Help! Internet problems!

[blue elf]

I bought a Compaq laptop computer today(that was the longest store line I have eeeever been in!). Anyway, I can't get my dial-up internet service to work on my new comp. I added the phone number and everything, but every time I try to connect I get a message saying that it can't establish a connection. I don't think it's detecting a dial tone or anything and it doesn't even try to dial the numbers. Also, in the password screen, sometimes the password that comes up is way longer than the one that I entered as the default. I have no idea what to do to it so that it will work. I looked in the instruction manual and that didn't really help. The computer said it detects the modem. Would the fact that my old comp. connects from Win 98 and my new one has Win XP have anything to do with it? If anyone knows any ways that I might be able to fix this problem please let me know. I really don't wanna have to call the tech support people at Compaq unless I have too, since they'll probably wanna charge me.

[Mr. Rogers]

what is your ISP (internet service provider)? can you plug a regular telephone into that plug you're trying to use to see if it has a dialtone?

[blue elf]

what is your ISP (internet service provider)? can you plug a regular telephone into that plug you're trying to use to see if it has a dialtone?

It's a local provider, and I know that the phone jack I tried is working. It's the same one I'm using for my old computer right now.

[Slater]

hmm hmm hmm... got a firewall?

Edit: Stupid question, XP has a firewall. Disable it and retry.

[blue elf]

hmm hmm hmm... got a firewall?

Edit: Stupid question, XP has a firewall. Disable it and retry.

I tried that and I got a message saying that my modem was already being used by another program or wasn't connected properly.

Update: I got connected!! It turned out that the drivers or whatever that make the modem work hadn't been installed.