Can’t recognize LPT2

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I had to do a reinstall of my WinXP Pro; should have done it back in Dec when I put in a new P4 MB.

Anyway, I cannot get the system to let me configure a small parallel port card that I use to connect an accessory printer to. This card worked preveously. I have downloaded updated drivers. When it is installed with the “correct” driver, Device Mgr shows it with the tell-tale flag. Unfortunately, the system will not let me force a config either.

I’m wondering if anyone has had this experience and can recommned a work-around, or, if someone can recommend a parallel print card that might be better for WinXP. This accessory printer is only used occasionally in the production of reports that require a color graphic or something.

Thanks a lot for any suggestions.

Sincerely,

Bob Harris

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Please describe what happens when you click “Update Driver” button.

Try to remove problem device and install it once again from “Add new hardware” utility in Control Panel.

Also: how many LPT ports are installed on your system? If you see LPT1 only, add second LPT port.

If this parallel port card worked previously under WinXP, there is suppose to be no problem to configure it once again. Make sure you use the driver for WinXP.

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This parallel card did work previously on this MB….
The card is a NetMos parallel port card. I downloaded the (supposed) WinXP drivers from their site and used these. It is configured as LPT2. LPT1 is my major Laser Printer. In order to get to the point where I could manually configure the card, I had to go into the bios of the MB and set IRQ5 for the specific PCI slot (#6). According to the Device Mgr, the card is working properly.

However, the printer will not work and I note that there is now another problem listed in the Device Manager for PCI #6. It is something called a “PCI Simple Communications Controller” . From Properties in Device Mgr the location is: PCI Slot 6 (PCI bus 2, device 14, function 0).

At present, I have set the PCI IRQ back to “Auto” and things seem to be staying the same, Device Mgr still says the card works, but nothing goes to the printer..

This is an ASUS P4B266 MB. The parallel card worked with it previously, with the same drivers, I might add.

It’s kind of got me stumped! Thanks a lot for your response and thoughts. Very sincerely appreciated.

Sincerely,
Bob Harris

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Are you getting any errors when you attempt to print to the device attached to LPT2? I’d also be interested in knowing whether anything shows up in the Event Viewer.

Just for grins and giggles, try switching the printer cables, since you know that the one on LPT1 works properly. See what happens there.

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Hi Mark,
Thanks for your input. To answer your questions:
The error reported from the printer is “Out of Paper”….it isn’t. The signal is not going to the printer at all.
Reversing the cables results in whichever printer is connected to LPT1 being operable; the one on LPT2 is not.
No messages on the Event Viewer.

After looking through the thread suggested by Dave, I’ve concluded that one of the bugs that may be fixed with SP1 (which is possibly going to be available is a couple of weeks) is the problem of XP not supporting two parallels properly.

My old installation was kind of goofy…it did strange things. On that installation the parallel card worked. Now the system is running smoothly and well, however: No second parallel card.

I think I’ll connect the second printer with a USB cable. One thing XP seems to do well is USB….or so I’m lead to believe.

That kind of sums it up. I removed the second card from the system and buttoned it up to await the USB cable!

–Bob

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Sorry for the stupid question: does your printer configured to print to LPT2 ?

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Yes it will configure to LPT2, and it was. However, when things are normal, the printer is recognized before I have to do anything. Under the current situation, it had to be manually configured. This suggested to me early on that I was in for a hassle.

In the old days with ISA cards, we’d just set the jumpers to the address, the IRQ, and the LPTx and let’er rip. I wonder if I were still using my olf MB that had three ISA slots with that card, if it would work with XP. I guess it would!

–Bob

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Check out the thread over at PC911 and I do not think they ever found a fix.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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