SP2 print errors to HP PSC 500 printer

[Michael Giroux]

Since installing XP SP2, my HP PSC500 printer has stopped working correctly.
After using the printer a few times, and switching user a few times all
attempts to print result in an error dialog indicating the document failed
to print.

The first two times this happened, I rebooted the system and it cleared the
problem.

The last time it happened, I checked the printer properties, and noticed
that the port for the printer was something called "DOT 4_001". I have no
idea what this is, and guessing that maybe it is some virtual port that did
not get updated with the SP2 upgrade, I changed the port to LPT1.

The printer is now working correctly.

Is there a known issue, with this DOT 4_001 printer port?

What is this?

Is there a reason that I should even care? LPT1 seems to be working.

Michael Giroux

 

[Michael Giroux]

The printer is now working correctly.

But the scanner is not.

Is there a reason that I should even care? LPT1 seems to be working.

Well, it seems that the system cannot access the scanner when printer is on
port LPT1. I guess I have to use port DOT4.

This gets me back to the original problem of not being able to print after a
while. It seems the DOT4 driver starts to fail, but there are no error
messages other than the status bubble that pops up showing that the document
failed to print.

I've checked the HP site, and it looks like their latest driver is sometime
in 2001, so I have to hope that it is included in XP SP2. Has anyone see or
heard of anthing related to the HP DOT4 port?

Michael

 

[Guest]

Mine did the same only I restored back to get rid of
SP2. Next time I will try changing the port from DOT4 to
LPT1.

 

[Michael Giroux]

A little more investigation has uncovered the problem:

The printer needs LPT1 to be configured as ECP mode. I have no proof of
this but it seems that since installing XP SP2, the BIOS is being changed.
I booted the system and checked and sure enough, the port was not ECP mode,
so I set it and rebooted.

A few days later, the printer problem returned, and I checked BIOS again,
and to my surprise, the printer port had changed. I reset it to ECP again
and rebooted.

Now I must admit that at the same time I installed SP2, I also installed a
wireless network board, and removed a modem. I am reluctant to think that
either of these changes is causing the BIOS config to change, but who knows.

Has anyone else seen issues similar to this?

Michael Giroux

 

[Guest]

I've figured out that sp2 does change the bios settings of the printer lpt1
port. My setting was set for ECP+EPP. I changed it to ECP and now my
printing and scanning capabilities are working fine. Still unsure if my
printer sharing network is fully working yet.