Go to Device Manager and check the list for Modem.  Hopefully, you will get a model number of your modem there and can seek out the correct driver from the Dell download site.

Thank you for your response to my problem. I have checked the Device Manger and it says I have a SoftV 90 Voice Speakerphone Modem and the driver is provided by Microsoft. I checked again the Dell device driver updates and there are no modem driver updates for the modem described. Most of the device driver updates listed by Dell are for Conexant modems and there are no Conexant modems for V90's.

What is my next option?

Dell puts any number of cheap generic modems in their computers and there is no telling what you have, modem-wise.  XP generic drivers often work, but if you are unable to resolve this with driver updates I would ask Dell to replace the modem if under warranty and if out of warranty, I would pull the modem and replace it with a purchased one (they're cheap) that will come with a driver disk.   Just wondering, if you remove the modem do the error messages go away?  Presuming so, you have a pretty good indication the modem is the problem and the solution should be relatively inexpensive.  Sorry that I don't have a definitive answer for you. 

Thanks for the tip. I'm curious why, if I have a Microsoft modem driver, the error keeps referring me to Conexant for a driver solution. I'm thinking that I did not get the error prior to loading Microsoft's SP2.

Dell used a lot of Conexant modems and there may well be a clash between a Conexant driver and XP service pack 2.  Anything is possible in the wild and wacky world of Windows. Best of luck with this.

Conexant only makes chips used to control modems. They don't actually make modems. Think of it the way Intel makes Pentiums but not PCs.

There is a way to determine the actual manufacturer from it's hardware ID number which you can find on the details tab for the modem in Device Manager and help from here, if you want to try that: http://www.modemsite.com/56k/whomadeit.asp
I was able to determine that Dell installed an Actiontec "Conexant" modem in my 8400 this way.

Otherwise, assuming you have a CD with the original drivers, you might uninstall the modem in Device Manager. Reboot and let XP find new hardware and point it at the CD to reinstall the driver. You might just have a corrupted driver problem.

Ron

RoHe, Thanks for that clarification.

On Conexant's site (http://conexant.com/support/md_driverdownload.jsp) you'll find links to download their "List Modem" application and several pdf files that may help you identify the type and manufacturer of your modem. Unfortunately, the vendor listing isn't complete because my Actiontec Conextant modem isn't listed.

I suspect yours is an HSF soft modem so once you can confirm that, you may want to try Conexant's generic soft modem driver. Make sure you download the correct driver for your modem type and version of Windows.

Ron

Ron, my problem is that I cannot identify my modem at the Conexant site. I am not familiar with an "HSF soft modem."

Sandy,
Are you saying that you downloaded/ran the little app at the link in my previous post and it couldn't identify the modem manufacturer? Even if that's the case, the app should tell you the type of modem (HSF, HCF, etc) and whether it's supported by a driver built into Windows. If the app says it's an HSF soft modem, without Windows support, that's all you need to know to download a generic driver from the list at the conexant site to provide basic support.

Are you sure you don't have a floppy or CD somewhere from Dell with the modem drivers on it?

Ron

I'm sorry that my message was not clear. I'm a bit confused about this issue anyway. Until a few moments ago, I had not been to the website you mentioned. Now that I have, I find I must open my PC case, and I cannot do that very easily and will have to wait until Hurricane Rita gets past us. I have used Device Manager in Windows to identify the modem, but it says it is a "SoftV90 Voice Speaker phone modem." I have not tried the Dell CD yet. I was not sure what you meant by "soft modem" unless you are referring to the "SoftV90."

Sandy,
Hope Rita doesn't cause you too much trouble!

This is the link from one of my previous post that I wanted you to look at: http://conexant.com/support/md_driverdownload.jsp

You'll find links on this page to download a small Conexant program and two pdf help files. The program downloads in a zipped folder named listmodem_app. Double-click on the folder and drag the .exe file out of the folder onto the desktop.

Double-click the desktop icon for the .exe to run it. It will tell you what want to know about your modem without having to open the PC case. When it's done, the program saves the info as a small txt file so you can read/print it whenever you want. Even if it can't identify the manufacturer it will tell you what type modem you have and that's basically what you need to know. If the manufacturer's name is listed, go to their site for drivers. If not, download the correct type generic driver for your version of Windows directly from the Conexant site.

A 'soft' modem uses the PC's Pentium and software to do all the heavy work. A soft modem only handles the connection to the ISP and the transmission of the data. The alternative is a 'controller-based' modem which has its own built-in hardware to do all the work. Obviously soft modems aren't as good but are they're much cheaper and that's why Dell uses them.

Stay dry!

Ron

Ron, I think I have it this time. I had gotten into the main Conesant site previously, but it was not clear that the listmodem_app identified my modem without opening the case. I could not, however, go directly to the http://conexant.com/support/md_driverdownload.jsp that you identified in your last post. For some reason, when I copied URL into my CompuServe http block, it kept sending me to the main menu. I finally found the driverdownload after working through some of the options. Whoops! Got to go. We've lost our electricity again.

Sandy