Can't add a local printer. All printer ports are missing! 1

[DavidJoshua]

Have W2K SP2 on a Dell Optiplex G1. Have local workgroup and one network printer that works fine. When adding a local printer, I see that there are no local ports available - i.e. no LPT1:, LPT2: etc... the list is empty.

Details: I go to install printer. One time printer was automatically detected, but got an error message at the end of install saying there was a printing error. Next time it wasn't plug-and-play detected, so I tried manual install. Got to "Select the Printer Port" and the list is blank. I look at the port list for the installed network printer and all the ports are there.

Any ideas would be most appreciated!

David

 

[CharlieJax]

Right click on My Computer
Select Properties
Go to the Hardware tab
Click the Device Manager
Look under ports

Is your LPT port listed there? Does it have an error?

If it has an error then you may need to reinstall the drivers from the W2K disk.

If there is no port, you will need to install the port.

If you do both, and it still won't print you have a bad LPT port and need to get it replaced. CJ
- If chickens could fly would they egg ugly people?

 

[DavidJoshua]

Thank you, Charlie. I will check.

Is there an easy way to reinstall the drivers from the W2K disk without doing either reinstall or repair of W2K?

Guidance on installing the port?

I think the port is good as it was printing earlier this week. This problem occurred, I believe, after uninstalled the "Epson Printer Port" which was causing boottime errors.

Thanks!

David

 

[DavidJoshua]

Ok. Here's some additional info:

The ports are all there in the device manager. They all say that they are working fine. Ports are COM1: COM2: and LPT1:

I installed SP3, but no change in behavior.

Still, when I install a printer, I get an empty list of ports and so cannot continue through the install.

Thanks!

-=david=-

 

[tlcscousin]

Go to command prompt type
net stop spooler
Then
net start spooler
If this fixes the problem then you can in services go to print spooler and to the recovery tab and set on first failure restart service. Sometimes the service fails to start properly and this should have it restart if for some reason it does fail.

 

[DavidJoshua]

I was able to stop and restart the spooler this way, but it had no effect.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!!

David

 

[tlcscousin]

Try going into BIOS and set the parallel ports to a different setting. If set at ECP change to either bi-directional or EPP. Then check to see if the ports sre found when installing the printers. If still not found there used to be a setting to allow the ports to auto detect, and a change to manual settings might help.

 

[DavidJoshua]

Ok! Let me try this!

Thanks!!

David

 

[DavidJoshua]

Ok. Got the problem solved. Should have tried this sooner.

I tried the suggestions above, but though the software thought it was an ECP port, the BIOS choices were PS/2 and AT. Default was PS/2, change to AT, no diff.

Tried uninstalling the port, and it reinstalled, but still didn't work. Tried, in DOS, dir > LPT1: and it worked fine!

Solution was in MS article: Q255507

Basically the wrong DLL was being used. Instead of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors\Local Port being LOCALSPL.DLL it was set to LOCALMON.DLL. Set it back and all was perfect.

Hmmm...

Thanks everyone for your help!

David

 

[CharlieJax]

Humm.. verty intresting. CJ
- If chickens could fly would they egg ugly people?