My wife has XP Pro on a mains-driven laptop connected to an HP 2100
laser printer by means of a USB-to-Centronics cable. Periodically the
job fails to leave the queue and get printed. It is - sometimes -
fixed by shutting down (NOT restarting) the laptop and /or the
printer.

Any ideas - or better, answers - why this happens?

One possibility is the USB/parallel cable and I haven't tested that
with a PC with a parallel port yet - the fault is sporadic and the
laptop is in use much of the day.

Hilarious wrote:
> My wife has XP Pro on a mains-driven laptop connected to an HP 2100
> laser printer by means of a USB-to-Centronics cable. Periodically
> the job fails to leave the queue and get printed. It is -
> sometimes - fixed by shutting down (NOT restarting) the laptop and
> /or the printer.
>
> Any ideas - or better, answers - why this happens?
>
> One possibility is the USB/parallel cable and I haven't tested that
> with a PC with a parallel port yet - the fault is sporadic and the
> laptop is in use much of the day.

The USB to Parallel port idea - while functional - has been unreliable in my
experience. Perhaps it is time to replace that printer with something pure
USB or networked? ;-)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

>My wife has XP Pro on a mains-driven laptop connected to an HP 2100
>laser printer by means of a USB-to-Centronics cable. Periodically the
>job fails to leave the queue and get printed. It is - sometimes -
>fixed by shutting down (NOT restarting) the laptop and /or the
>printer.
>
>Any ideas - or better, answers - why this happens?
>
>One possibility is the USB/parallel cable and I haven't tested that
>with a PC with a parallel port yet - the fault is sporadic and the
>laptop is in use much of the day.

Need more info:

What version of XP? SP1, SP2, SP3? USB 1.1? USB 2? Have you detached
and re-attached the cables to ensure a tight connection and that the
cables are snug? If this is an Intel-based PC, have you installed the
Chipset Drivers? What version are the printer drivers? PCL6? PCL5e?
Universal Print Driver?

- Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP)

On 17 June, 14:50, "Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP)" <.@.> wrote:
> Need more info:
>
> What version of XP? SP1, SP2, SP3? USB 1.1? USB 2? Have you detached
> and re-attached the cables to ensure a tight connection and that the
> cables are snug? If this is an Intel-based PC, have you installed the
> Chipset Drivers? What version are the printer drivers? PCL6? PCL5e?
> Universal Print Driver?
>
> - Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP)

Thanks for the response. XP Pro SP3 (but it did it under SP2. Can't
remember SP! or before.)

I ran driver update on the USB root hub, USB Printing support and
Enhanced Host Controller. I was a bit surprised to see that the
'update' actually was from an earlier date:2002, not later than the
2003 it was before. I got the impression that it had grabbed from
system32 not the 'Net.

The cable was properly seated and is now even safer from accidental
pulling. Nothing on the label to say which USB it is. The packaging
has long since gone to landfill but I suspect that it is 2.0. could
this be critical?

The chipset drivers are as God... sorry, Toshiba intended them. There
is no specific USB or printer driver on the Toshiba website.

The printer currently is using PCL6. I have downloaded the 5e and 6
drivers from HP, both are dated 2004, and the Universal (new to me)
Basic and the other, their dates being 2008. Which should I load that
might reduce the little deaths?

Wife says that the dying has become more frequent since the machine
had a 'recovery' from the OEM disk. I can't comment as I don't use
the Tosh.

I look forward to your comments.

Hilarious wrote:
> My wife has XP Pro on a mains-driven laptop connected to an HP 2100
> laser printer by means of a USB-to-Centronics cable. Periodically the
> job fails to leave the queue and get printed. It is - sometimes -
> fixed by shutting down (NOT restarting) the laptop and /or the
> printer.
>
> Any ideas - or better, answers - why this happens?
>
> One possibility is the USB/parallel cable and I haven't tested that
> with a PC with a parallel port yet - the fault is sporadic and the
> laptop is in use much of the day.

Open Device Manager, open the properties on each "USB Root Hub", click
the Power tab, and deselect "Allow the computer to turn off this device
to save power".

--
Joe =o)

On 17 June, 16:58, "Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP)" <.@.> wrote:
> >> Need more info:
>
> >> What version of XP? SP1, SP2, SP3? USB 1.1? USB 2? Have you detached
> >> and re-attached the cables to ensure a tight connection and that the
> >> cables are snug? If this is an Intel-based PC, have you installed the
> >> Chipset Drivers? What version are the printer drivers? PCL6? PCL5e?
> >> Universal Print Driver?
>
> >> - Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP)
>
> >Thanks for the response. *XP Pro SP3 (but it did it under SP2. *Can't
> >remember SP! or before.)
>
> >I ran driver update on the USB root hub, USB Printing support and
> >Enhanced Host Controller. *I was a bit surprised to see that the
> >'update' actually was from an earlier date:2002, not later than the
> >2003 it was before. *I got the impression that it had grabbed from
> >system32 not the 'Net.
>
> The driver update on the aforementioned won't do anything. You'll need
> the one's from Intel located here:http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filt...Types=all&Prod...
>
> Get: INF Update Utility - Zip Format *(2231KB) 9.0.0.1008 6/2/2008,
> download, un-zip, and run the setup and see if it installs some
> drivers or just quits out really fast.
>
> >The cable was properly seated and is now even safer from accidental
> >pulling. *Nothing on the label to say which USB it is. *The packaging
> >has long since gone to landfill but I suspect that it is 2.0. *could
> >this be critical?
>
> What's the model number of the Toshiba? Do you know it's BIOS version?
>
> >The chipset drivers are as God... sorry, Toshiba intended them. *There
> >is no specific USB or printer driver on the Toshiba website.
>
> See above for the Intel Chipset drivers.
>
> >The printer currently is using PCL6. *I have downloaded the 5e and 6
> >drivers from HP, both are dated 2004, and the Universal (new to me)
> >Basic and the other, their dates being 2008. *Which should I load that
> >might reduce the little deaths?
>
> There was a June update to the print spooler so if you have not
> already run Windows Update to get the June patches, do so.
>
> The Universal driver might actually give you better results than the
> old one from 2004. Download it and give it a shot.
>
> >Wife says that the dying has become more frequent since the machine
> >had a 'recovery' from the OEM disk. *I can't comment as I don't use
> >the Tosh.
>
> >I look forward to your comments.
>
> So long as it's been updated to SP3 level, that's all that's
> important.
>
> - Thee Chicago Wolf (MVP)

I ran the Intel driver update - quite quick - and the Universal PCL6
driver. It printed perfectly after that - four in a row, which is
unheard of in recent times, she says. We both say many thanks indeed
for your excellent help!