windows port assignments

How to Check Ports in Use in Windows 10 & 11

Can’t use a specific port? Here’s how to check which port is in use in Windows with simple commands and apps like currports and tcpview.

Windows has many applications connected or trying to connect to the internet at any point in time. With all those applications, it is only natural that they use many network ports.

Two or more applications may need the same port to work from time to time. When that specific port is already in use by one application, the other application cannot use that port, and it may show a warning message, error out, or crash entirely.

In those situations, it is better to know which ports are used and which application is using that specific port. That way, you can either change the port or terminate the problem-causing application so that the other one works as it should.

The good thing is that it is pretty easy to know which port is used by which application in Windows . So, without further ado, let me show the steps to find which ports are used in Windows 10 and 11 operating systems.

Note: The methods shown below work in Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11.

Table of contents:

Command to check ports in use

• Using CurrPorts
• Using TCPView

Using a single command, you can get a list of all the ports in use by various programs. This method is quite helpful if you want to take a quick glance at the ports in use.

1. Search for “cmd” in the start menu, right-click on the Command Prompt and select “Run as Administrator.” This option lets you open the command prompt with admin rights.

2. In the elevated command prompt window, execute the below command. You can copy and paste the command into the Command Prompt window by right-clicking inside it.

3. You will see the port number right next to the IP address (ex: 192.168.42.198: 50943 ) in the output result. You can see the highlighted portion of the attached image for better representation.

Keep in mind that the list will not be refreshed automatically. You have to execute the command again when you need an updated list. If you want the used port list to be updated automatically, follow one of the two methods illustrated below.

Use CurrPorts to find ports in use

Nirsoft Utilities has a pretty neat and lightweight tool called CurrPorts. It shows all the ports used by Windows and other programs. Let me show you how to use the application to get the information you need.

A quick note: In case you don’t know, Nirsoft has a lot of small and portable apps that are pretty useful in day-to-day life. If you’ve never used Nirsoft Utilities, browse the developer site and find many interesting little tools.

1. First, download CurrPorts from the official website. Being a portable application, you don’t have to install it. After downloading, extract the exe file from the zip file and double-click the file to open it.

2. As soon as you open the window, the application will list all the connections and their ports. You can find the port number under the Local Port section.

3. Being a dedicated port monitoring application, it offers quite a few options to manage the applications and ports. Right-click on any option, and you will see appropriate options like the ability to close the TCP connection, copying properties, application properties, etc.

4. If you want finer control, you can create your own filters to narrow down the search. To do that, select “Options -> Advanced Filters” option.

Use Sysinternals TCPView to check ports in use

Sysinternals TCPView is a Microsoft tool that makes it easy to view all the TCP connections and ports used in Windows 10 and 11. The tool is very similar to CurrPorts.

1. Download TCPView from the Sysinternals website, extract the exe file to your desktop, and double-click on it.

2. As soon as you open the application, you will see a user agreement. Agree to the agreement, and you will instantly see all the TCP connections and ports in use. You will find the port numbers under the Local Port section.

3. You can end the connection and free the port if you want to. To do that, right-click on the connection and select “End Process.” This will terminates the process.

That is all. It is that simple to find which ports are used in Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you like this article, check out how to change the network name in Windows 10 and how to show download and upload speed on the taskbar in Windows .

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How to Check for Ports in Use in Windows 10

At any one time, there’s a whole bunch of information being sent between your Windows 10 PC and the endless void of the Internet. This is done using a process whereby network-dependent processes seek out TCP and UDP ports, which they use to communicate with the Internet. First, your data gets sent to remote ports at the destination or website your processes are trying to connect to, then it gets received at local ports back on your PC.

Most of the time, Windows 10 knows how to manage ports and ensure that traffic is being directed through the right ports so that those processes can connect with what they need to. But sometimes two processes may be assigned to one port, or maybe you just want to get a better picture of your network traffic and what’s going in and out.

That’s why wrote this guide that shows you how to check open ports on Windows and see which applications are using which ports.

Also read: How to Set Up Port Forwarding in Windows

Check Port Usage With Nirsoft CurrPorts

NirSoft is one of the best indie software developers, giving us great utilities, like PassView and WirelessKeyView. While some people will prefer checking their ports without installing third-party software (in which case, scroll down to the CMD method), CurrPorts is easily the fastest and most convenient way to check port status on Windows.

