Is this the right group to post about printing problems?

[Patok]

I beg to differ...

http://multi-av.thespykiller.co.uk/ImageX.jpg

Oops. You're right, of course. I was thinking of Control Panel,
not Device Manager, and there is no Ports item there. What's more, the
computer I normally work on and use to write this message, has no
physical parallel or serial ports, and it has no entries in Device
Manager either. But the computer next to it has, and it does.

That is unless we are talking about Printer Ports which can be FILE:. USB001:, LPT1:, COM1:,
XPSport:, etc...

Of course the hardware, such as LPT1:, must be working to be used as a "Printer Port".

Indeed. So if the OP has no Ports entry in Device manager, it appears
something is wrong with the hardware?

 

[David H. Lipman]

Oops. You're right, of course. I was thinking of Control Panel, not Device
Manager, and there is no Ports item there. What's more, the computer I normally work on
and use to write this message, has no physical parallel or serial ports, and it has no
entries in Device Manager either. But the computer next to it has, and it does.



Indeed. So if the OP has no Ports entry in Device manager, it appears something is
wrong with the hardware?

Correct. I always believe in working at the base level, hardware, and work the way up the
chain in the process of elimination.

So if LPT1: is not in Device Manager and is enabled in the BIOS one can presume a hardware
failure and thus my posted list of alternatives. If there is a yellow exclamation mark on LPT1:
then uninstalling
it and rebooting will cause Plug 'n Play to detect and reinstall it. Hopefully in a
working condition. If there still is a yellow exclamation mark on LPT1: then it could be
a driver issue or hardware failure.

PS: My desktop has its ports disabled in BIOS because all my printers have Print Servers
and I print via TCP/IP. I captured that screen from my notebook which doesn't have a
Parallel port so I placed it in a docking station which has a Parallel port and then
captured a graphic of Device Manager with the ports list expanded.

 

[Dave Rado]

Hi David

| From: "Dave Rado" <[email protected]>
|
| > One other thing: I read somewhere that "LPT1" should be listed under the
| > category "Ports" in Device Manager, and that I should be able to
uninstall
| > it and reboot, which would cause it to be detected and reinstalled.
However,
| > there is no "Ports" category in my Device Manager, and no mention
anywhere
| > of LPT1.
| >
|
| Then go into the BIOS settings and make sure that the Serial and Parallel
ports are
| enabled. If they are disabled in the BIOS then the hardware won't exist
for the Operating
| System and needs to be re-enabled.

I can't see any ports in my BIOS settings at all. I looked by pressing F2
when booting up, which I presume is what you meant me to do?

Dave

 

[David H. Lipman]

Hi David



I can't see any ports in my BIOS settings at all. I looked by pressing F2
when booting up, which I presume is what you meant me to do?

What is the make, model and BIOS revision of this PC ?

Did you look through ALL menus of the BIOS ?

Is the parallel port a physical port on the computer or is it a port on a PCI cad in a PCI
slot.

In short, please fully identify what the computer and hardware is that is in question.

 

[Dave Rado]

Hi David


| What is the make, model and BIOS revision of this PC ?

Sony Vaio VGN-B1VP. Phoenix BIOS, Version R0031G9. EC BIOS version RKO 31G9.
Video BIOS version G91MG-06


| Did you look through ALL menus of the BIOS ?

Yes:

Menus are as follows - I've asterisked modifiable items, non-asterisked
items are not modifiable:

Main:
_____

BIOS version / EC BIOS version / Video BIOS version / Machine Name / Serial
number / UUID / System Date * / System Time / Total memory / CPU Performance
Control


Advanced
________

Primary IDE Adapter / Secondary IDE Adapter / LCD Screen Expansion * /
Network Boot * / Show Vaio Logo Animation * / Speaker Volume *

Security
_______

Machine password / User password / Set Machine password * / Set User
password * / Password when power on *

Boot
____

(allows you to select one of the following - HDD selected)

Optical Drive / Hard Disk Drive / Floppy Disk Drive / Network


Exit
___

(allows you to select one of the following)

Exit Save Changes / Exit Discard Changes / Get Default Values / Save Changes
/ Shutdown


| Is the parallel port a physical port on the computer or is it a port on a
PCI cad in a PCI
| slot.

As I said in my original post, it's a centronics parallel printer port
(25-pin)


Dave

 

[Dave Rado]

Hi John


Sometimes LPT1 needs a colon, thus:
|
| copy con: lpt1:
| []

I get the following message as soon as I press Enter:

"lpt1:" is not a recognized device.
The system cannot find the file specified.


