Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

  • Congratulations TouchToneTommy on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Old Laser Printer/New Computer - Help

Status
Not open for further replies.

frenchtaquito

Technical User
Apr 5, 2001
56
US
I have connected an old parallel port laser printer to a new Win XP system and I can't get the printer to work. I have a feeling the printer can't handle the rate of data the computer is sending it. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks
 
Buy a new printer ?

Seriously, I only see two *possible* solutions:
> Go to the printer manufacturers' website, and see if they have Windows XP drivers for your printer. Use those.

*** #2: BIOS SETTINGS FOR THE PARELLEL PORT: Do they match what the printer needs ?

You say you have a "NEW Windows XP system" so by default the BIOS settings are set for CURRENT HARDWARE, which may not work with the antique.
> So, does the new computer / meaning late 2001 new, work with an old parellel port printer ? ( maybe if you make some changes to match protocals)

Does the printer need SPP and it's on EPP 1.7 (or EPP 1.9) ???
Can you change the BIOS settings to BI-Directional, or NORMAL and have it function properly ?

It isn't about the data transfer rate, but the way it's being sent. It's a parellel port, and those are SLOW,,,,,,

Find out, by reading the printer manual, what the settings should be. If you don't have the manual, go online to the manufacturers website and download it to find out what you need to know (or look at the OLD computer's settings).

If these don't, (and you can't get any advice that works) it's new printer time.




 
Boot this new machine up in DOS (say v6.22) and see if it will print at the DOS level. This at least will determine if the both printer and PC are talking to each other. You didn't say what make and type of printer it is, but maybe a bog-standard HPL3 driver would work?


ROGER - GØAOZ.
 
Does the laser indicate any data reaching it? I haven't reached XP yet, but everything up to it has worked with all the slower printers. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top