Once you’ve installed CurrPorts, just open it to see a list of all your ports currently in use. If you’re looking for local ports in use, just click the “Local Port” column at the top to order the list by port number (handy if you’re looking for a specific one). You can do the same thing with remote ports, too.

If you want to really find specific ports, click the “Advanced Filters” icon at the top and enter your string in the format they suggest. It should look something like the below image.

Hit OK when you’re ready, and the list will filter down to your queries.

Also read: How to Open Ports and Set Up Port Forwarding on Your Router

List Open Ports Using the Command Prompt

The integrated – though not necessarily the simplest – way to check open ports is to use the trusty command prompt.

Click the Start button, type cmd , then right-click “Command Prompt” when it shows up in the search results. Click “Run as administrator.”

Once you’re in the elevated command prompt, enter the following command:

This will steadily bring up a list of open ports that is probably quite long, along with the Windows processes that are using them. (You can press Ctrl + A , then Ctrl + C to copy all information to the clipboard.) On the average PC, there will be two main local IP addresses that contain ports on your PC.

The first, in our case, is “127.0.0.1.” This IP address is otherwise known as “localhost” or a “loopback address,” and any process listening to ports here is communicating internally on your local network without using any network interface. The actual port is the number you see after the colon. (See image below.)

The bulk of your processes will probably be listening to ports prefixed with “192.168.xxx.xxx,” which is your IP address. This means the processes you see listed here are listening for communications from remote Internet locations (such as websites). Again, the port number is the number after the colon.

Also read: How to Disable USB Ports in Windows 10

Install TCPView to Check Open Ports

If you don’t mind installing a third-party app and want to have more control over what’s going on with all your ports, you can use a lightweight app called TCPView . This immediately brings up a list of processes and their associated ports.

What make this better than the command prompt is that you can actively see the ports opening, closing and sending packets. Just look for the green, red and yellow highlights. You can also reorder the list by clicking the column headings, making it easier to find the process you want or two separate processes vying for the same port.

If you do find a process or connection you want to close, just right-click that process. You can then select “End process,” which is exactly the same function as the one in Windows task manager. Or you can click “Close Connection” to leave the process open but stop it from listening on a given port.

If you’re having some trouble in Windows 10, then see whether a Windows update may be causing it . We also have a handy guide for managing the health of your hard drive in Windows 10 .

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How to Check If a Port Is Open in Windows 10

You can use a Windows command or third-party utilities

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What to Know

• Easiest: Open the Start menu > type command > right-click the Command Prompt app > Run as administrator .
• Type  netstat -ab  > press  Enter > look for items in the "LISTENING" state. 
• The alternative is to use a third-party app: We like TCPView, Nirsoft CurrPorts, and PortQry Command Line Port Scanner.

This article outlines how to check for open ports in Windows 10, which is necessary if an application cannot access the internet or you want to block an application.

How to Check If a Port Is Open With Netstat

The easiest way to check if a port is open on Windows 10 is by using the Netstat command . 'Netstat' is short for network statistics. It will show you what ports each internet protocol (like TCP, FTP, etc.) is currently using.

The command has many parameters, but the ones you'll need to use to check if a port is open are (a), which provides the active ports, and (b), which will tell you the name of the processes using those ports.

Select the Start menu and type "command." Right-click on the Command Prompt app and select Run as administrator .

Type netstat -ab and press Enter . You'll see a long list of results, depending on what's currently connecting to the network. You'll see a list of running processes. The open port numbers will be after the last colon on the local IP address (the one on the left).

Look for the items on the list with a state of "LISTENING." These are the processes that are communicating via one of the currently opened ports.

If you want to know the program's name that has a specific port open, then type netstat -aon and press Enter . This command will show the protocol the app is using, the local and remote IP addresses, and most importantly, the PID of the application using that port (the number on the far right). Remember to look for the LISTENING status.

To find the application related to that PID, right-click the task manager and select Task Manager . Select the Details tab. Look in the PID field for the PID you noted from the command prompt screen.

How to Check If a Port Is Working Using Third-Party Apps

If you don't want to use the command prompt to check for open ports, there are very easy-to-use third-party apps that can help.

TCPView is a utility included in Microsoft Sysinternals that shows you a list of all running processes and their associated open ports. This app displays ports opening and closing and packet transfers, all in real-time.

Nirsoft CurrPorts

Nirsoft CurrPorts  is another utility to see all ports currently being used by applications and services on your system. Just look for the  local ports  column to see which of your computer's ports are active.

The list also includes ports that are being connected to on the remote end (the server out on the internet).

