Need to connect to low # COM port to use a USB or BT device

[bighank]

Have T61p and W500 with internal BT adapters and a T61 with a BT dongle. When I connect either a USB or BT scan tool device with a ELM327 chip to the laptops it connects at COM port 20 or above. All COM ports with lower numbers are "IN USE". The programs which I am trying to use with this hardware are hard coded to look for ports 2-8 or 2-15 and as a result will not connect to the ELM327. I have both USB and BT versions of the ELM327 OBDII scan tool readers. One program will connect to the ELM327 but is not very robust and will not give me the information I need but I know that the ELM327s are working.
How can I connect to a lower number port without trashing my system or killing some device currently using the lower number ports?