HyperTerminal Troubleshooting

Article
10/08/2009

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Troubleshooting

What problem are you having?

You receive an error when you are performing a file transfer and you are not able to send or receive a file successfully.
You are unable to connect to a remote computer when using a remote site's user-friendly name.
You want to use HyperTerminal as your default telnet application, but you are not prompted for that option when you open HyperTerminal.
The terminal screen size does not change when you maximize HyperTerminal to full screen.
Information you type is not appearing on the HyperTerminal terminal screen.
Information you type is appearing double on the HyperTerminal terminal screen.
ANSI characters are not displaying properly.
HyperTerminal does not redial when the line is busy.
After connecting to a remote computer, the terminal screen displays meaningless information.
You cannot delete characters from the terminal screen.
The cursor does not blink when you are using HyperTerminal via a Remote Desktop connection.
You cannot use the traditional Windows control key combinations to perform certain tasks, such as CTRL+C to copy, or CTRL+V to paste.

You receive an error when you are performing a file transfer and you are not able to send or receive a file successfully.

Possible Cause

Solution

The local computer and remote computer are not using the same file transfer protocol.
Ensure that the file transfer protocol is the same on both the remote and local computer.
You have excess noise on your phone line.
Establish a new connection. You might need to use a different phone line.
The connection to the phone line is interrupted briefly.
Establish a new connection.
Your hardware is not working correctly, you are using incorrect drivers, or your modem configuration is incorrect.
Verify that the hardware is functioning properly and has the latest drivers. Verify that you are using the correct port. Also try your file transfer using different port speeds, baud rates, data bits, parity, stop bits and modulation. These settings must be the same for both the remote and local computers.

You are unable to connect to a remote computer when using a remote site's user-friendly name.

Cause: The Domain Name System (DNS) server may not be functioning properly.

Solution: Connect to the site using standard Internet dotted notation (for example, w.x.y.z).

You want to use HyperTerminal as your default telnet application, but you are not prompted for that option when you open HyperTerminal.

Cause: When the dialog box asking you whether to use HyperTerminal as your telnet default client first appeared, you responded No and selected Stop asking me this question.

Solution: Open Registry Editor. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key and change the value to 1:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\HyperTerminal\Telnet Check.

After you change this value, the next time you start HyperTerminal, the dialog box will appear and will ask you whether you want to have HyperTerminal as your default telnet application.

Notes

To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

Caution

Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, back up any valued data on the computer. You can also use the Last Known Good Configuration startup option if you encounter problems after manual changes have been applied.

The terminal screen size does not change when you maximize HyperTerminal to full screen.

Cause: The HyperTerminal terminal screen size is determined by the font size that you are using. It will size itself to display 24 lines of 80 (or 132) characters of whatever font you have selected.

Solution: On the HyperTerminal View menu, select Font. If you want a larger terminal screen select a larger font size. If you want a smaller terminal screen, select a smaller font size.

Information you type is not appearing on the HyperTerminal terminal screen.

Cause: The terminal screen displays the information sent from the remote computer, not information entered on your local computer. To view what you type, the remote computer must be configured to echo back your input. There also may be a time lag between when you type the information and when it is displayed on your terminal screen.

Solution: Ensure that you have a proper connection with the remote computer and ensure that the remote computer is configured to echo user input.

Cause: Neither your computer nor the remote computer is configured to echo the information that is typed.

Solution: If the remote computer is not configured to echo user input, you can configure your computer to do so with the following steps:

On the HyperTerminal File menu, click Properties.
On the Settings tab, click ASCII Setup.
Check the Echo typed characters locally box.

Information you type is appearing double on the HyperTerminal terminal screen.

Cause: Both your computer and the remote computer are configured to echo back your input.

Solution: Either ensure that the remote computer is not configured to echo user input or instead configure your computer to not echo user input. To ensure that your computer is not echoing user input:

On the HyperTerminal File menu, click Properties.
On the Settings tab, click ASCII Setup.
Clear the Echo typed characters locally box.

ANSI characters are not displaying properly.

Cause: You are not using the Terminal font.

Solution: On the HyperTerminal View menu, select Font. Click Terminal and choose OK.

HyperTerminal does not redial when the line is busy.

Cause: The Redial on busy option may not be selected.

Solution: On the HyperTerminal File menu, select Properties. Select the Connect To tab and ensure that Redial on busy is selected.

After connecting to a remote computer, the terminal screen displays meaningless information.

Cause: You have not selected the correct terminal emulation type.

Solution: On the HyperTerminal File menu, select Properties. Select the Settings tab. In the Emulation drop-down box, choose the terminal type of the remote computer. If the remote computer's type is not listed in the drop-down box, it is not supported by HyperTerminal.

You cannot delete characters from the terminal screen.

Cause: The remote computer that you are connected to has control of the characters displayed on your terminal screen. The remote computer is expecting the cursor to be at particular positions on the screen based on the data that it has already sent to the screen. If you alter that screen locally, you potentially disrupt the interaction between you and the remote computer in ways that the host can not predict or control. Therefore, HyperTerminal does not allow you to delete characters from the screen.

Solution: Not Applicable

The cursor does not blink when you are using HyperTerminal via a Remote Desktop connection.

Cause: The cursor blink option is not available when using HyperTerminal via a Remote Desktop connection. This is done to reduce the screen updates in the Remote Desktop session.

Solution: Not applicable

You cannot use the traditional Windows control key combinations to perform certain tasks, such as CTRL+C to copy, or CTRL+V to paste.

Cause: If you are set to Terminal Keys in the properties for this connection, pushing control key combinations will send out terminal commands, not the Windows commands. For example, many hosts use CTRL+V to navigate through their systems.

Solution: You can change this setting to Windows Keys and the control key combinations will work as in Windows. To do so, on the HyperTerminal File menu, click Properties. Click the Settings tab, and click the Windows Keys radio button.

Important

When using the Windows Keys setting, all function, arrow and control keys will be processed locally. Using the Terminal keys setting and then using the menus to perform the necessary functions is the recommended option.