PortQry Command Line Port Scanner 

Install PortQry Command Line Port Scanner for another command-line utility dedicated to scanning your computer for open ports. Once you install it, open Command Prompt in administrator mode . PortQry automatically installs in the C:\PortQryV2 directory, so change the directory of your command prompt to that directory.

Type the command portqry.exe -local to see all open TCP and UDP ports for your machine. It'll show you everything you can see with the NetStat command, plus port mappings and how many ports are in each state.

What Is a Port?

Applications running on your computer reach out and get information and data from servers elsewhere on the internet. These applications and the server know how to communicate based on their IP address and the port number.

Think of the IP address as a street address and the port number as the apartment number. If either the server or application attempts to communicate using any other port number, it won't work. Every other door will be "locked" because other ports are closed.

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Checking If a Port Is Open on Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

Checking if a port is open on Windows 11 is a breeze if you know the right steps. You’ll be using a built-in tool called Command Prompt to send a signal to the port and see if it responds. If it does, you’re in business! If not, well, you might have to do some troubleshooting. But don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it.

Step by Step Tutorial: Checking if a Port is Open on Windows 11

Before we dive into the deep end, let’s get our feet wet with what we’re about to do. We’ll use Command Prompt, a powerful tool that lets you communicate with your computer in a more direct way than clicking and dragging. We’ll be sending a little ping to a specific port to see if it’s awake and listening for traffic.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt on your computer. You can do this by searching for ‘cmd’ in the Windows search bar.

Command Prompt is like the backstage of your computer, where you can give direct orders and get straightforward answers. It’s a bit like talking to a genie in a lamp, except you have to speak its language – commands.

Step 2: Use the ‘netstat’ Command

Type ‘netstat -an’ and press Enter to display a list of all open ports and their status.

The ‘netstat’ command is a handy tool that spills the beans on what ports are up to. It’s like having a security camera on every door and window of your computer’s network, showing who’s coming and going.

Step 3: Look for the Port Number

Check the list for the port number you’re interested in. It will be listed under the ‘Local Address’ column.

This step is like playing ‘Where’s Waldo?’ but with numbers. You’re scanning through rows and columns to find your specific port number. It’s a bit like looking for a friend in a crowded room.

Step 4: Check the Status Column

Next to the port number, look at the ‘State’ column to see if the port is listed as ‘LISTENING.’

If your port is ‘LISTENING,’ it’s like having your phone off the hook, ready for a call. If not, it’s as if your phone is on airplane mode – unreachable.

Step 5: Troubleshoot if Necessary

If the port isn’t open, you may need to check your firewall settings or consult with your software documentation.

Sometimes ports aren’t open because there’s a digital bouncer called a firewall keeping things secure. You might need to have a word with it to let your traffic through.

After completing these steps, you’ll know whether the port you’re interested in on your Windows 11 machine is open or not. If it’s open, great! Your apps and services that use this port should work just fine. If it’s not open, you might need to do some extra work to get things running smoothly.

Tips for Checking if a Port is Open on Windows 11

• Make sure you run Command Prompt as an administrator to ensure you have the right permissions.
• If you’re checking a port for a specific program, make sure the program is running.
• If your port isn’t open, disable your firewall temporarily to see if it’s blocking the port.
• Keep in mind that some ports shouldn’t be open all the time for security reasons.
• Use the ‘telnet’ command for a more thorough test if ‘netstat’ doesn’t give you the information you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do i need to check if a port is open.

Some programs need certain ports to be open to function correctly. If a port is closed, it could prevent the program from working.

How do I open a port if it’s closed?

You might need to adjust your firewall settings or port forwarding settings on your router.

What does ‘LISTENING’ mean in the ‘netstat’ output?

‘LISTENING’ means the port is open and ready to receive connections.

Can I use a different command to check port status?

Yes! You can use PowerShell or third-party tools to check port status as well.

Is it safe to open ports on my computer?

It can be, as long as you know what the port is being used for and trust the service or application. Always ensure your security software is up to date.

• Open Command Prompt.
• Use the ‘netstat -an’ command.
• Look for the port number.
• Check the status column.
• Troubleshoot if necessary.

So, there you have it—checking if a port is open on Windows 11 is not rocket science. It’s more like detective work where you’re piecing together clues using Command Prompt. Remember, keeping your ports secure is like locking your doors at night; it’s a simple step that can prevent a lot of headaches. Whether you’re a gamer trying to connect to servers, a worker setting up remote access, or just curious about your network security, knowing how to check your ports is a valuable skill. Keep this guide handy for the next time you need to play digital detective. And who knows, you might just find yourself diving deeper into the world of network management. Happy sleuthing!

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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How-To Geek

How do i open a port on windows firewall.

Firewalls keep your PC safe, but they can also get in the way.

Quick Links

What do ports do, how to open a port on windows 10, key takeaways.

• Firewalls block unsolicited traffic from the internet by default, but you may need to open a port to allow specific traffic through for programs like game servers.
• To open a port on Windows 10, search for "Windows Firewall" and go to "Windows Defender Firewall." Click on "Advanced Settings" and create a new inbound rule for the specific port number.
• You can choose when the rule applies (domain, private, public) and give it a name and description. If needed, you can disable the rule or repeat the steps to open ports for different programs.

Firewalls are there to protect you from threats on the internet (both traffic from the internet and from local applications trying to gain access when they shouldn't). Sometimes, though, you'll want to allow otherwise restricted traffic through your firewall. To do so, you'll have to open a port.

When a device connects to another device on a network (including the internet), it specifies a port number that lets the receiving device know how to handle the traffic. Where an IP address shows traffic how to get to a particular device on a network, the port number lets the receiving device know which program gets that traffic. By default, most unsolicited traffic from the internet is blocked by Windows Firewall. If you're running something like a game server, you might need to open a port to allow that specific kind of traffic through the firewall.

This article shows you how to open a port on a particular PC's firewall to let traffic in. If you have a router on your network (which you likely do), you will also need to allow the same traffic through that router by forwarding the port there.

Clicking Start, type "Windows Firewall" into the search box, and then click on "Windows Defender Firewall."

Once Windows Firewall opens, click on "Advanced Settings."

This launches Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security. Click the "Inbound Rules" category on the left. In the far right pane, click the "New Rule" command.

If you need to open a rule for outgoing traffic, instead of clicking "Inbound Rule," you'd click "Outbound Rule." Most apps are pretty good about creating their own outbound rules when you install them, but you might occasionally run into one that cannot.

On the Rule Type page, select the "Port" option and then click "Next."

On the next screen, you'll have to choose whether the port you're opening uses the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Unfortunately, we can't tell you specifically which to use because different apps use different protocols. Port numbers can range from 0-65535, with ports up to 1023 being reserved for privileged services. You can find an unofficial list of (most) TCP/UDP ports on the Wikipedia page , and you can also search for the app you're using. If you can't determine the specific protocol to use for your app, you can create two new inbound rules — one for TCP and one for UDP.

Select the "Specific Local Ports" option and then type the port number into the field provided. If you're opening more than one port, you can separate them by commas. If you need to open a range of ports, use a hyphen (-).

Click "Next" when you're done.

On the next page, click "Allow the Connection" and then click "Next."

For this guide, we'll be using the "Allow the Connection" option, as we trust the connection for which we're creating a rule. If you want a little more piece of mind, the "Allow the connection if it is secure" rule uses Internet Protocol security (IPsec) to authenticate the connection. You can try that option, but many apps do not support it. If you try the more secure option and it doesn't work, you can always come back and change to the less secure one.

Next, choose when the rule applies and click "Next." You can choose one or all of the following:

• Domain: When a PC is connected to a domain controller that Windows can authenticate access to the domain.
• Private: When a PC is connected to a private network, like a home network or a network that you trust.
• Public: When a PC is connected to an open network, like a cafe, airport, or library where anyone can join, and the security is unknown to you.

In the final window, give your new rule a name and an optional, more detailed description. Click "Finish" when you're done.

If you want to disable the rule at any point, locate it in the list of Inbound or Outbound Rules, right-click it, and then click "Disable Rule."

That's all there is to it. If you need to open any other ports for a different program or with a different rule, repeat the steps above using a different set of ports to open.

Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry

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How to View Computer Port Assignments

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With 65,535 possible ports to keep track of, you might think viewing the active ports on your small business' computer is a difficult task. In most cases, the number of assigned ports on the computer will be much smaller than the maximum number. In fact, most computers will use only a few port assignments during normal operation. There is a simple method to view your currently assigned ports in a DOS session with a single command.

Press the “Windows-R” keys.

Type “cmd” without the quotation marks in the “Run” dialog box and click the “OK” button.

Type “netstat -n” at the command prompt and press the “Enter” key. A list of active connections and their port assignments will be displayed on the screen. The assigned port numbers appear immediately after the colon at the end of your IP address.

