Larry wrote:

Open Device Manager....

Click the + box next to USB Controllers and look for the driver Cap'n
has its name on or some USB-to-Serial driver which may be more
generic. I've never hunted this driver down, myself.

Open any USB controller driver that looks like The Cap'n and look at
the driver's author. There is a selector to DISABLE the driver
without uninstalling The Cap'n, which would free up the port so your
other software could access the USB data coming in. You can always
re-ENABLE it to make it work again for The Cap'n ...

I have 2 identical laptops with Capn and the other software installed on
each. As far as is possible these are identical installations (the idea
being that a complete back-up computer is simpler than reinstalling,
reformatting, etc., in a pinch). I used these computers on a recent cruise
to southern New England and they were fine, although at that time I had not
started messing with ON Lite or SeaClear. BTW these apps were loaded mostly
out of curiosity. I may consider migrating if the support situation with
Capn remains at its current low level (and I started using Capn with its DOS
version in 1993).

On the laptop I'm using right now to type this, there is a complete Capn
install with a USB-to-serial dongle. This setup was in use recently and ran
well, including the interface with the SR162 AIS receiver. I purchased a
"Y" adapter from Milltech that allows me to feed the GPS into the AIS
receiver, which then transmits the combined GPS and AIS data at 38,000 BAUD
to the laptop via the USB-to-serial adapter. A little bit Rube Goldbergy
but it works. Believe me, it was way COOL to get targets and CPA on the
screen, especially in a breeze at night off Montauk. But that's another
subject. Here's some info on the hardware on this box.

The Capn works with the associated USB converter. However I also manage my
home alarm system with this box. The panel communicates with the DLS
software via a serial port, and in the present case I use the same
USB-to-serial converter. And it works just fine. In other words on this
computer, I can run Capn and get GPS data in the afternoon, then take the
computer home and manage the alarm that night. No port hijacking.

Puzzling(?).

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare