I have seen where a PCMCIA card has caused problems like your having.
That could be what's making COM 1 not available.
If you can connect with Com port3 but get no response from the TVS it may be that someone changed the baud rate on the tvs.
Go ahead and connect with Com 3 and set dip switch 1 in the TVS to on, all the others off or to the left. Reboot the TVS with the laptop connected and hyperterm running.
This will reset the parameters of the TVS to 9600, 8, N and 1
also turn off "flow control"
Don't forget to turn the switch off again.

[This message has been edited by MrGemini (edited April 21, 2005).]