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• A complete list of options for the netstat command is available by typing “netstat/?” at the command prompt.

Finn McCuhil is a freelance writer based in Northern Michigan. He worked as a reporter and columnist in South Florida before becoming fascinated with computers. After studying programming at University of South Florida, he spent more than 20 years heading up IT departments at three tier-one automotive suppliers. He now builds wooden boats in the north woods.

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Change COM Port Number programmatically

In Device Manager, I can right click on a serial device, navigate to the Port Settings tab, click Advanced, and change the COM Port Number via a drop-down menu.

I need to automate this step across a large number of PCs. Is there a way to script this process, or to do it programmatically?

• serial-port

• Are they all the same version of Windows? –  End Antisemitic Hate Dec 11, 2014 at 6:46
• They are not - could be WinXP, Win7, or Win8. Having said that, I'll happily accept a solution that only works on one (better than nothing!) –  Matthew King Dec 11, 2014 at 6:51
• Hmmm....curious what is the specific application for this process? –  mdpc Dec 11, 2014 at 7:22

This question is probably best asked on stack overflow . That said, take a look at ComDBReleasePort and ComDBClaimPort in the COM Port Database . However, changing COM port assignments programmaticly is not exactly considered a best practice. For example, what happens if two more more concurrent applications are fighting to get the same COM assignment?

Windows dynamically assigns COM port numbers for a good reason. Ideally, your application should be written so that it searches for the specific COM port it needs. This can be done via polling or by using the Windows Management Interface (WMI) .

If you're referencing some application that someone else wrote, and you're just stuck with someone else's program design (or lack thereof), then you may want to consider adding a batch script to modify the registry key under HKLM\Hardware\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM at startup, since the new value(s) are not likely to hold between re-boots.

I don't know how how well this last option would work, but if you're a serious PowerShell or Python user, you could theoretically use either scripting language to directly access the APIs mentioned at the beginning of my response for a one-time COM port re-assignment.

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[Solved] How to Change or Switch Disk Numbers in Windows

Updated on Monday, May 13, 2024

Change Disk Numbers in Windows: Switch disk 0 and disk 1

When your hard drive is detected and recognized, Windows will assign your drive a letter and a numeric disk ID to better identify a certain disk. You can use Disk Management to change a drive letter if you don't like the assigned drive letter or if you have a drive that doesn't have a drive letter yet.  How to change disk numbers in Windows ?

This article will introduce how disk enumeration works in Windows and tell you  how to change disk ID of a drive , especially  switch disk 0 and disk 1 . 

How does Windows assign drive numbers?

The location of the SATA port on the motherboard that a drive is plugged into determines the disk number of that drive. Some motherboards have markings right on the board that let you know what port corresponds to what number.

In other words, the number assigned to your  SSD ,  HDD , or other storage devices, also known as disk ID, is the physical address of a SATA port. You can set up a boot order for all SATA ports in BIOS, and then Windows decides master and slave drives by your BIOS boot order. 

By default, the first hard drive with a Windows OS will be assigned as C: and Disk 0 in Disk Management because it needs to boot up first. Then other devices will be given disk numbers 1, 2, 3, etc. 

However, the story is different for an  M.2 SSD  with NVMe. Drives connected to SATA ports get priority in numbering order. Therefore, even though your NVMe SSD is the boot drive, it always goes by the last number because it is connected to an M.2 slot. It will display in Disk Management shown below. This is no solution to change the disk number for an NVMe SSD in Windows and nothing to worry about.

• NVMe = Disk 2 (C: )
• SATA1 = Disk 0 (D: )
• SATA2 = Disk 1 (E: )

Is this information helpful? If you nod, please share it. 

Why do you need to change disk numbering? 

There is usually no need to alter disk numbers because they just signify different physical connections on a motherboard. But one situation is an exception - when your startup disk (not an NVMe SSD) which contains a Windows operating system is not listed as disk0. 

Here is an example from the Superuser forum:

A desktop system had two drives (Assigned C and D, which were enumerated in Disk Management as Disk 0 and Disk 1). A new SSD was added as the boot drive, after copying the C drive to the SSD. The SSD was connected to SATA 0 (master) port on the motherboard. The previous C Drive was moved to SATA 2 and is reformatted as a non-booting NTFS partition. The D drive remained on SATA 1.... However, the list in Disk Management is re-ordered. Disk 0 is the previous Disk 2 (D Drive) on SATA 1, Disk 1 is the new Boot Drive (now C) on SATA 0, and Disk 2 is the former C Drive (now assigned E) on SATA 2...Is there any way to re-order the Disk number assignments? What actually does determine the Disk number enumeration?

