and you can see which port number the physical serial port is. Close the window for the port that you just tested to speed up the testing of the remaining serial ports. For products related to this article, click here .

Everything is hooked up but nothing is working. What should I do? (Windows)
When you troubleshoot issues with a serial or parallel hybrid device, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue: Serial or parallel cables Serial or parallel ports Serial or parallel devices To test your setup components, try the following: Use the serial or parallel cable, serial or parallel port, and serial or parallel device in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup. Use a different serial or parallel cable, serial or parallel port, and serial or parallel device in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup. When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following: Test each cable individually. Use short cables when you are testing. When you test the serial or parallel ports and serial or parallel device, it is recommended that you do the following: Press the Windows key + R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter to open Device Manager . Check to see if your device is listed under Ports (COM & LPT) . Make sure that the COM or LPT port number is the correct number for the serial or parallel device and that the software being used to connect the computer to the serial or parallel device uses the correct COM or LPT port number. If you do not see the COM or LPT port number in Device Manager see this FAQ for PCI/PCIe expansion cards: https://www.startech.com/en-us/faq/pci-pcie-cannot-boot-os-or-detect-windows or this FAQ for USB devices: https://www.startech.com/en-us/faq/usb-cannot-detect-windows If the device is listed with an error, follow the instructions on the website to reinstall the drivers. Note: Some serial devices work only if the COM or LPT port number is between a certain range. For example, COM1 to COM4 for serial and LPT1 and LPT2 for parallel. Perform a serial loopback test. See this FAQ on how to perform a RS-232 serial loopback test: http://www.startech.com/faq/serial_loopback_test_rs232_windows Note: There is not an equivalent loopback test that can be performed for parallel devices.

How do I confirm that Windows detects my expansion card?
To confirm that Windows detects your expansion card, complete the following: Press the Windows key+ R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter . In Device Manager , under the appropriate heading, confirm that your expansion card is listed and that there isn't an exclamation mark next to it. For example, a USB controller card would be under Universal Serial Bus controllers . Your expansion card is listed according to the name of the chipset. To determine the name of the chipset of your expansion card, navigate to www.StarTech.com and look on the Technical Specifications tab for your product.