Boot Prompt from modem?

This is a weird problem, l thought maybe someone could offer some insight.

The other day, while trying to dial-up, l was getting errors...in shell scripts for Linux2.2, 2.4, FreeBSD, and a terminal for Windows98SE, when l sent the AT command to initialize the modem l would get:
"Boot> " and a carraige return. No other commands would work. l was using a USR56k Faxmodem (internal). l took out all my other cards, l toyed around with the BIOS, all to no avail. l switched modems, and the other 2 l tried wouldn't work either (ok, so one had previously caught fire and wouldnt work anyway, but it was worth a shot).

Has anyone ever seen, or have an idea why, a modem give a Boot prompt like that?

Ok, updates , kindof:

l forgot to mention l had a checksum error and the CMOS reset right before this happened. Gee, you think l would've mentioned that. l did re-enter my old settings and it still didn't work.

The modem l was using is an ISA Legacy device, according to my original BIOS detection settings...but after this happened, telling the BIOS that irq5 is reserved for an "ISA Legacy", the modem bumps itself up to irq10, and Device Manager (ugghh) says irq5 is in use by an unknown device. This never used to happen.

l also found several screws and a jumper inside my case; do you think some PCI device spontaneously combusted? or do l just have a dirty case that l leave things in every time l work? Ok, you don't have to answer that last one...


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