With ComPortMan you can

• pre-define new default COM port numbers depending on several criteria
• let show a balloon tip with the assigned COM port(s)

ComPortMan runs as Win32 service under Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Windows 7/8/10 and all the Server Editions. An x64 version for the x64 Edition of Windows is available too.

BTW: For cleanup of the port reservations there is my 'COM Name Arbiter Tool'.

Then enter your preferred configuration into the ComPortMan.INI (see below). There is a sample file included called ComPortMan_sample.INI. Either create a new ComPortMan.INI or rename the sample.

If you are logged on with administrator privileges you can simply install it by starting the Without administrator privileges you will be prompted for them.

You can change the ComPortMan.INI without restarting the service because it's checked each time a new drive is attached.

You can uninstall the service using parameter -deregister: Both can be done without the message box by using the following ComPortMan commandline parameters

It returns Errorlevel 0 on success, 1 on failure.

You can stop and start the installed service by means of the _service_stop.cmd and _service_start.cmd.

Sample: Any USB serial device attached to port 2-1-1 at COM7

Sample: USB serial device with certain device ID at COM8, no matter on which USB port it is attached to

Sample: New default COM port numbers for all other USB serial devices Have a look into the help file ComPortMan_ENG.CHM for more details.
The help file is available online as HTML version too.
If you get the 'cannot display the webpage' error then the help file has the NTFS file attribute 'downloaded from untrusted source' and Microsoft doesn't trust its own CHM file format. To fix this right click the ComPortMan_E.CHM, select Properties and click Unblock.

COM Port Information

ComPortMan comes with a GUI application 'COM Port Info' which show information about all COM ports. It's also available standalone here: ComPortInfo

Balloon Tips

ComPortMan can show a balloon tip with information about the COM port(s) of a just attached device:

V1.0.4 (21 Sept 2020)

• Bugfix: ComPortMan and ComPortInfo V1.0.3 did not work with some modem devices

• New: ComPortMan can restore COM port names when the PortName registry value has been emptied somehow
• Bugfix: Some minor fixes for ComPortInfo

• Bugfix: Some 'COM Port Info' crashes
• New: ComPortMan can swap port numbers when required

• Bugfix: Port assignment might fail in V0.9.8 when a device is attached again
• Bugfix: BallonTips not show show on some Windows 7
• New: Faster restart of USB devices by resetting the USB port instead of using the device manager (XP, Win8, Win10 only, not supported under Vista and Win7)
• New: 'COM Port Info' with highlighting of just arrived and removed devices
• New: 'COM Port Info' can restart USB ports (XP, Win8, Win10 only, not supported under Vista and Win7)

• New: Executing programs on arrival and on removal of COM port devices
• New: Balloontips in Windows 10 style
• New: 'COM Port Info' changes ports much faster
• New: 'COM Port Info' shows more COM port information
• New: 'COM Port Info' shows open handles

• Bugfix: QuickAndDirty=1 was ignored in V0.9.6

• New: Criteria Location and ParentLocation
• Bugfix: Generating a full report did not work in ComPortInfo

• New: ComPortMan detect COM port devices which failed to start, for instance because their port number is in use. To prevent this, so far ComPortMan changed the port number to 200 up on removal to ensure the device starts when attached next time. This is no more necessary. Furthermore ComPortMan detects if a device starts but without creating a COM port because it is in use. Both is then fixed by changing the port number and restarting the device.
• New: When a port device is removed whose port was changed in quick&dirty mode then its driver will try to delete the former port. If this one is in use meanwhile by another device the ComPortMan restores it immediately.
• New: ListComPorts command line tool replaced by the GUI tool ComPortInfo

• Bugfix: On -install and -uninstall ComPortMan V0.9.3 did nothing but opening the help; for three month no one told me

• Bugfix: ComNameArbiterClean did not work correctly
• Bugfix: Fixing FriendlyNames didn't always work
• New: BalloonTips on removal

• New: FriendlyName is checked and fixed even ComPortMan does not change the port number
• New: Port number is set as used in the 'COM Name Arbiter' registry key, even ComPortMan does not change the port number; makes sense because Windows does this only when the device is installed but not on subsequent arrivals
• New: Port number collisions are detected and fixed even when ComPortMan does not change the port number (on arrival only, not on service startup)

• New: COM port of device with class 'Modem' are handled

• Bugfix: For USB devices attached to USB3 controllers the USB port name was wrong

• Bugfix: For devices with device interface GUID_DEVINTERFACE_USB the removal was not processed
• New: Setting RemoveDosDeviceNameOnRemoval

• New: Works with device which have the device interface GUID_DEVINTERFACE_SERENUM_BUS_ENUMERATOR (so far only GUID_DEVINTERFACE_COMPORT)
• Bugfix: USB port not determined on Texas Instrumens USB3 controllers

• New: After removal of a COM port ComPortMan can remove this device from the Windows device management, see Settings

• Bugfix: When assigning a COM-port for a new device the same port is changed for all non-present devices to ensure their driver can start if the are attached at the same time

• Bugfix: -silentstop (used by the MSI) was not implemented

• Bugfix: -install and -uninstall did not work in V0.8.3

• Bugfix: Wrong balloontip if multiple different COM devices attached to the same USB hub
• Change: The first digit of the USB port name has been changed to be compatible with USBDLM and UsbTreeView

• Bugfix: COM-port removed if all configured ports are not available

• Bugfix: Detection of mulit-port-adaptors as such failed with some devices
• New: 'Quick-and-dirty mode' is default, see Settings

• New: Fast 'Quick-and-dirty mode' available, see Settings
• New: Windows COM-port reservation can be removed, see Settings

For home users I suggest the ZIP file. Just unzip to 'C:Program Files' and run the _service_register.cmd.
The _edit_ini.cmd opens the ComPortMan.ini file (or creates one). It asks for Adminstrator privileges. Without these the INI file would be redirected to the 'Virtual Store' where it is useless.
The MSI is for admins who want to deploy the software in their network. It installs without any feedback to '%ProgramFiles%ComPortMan'. An MSI with integrated ComPortMan.INI is not difficult to create, see ComPortMan help under Creating an MSI. There is also some information about using the MSI for ComPortMan updates.

The software is fully functional and does not expire. There is no 'full version'.

Download latest release:
Win32:
https://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/ComPortMan.zip
(about 233 KB)

https://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/ComPortMan.msi
(about 274 KB)

x64:
https://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/ComPortMan_x64.zip
(about 251 KB)

https://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/ComPortMan_x64.msi
(about 290 KB)

To support admins in schools which are often voluntary workers I made ComPortMan freeware for schools, colleges and universities. But that's the line I've drawn and even your organization is non profit, good and important I have to say, it's beyond that line. Ask me for a discount in this case.

Prices with effect from Jan 2012
(Euro prices are constant, USD prices are floating):

You can order directly at me, I send offer and invoice on request.
An online order isn't available because the KAGI Online Shop closed after 22 years.

The licence is delivered as licence number by eMail or on the invoice. It's not required for the software, the software is not limited in any way and it does not expire.

All licences are not limited in time and valid for future versions too.