Cannot get my virtual COM port to work with DecoderPro


IronBeltKen

IronBeltKen

Lazy Daydreamer
I finally got all the connective hardware I needed to use JMRI/DecoderPro with my NCE system: a USB-to-Serial (9-pin) adapter and straight-thru serial cable.

I downloaded the required device driver and installed it. Then I connected my laptop to my NCE PowerPro command station. But DecoderPro wouldn't let me select a serial port, it said there are "none available".

Apparently the virtual COM port was created as "COM5", but the device driver refuses to start. When I go into the Device Manager to examine its status, it says:

This device cannot start. (Code 10)

{Not Enough Quota}
Not enough virtual memory or paging file quota is available to complete the specified operation.

Can anybody tell me what the **** that means?! I didn't think I needed to be a rocket scientist to get DecoderPro working:eek::mad:

Thanks in advance...
 
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Nce jmri

Obviously being an ITPro you have updated the driver for Win 8 and read the Prolific disclaimer about unsupported chip versions.

Also why are you not using the NCE COM-USB adapter??
edit "NCE USB Interface, which is mostly for use with the PowerCab, not the Power Pro or Powerhouse system"

I am not an NCE user

Good luck ,,,, next steps ..............

take care ,,, ken
 
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Ken, I seem to remember a setting to increase virtual memory in Windows, but I thought that ended with XP.
 
Nope, it's still there. Looks like you're running Windows 7, Ken, same as me. Just type "virtual memory" into the search bar on the Start menu and a help topic will show up that tells you exactly how to increase the size of your page file.

FYI the page file is a section of your hard drive that Windows uses as virtual memory when your computer's RAM is full but more data needs to go there.
 
LotoQuestions said:
Obviously being an ITPro you have updated the driver for Win 8 and read the Prolific disclaimer about unsupported chip versions.
Click to expand...
I contacted the vendor about the "unsupported chip" issue before I installed the driver. He assured me it would work. Of course, that might be his standard cookie-cutter reply to such questions.
Also why are you not using the NCE COM-USB adapter??
edit "NCE USB Interface, which is mostly for use with the PowerCab, not the Power Pro or Powerhouse system"
..............
Click to expand...
I am using the Powerhouse Pro system, not the PowerCab,

TrinityJayOne said:
Nope, it's still there. Looks like you're running Windows 7, Ken, same as me. Just type "virtual memory" into the search bar on the Start menu and a help topic will show up that tells you exactly how to increase the size of your page file.
Click to expand...
Actually TJ, I'm running Windows 8 - there were no more Windows 7 machines left on the shelves when I went to buy my current laptop. I'll try what that Help page describes when I get home from work. Sure hope VM is the actual issue, and not a mask of some deeper underlying problem.

bnsf971 said:
Ken, I seem to remember a setting to increase virtual memory in Windows, but I thought that ended with XP.
Click to expand...
Terry, apparently that capability still exists even in Windows 8 (I tried TJ's experiment and the Help page did appear). I'll try to actually change the settings later this evening.
 
I don't know what to tell you. I'm guessing the driver isn't compatible in Windows 8. How in heck could you be running out of virtual memory is beyond me? How much memory does your laptop have? And by default, you should already have a paging file setup already.

By the way, when you purchased your laptop, you have the option of getting Windows 7 instead, if you don't prefer Windows 8. Ask the store you bought if from, you should be able to request a Windows 7 disk. I suggest you try this, and chuck Windows 8 as far as you can throw it.

Personally, I hate windows 8, will never even think about using it on any of my computers. Its designed for tablets and touchscreens, and not laptops and desktops. Microsoft really borked this OS good. I mean really, they get rid of the "start" button, and the new user interface looks like a 3 year old designed it, with the bright colored boxes. Why wonder their sales for Windows 8 is the worst launch they have had.
 
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Motley said:
. . .By the way, when you purchased your laptop, you have the option of getting Windows 7 instead, if you don't prefer Windows 8. Ask the store you bought if from, you should be able to request a Windows 7 disk. I suggest you try this, and chuck Windows 8 as far as you can throw it.

. . .
Click to expand...
Believe me Michael, I wanted to do that from the git-go! I asked the people at BestBuy about that [having Windows7 retro-installed] and I forget exactly what they said, either that it wasn't an option or they couldn't guarantee a successful install.

