Windows 95 Serial Port Settings Utility

In Windows 95, the primary graphical utility used to configure serial (COM) port settings—such as baud rates, data bits, parity, stop bits, and flow control—is Device Manager, located within the System Properties control panel. This article explains how to access and use Device Manager to adjust these serial communication parameters, while also highlighting command-line and terminal alternatives available in the operating system.

Configuring Serial Ports via Device Manager

Windows 95 introduced Device Manager as a centralized hardware configuration interface, replacing the older Windows 3.x "Ports" applet. To configure the baud rate and stop bits:

  1. Open the Start menu, select Settings, and click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click the System icon to open System Properties.
  3. Click the Device Manager tab.
  4. Expand the Ports (COM & LPT) category by clicking the plus sign.
  5. Select the target serial port (for example, Communications Port (COM1)) and click Properties.
  6. Switch to the Port Settings tab.

Within the Port Settings tab, you can configure the fundamental serial transmission parameters:

  • Bits per second (Baud Rate): Sets the data transmission speed (e.g., 9600, 19200, 57600, or 115200 bps).
  • Data bits: Specifies the number of bits in each character frame (typically 7 or 8).
  • Parity: Defines error-checking methods (None, Even, Odd, Mark, or Space).
  • Stop bits: Determines the duration of the stop signal at the end of a character (1, 1.5, or 2).
  • Flow control: Manages data flow to prevent buffer overflow (Xon / Xoff, Hardware, or None).

Click OK to apply the new defaults to the selected COM port.

Alternative Configuration Methods

While Device Manager manages global hardware defaults in the Windows GUI, two other built-in tools were commonly used for serial communication in Windows 95:

  • HyperTerminal: Located under Accessories > HyperTerminal, this bundled terminal emulation program allows users to set independent baud rates, parity, and stop bits for active communication sessions with modems, serial consoles, and external microcontrollers.
  • The MS-DOS MODE Command: For legacy command-line applications or batch scripts, the MODE command-line utility configures the serial interface directly. For example, executing MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1 sets COM1 to 9600 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit.