Confirm that you have an IR transceiver on your computer (the IR transceiver is shown as a small dark red window).
If there is no IR transceiver on the computer, refer to the manufacturer's documentation to confirm that the IrDA feature is supported.
Open Device Manager.
Double-click on Infrared Devices.
If you have an IR transceiver, but IR Devices does not appear in Device Manager, do not install an IR device.
If no IR device is listed, do one or all of the following:
Go to BIOS setup and verify that the IR device is enabled in IrDA or Fast IrDA (FIR) mode in BIOS. For more information on how to enter BIOS setup, refer to your computer manufacturer's documentation. If the infrared device is disabled in the BIOS, you can use your computer's BIOS to enable it.
WARNING
Incorrect use of BIOS setup can result in incorrect operation of your computer, and Microsoft does not guarantee to fix problems caused by incorrect use of the BIOS setup program. Use this tool at your own risk. Before making any changes, please make a note of the original settings so that you can restore them if necessary.
Refer to your computer manufacturer's documentation to determine if your BIOS needs to be updated.
Make sure at least one infrared device is listed and enabled.
If an infrared device is listed but not enabled, make sure the infrared device is properly installed on the computer. For more information, see Related Topics.
Note
To open Device Manager, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. "Control Panel. Double-click System. On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.
Infrared transceivers are now installed on almost all newer laptops. If the computer does not have an IR transceiver, but supports IrDA and has IrDA enabled in the BIOS, you can install an external IR transceiver.
Installing an infrared deviceMost built-in infrared devices are installed by the installer, or by booting the computer after adding the device. However, installing a serial IR receiver into a serial port (COM) or USB port requires installation as described in this topic. This topic also describes how to install built-in IR devices that are not automatically detected.
Installing an infrared device connected to a serial port
If you have a desktop or laptop computer that does not have a built-in infrared device, you can connect a serial infrared transceiver to a serial (COM) port or a USB port. To perform this operation, install the IR transceiver into the port (note which port is used), and then perform these steps in Adding a new IR device to a serial port.
Installing a built-in infrared device that cannot be detected
If you add a built-in infrared device to a computer that has Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional installed, the device is usually detected and installed the next time you start the computer. If this does not happen, you will need to install the device manually. To perform this operation, follow the instructions for adding a new infrared device to the serial port.