Maybe what I should do is take it to the Geek Squad and demand that they get that device driver to work. They're the clowns that told me WIndows 8 is "the same as Windows 7" except for the user interface. Yeah - uh-huh!:mad:

BTW - with 4GB of RAM, I don't see how there could possibly be a shortage of virtual memory. I have to wait until I get home from work before I can try TJ-One's fix of setting up the virtual memory and paging myself.
 
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CSX_road_slug said:
Believe me Michael, I wanted to do that from the git-go! I asked the people at BestBuy about that [having Windows7 retro-installed] and I forget exactly what they said, either that it wasn't an option or they couldn't guarantee a successful install.

Maybe what I should do is take it to the Geek Squad and demand that they get that device driver to work. They're the clowns that told me WIndows 8 is "the same as Windows 7" except for the user interface. Yeah - uh-huh!:mad:

BTW - with 4GB of RAM, I don't see how there could possibly be a shortage of virtual memory. I have to wait until I get home from work before I can try TJ-One's fix of setting up the virtual memory and paging myself.
Click to expand...
If it's the same as Windows 7, tell them to install Windows 7 on it. I also hate 8 with a passion usually reserved for spammers. Best Buy told me when I bought the Windows 7 install disc that I was eligible for a free upgrade to 8. I told them to hold their breath...
 
CSX_road_slug said:
Believe me Michael, I wanted to do that from the git-go! I asked the people at BestBuy about that [having Windows7 retro-installed] and I forget exactly what they said, either that it wasn't an option or they couldn't guarantee a successful install.

Maybe what I should do is take it to the Geek Squad and demand that they get that device driver to work. They're the clowns that told me WIndows 8 is "the same as Windows 7" except for the user interface. Yeah - uh-huh!:mad:

BTW - with 4GB of RAM, I don't see how there could possibly be a shortage of virtual memory. I have to wait until I get home from work before I can try TJ-One's fix of setting up the virtual memory and paging myself.
Click to expand...

That complete B.S. about Best Buy telling you, you can't have Windows 7. Go back there, and demand Windows 7, or you want your money back. That is the most restarted excuse I have ever heard from a retailer.

Ya 4GB of RAM is fine. It's Windows 8 and/or the device driver does not support Windows 8.
 
going to ask a stupid question here - has the system been rebooted with the cable attached to the external device? Some legacy stuff needs to be present at boot time to get the allocation. My 2 cents...
 
My bad, I saw the familiar window minimize/maximize/etc buttons and thought it was W7. I certainly wouldn't have thought that the program uses enough memory to choke up a computer made this millenium, but that's what the error said so...

Anyhoo, with this new knowledge I would say it's definitely the fault of the drivers not being compatible with W8. See how you go with the one linked above.
 
OK, the USB-Serial adapter vendor emailed me a PDF with instructions on how to solve the problem.

Apparently, during first installation, not one but two device driver files are installed. The setup script automatically chooses the most recent version by default. What the install instructions do NOT say is that, in some cases, the default driver will fail. So I had to go into the Device Manager, select the virtual COM port, and go thru the "Update Driver" process - choosing an older version dating back to 2008 [go figure?].

That solved the problem. DecoderPro recognized COM5 as a valid choice for a serial port, and I went on to 'create' and program my first new loco.

Life is good*. Thank you everybody who replied!


-kenL

* Well almost - I still hate Windows 8!
 
TrinityJayOne said:
Good to hear you got it working. Did they say if this problem is unique to W8?
Click to expand...
They didn't say so directly. My problem with Windows8 is that I was unable to find any reliable online documentation for installing USB-to-Serial hardware on it [because Win8 is in its infancy], and none of the major retail outlets gave me the option of buying a Win7 machine, which I absolutely would have done if possible. I - and apparently the kid salespeople at BestBuy - were not savvy enough to know about Microsoft's downgrade option to retro-install Windows7 on a new machine.

The real problem was that the vendor - who apparently has had dozens of complaints like mine - didn't include these corrective instructions in their troubleshooting section or release notes to begin with.
 
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When I was looking for the drivers on their website. Did you see all the warnings about counterfeit USB cables? Yep USB cables, oh come on man.

This Chinese idiots counterfeit everything now. Good lord...
 
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