Canon BJC 4200 wont print

[Piers]

My new laptop with XP doesn't have a parallel port and my
Canon bjc 4200sp printer doesn't have a USB port so I
bought a USB-centronics cable. So now the printer won't
print even though I get a new printer installed message
when I tested a new printer driver and rebooted. I
removed all old drivers. I am using the USB100 port.

Perhaps I should buy a new printer. If I buy one of
those all-in-one printer/fax/scanner things, will that
work in XP? I've seen info to the contrary. Any advice
would be welcome.

TIA, Piers

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

I am personally NOT a fan of any all in one unit whether it be a
printer/fax/scanner or something like TV/DVD/VCR.... if one component fails,
you're left with either having to buy a whole new unit, or accept the fact
that you can live without the one that fails.

I am however quite a fan of USB printers! The new units are much faster and
produce much better resolution than the older units... having worked up from
a BJC-4000 to the 4400 to the 8200 and now having an S600, 800 and an i950,
I'd never go back to a printer that had the tri-color ink cartridge. The
separate ones are much more economical.

Ask yourself whether it's worth your buying an all in one... do you really
do that much faxing? I do have a separate USB2.0 scanner. I do quite a lot
of scanning. But they're still separate units!

Cari
www.coribright.com

 

[Piers]

Thanks for the advice Cari. I already have a scanner and
I have yet to find a cable to connect it to my USB port.
I suppose I will get the same problem I have with my
printer. I despair at the blatant greed of suppliers who
won't support older systems in order to force people to
buy new kit. There is a lesson here. Don't buy a new
computer without a serial and a parallel port.

Piers

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

Parallel ports are (thankfully) on the way out along with gameport
controllers, serial ports and floppy drives. USB is the way forward. We
have to move on..... we don't have 5 1/4" floppies anymore! We got over
that hurdle, now we just have a few more before the end of the 'race' is in
sight!

Cari
www.coribright.com