In this case, after the user added a new boot drive to the SATA 0 port, the boot drive was not assigned the corresponding disk0 but disk1. The user wanted to switch disk1 to disk0. 

Can you change disk ID numbers?

The response is a clear negative if you mean that you wish to alter the physical SATA port order on your motherboard. The precise placements or enumeration of these ports cannot be changed.

However, if you want to change the disk numbering of the slave hard drives or assign the boot drive with the correct order which is disk0, it is possible to do so.

Thanks for sharing in advance.

How to change disk numbers in Windows?

There is no need to mess with the disk numbers for average users because it is not easy. You can read the following advice if you have a good cause to.

How to change the disk number of the boot drive from disk1 to disk0:

• Back up data of the current boot drive.
• Reformat the current boot drive to a Windows format - NTFS, FAT, or exFAT. 
• Reinstall Windows OS to the drive you want to use as a boot drive.
• Go to BIOS and set up the new boot drive as the first drive to boot. Then the new boot drive will be disk0.

How to change the disk numbers of other slave drives:

•  Unplug all secondary drives, also known as slave drives, that don't contain the operating system. 
•  Connect the drives to your Windows PC in a different order. Then you will find the disk IDs of these disks have changed. 

This article helps you understand how disk number enumeration works and if you can change the disk ID of a drive. As long as everything seems fine, most users won't need to change disk numbers or be concerned if the boot drive is not Disk 0.

Your friends may be happy to see this article too. 

Jessica Shee is a senior tech editor at iBoysoft. Throughout her 4 years of experience, Jessica has written many informative and instructional articles in data recovery, data security, and disk management to help a lot of readers secure their important documents and take the best advantage of their devices.

No. 308, 3/F, Unit 1, Building 6, No. 1700, Tianfu Avenue North, High-tech Zone

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how to assign static COM port number to a device

I have an issue with one device ( Pax Technology Terminal ) connected to Win 10 ( NCR Point of Sale ). after unplugging the device and connecting it the COM port number changes and every time we have to change the port number back to the correct port number for this device to work.

Is there way I set this device to only get a certain COM port number every time they unplug and connect it back ?? something like setting defaults for each device type

Windows 10 A Microsoft operating system that runs on personal computers and tablets. 10,757 questions Sign in to follow

Dear all USB Users, (unsure that this is the right forum for my question...)

Is there a way to programmatically "Recover Unused and FIX COM Numbers" (NI - National Instrument Forum Question...)

It is hard to live with the Totally Random USB COM port Enumeration that Windows always apply... Is there a way to make this less Random, or even totally controlled and pre-visible?

I found that for each USB device the following apply (or at least should apply) Each device has:

• VID = Vendor ID
• PID = Product ID
• PSN = Product Serial Number So with we have the possibility to make a COM-Port-Number Reservation/Binding Option for this USB device with Unique ID: VID&PID&PSN This would result in the possibility for having the desired Unique Fixed COMxx Port Number Reservation...

See my proposal in the attached TXT document... 269324-windows-usb-com-port-enumeration-problem.txt

The Simple Solution to this Problem could be just like **DHCP MAC-Address to IP-Address binding... Like VID&PID&PSN to COMxx Port Binding forever on this computer...

Thanks... The World and I would appreciate a COMMENT to this... And much better also an action to this problem...!

Thank you for reading ana all the best regards Ronn

I encountered similar issue. When the COM number is assignated and confirmed, Device Manager is closed automatically and the COM number remains unaffected.

Windows manages the COM port number assignments, and a device's COM port number may change after a reboot.

To manually change the COM port number of a device:

• Open Windows Device Manager > right click the device > Properties
• Under Port tab > Advanced
• Change COM port number

Also, according to the experience before, the Windows assign the COM port according VID, PID and serial number. So with the same device plug in, it should always get same COM port assignment. But when two devices with same VID, PID and serial number might be treated as same device. When you plug in them in sequence, Windows can assign different COM port for them. However, after rebooting the Windows with the two USB devices attached, the COM port assignment should be decided by Windows for the two USB devices with same VID, PID and serial number.

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If the Answer is helpful, please click " Accept Answer " and upvote it.

How can ANY two devices have the same serial numbers ??