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