Dave

 

[Dave Rado]

|
| Wouldn't be the first time the printer service went bonkers. I
| generally delete the printers and reinstall.
|
| I find a text file on the system and
| type textfile.txt to see what is there then
| [F3] > prn for it to go to the printer port
| you can also direct it to LPT1:
|
| both will send it to the printer but probably hang the last page unless
| there is an embedded form feed.
|
| In the root of the drive I have a FF.txt file with a ^L in it and a
| ff.bat file that instructs the system to type ff.txt > prn to eject the
| last page.
|
| You'll probably find it easier to resolve the issue working with just
| one of the printers. For the easiest way for testing you might want to
| use the HPIIP driver. It is a less complicated driver but will output a
| character stream the 4 can use.


I'm afraid you've lost me. But I did delete the LJ4P print driver and
reinstalled it. And when I try:

type a.txt > prn

I get:
The system cannot find the file specified.

Although if I just try:

type a.txt

it displays the contents of the text file on screen.

Dave

 

[Dave Rado]

|| Is the parallel port a physical port on the computer or is it a port on a
| PCI cad in a PCI
|| slot.
|
| As I said in my original post, it's a centronics parallel printer port
| (25-pin)

I've just noticed that the parallel port is only on the port replicator -
there isn't one on the laptop proper. I'm not sure how that works at a
hardware level, or how one could find out. (As I only ever print when the
laptop is docked in the port replicator, I hadn't noticed this before.)

Dave

 

[David H. Lipman]

|> Is the parallel port a physical port on the computer or is it a port on a

I've just noticed that the parallel port is only on the port replicator -
there isn't one on the laptop proper. I'm not sure how that works at a
hardware level, or how one could find out. (As I only ever print when the
laptop is docked in the port replicator, I hadn't noticed this before.)

LPT1: will *ONLY* exist when connected to the Port Replcator and thus will ONLY show in
Device Manager as shown below...
http://multi-av.thespykiller.co.uk/ImageX.jpg

When the Port Replicator is physically connected to the Vaio notebook. Thus, testing
should only be done when the Port Replicator is physically connected to the notebook.
This is why it is NOT in the BIOS because it is not a physical port on the notebook and
why it is very important to derscribe the hardware in question at the very beginning.
Here we are 5 days later and we are just finding out these important facts.

Using a Port Replicator is akin to using the USB to Centronics parallel cable adapter such
as the Belkin F5U002 I suggested earlier. The difference is a Port Replicator adds more
than just a Parallel Port. For example the trendNet TU2-ET200 which provides additiona
USB 2.0 prts, a Parallel Port, PS/2 Mouse, PS/2 keyboard, Ethernet and a serial port.

 

[Dave Rado]

| LPT1: will *ONLY* exist when connected to the Port Replcator and thus will
ONLY show in
| Device Manager as shown below...
| http://multi-av.thespykiller.co.uk/ImageX.jpg


Except it *doesn't*, this is how my Device Manager looks *when connected to
the Port Replicator*: http://tinyurl.com/849ux76

I have *never* posted anything or tested anything when disconnected from the
Port Replicator.



| Thus, testing
| should only be done when the Port Replicator is physically connected to
the notebook.

Given that I can only print when connected to the Port Replicator, I would
obviously never test anything to do with printing problems while not
connected to it. In any case it's very rare that my machine isn't connected
to the Port Replicator, even when not printing.

And as I said before, because I rarely use the laptop without it being
docked in the port replicator, and never try to print when it isn't docked,
I hadn't noticed before that there wasn't a parallel port on the machine
itself, which is why I didn't mention it earlier. But everything I have
posted and tested up to now was posted and tested while connected to the
Port Replicator.

Dave

 

[David H. Lipman]

Except it *doesn't*, this is how my Device Manager looks *when connected to
the Port Replicator*: http://tinyurl.com/849ux76

I have *never* posted anything or tested anything when disconnected from the
Port Replicator.



the notebook.

Given that I can only print when connected to the Port Replicator, I would
obviously never test anything to do with printing problems while not
connected to it. In any case it's very rare that my machine isn't connected
to the Port Replicator, even when not printing.

And as I said before, because I rarely use the laptop without it being
docked in the port replicator, and never try to print when it isn't docked,
I hadn't noticed before that there wasn't a parallel port on the machine
itself, which is why I didn't mention it earlier. But everything I have
posted and tested up to now was posted and tested while connected to the
Port Replicator.

Dave

The Port Replicator is bad. The moment it is plugged into the Vaio it should Plug 'n Play
providing the "Ports" section of the Device Manager view. Even a "Ports" section showing
a yellow exclamation mark on LPT1. However, the fact that this Plug 'n Play compliant
device no longer does this means it has completely failed.

You either must replace it specifically or replace its functionality with something like
the TrendNet TU2-ET200 which provides additional USB 2.0 prts, a Parallel Port, PS/2
Mouse, PS/2 keyboard, Ethernet and a serial port, or the Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics
parallel cable adapter. I specifically mentioned these devices because I have used them
in the past and served their intended puposes well.