installed Windows 7 & can no longer print anything!
Ohioguy
printer port. When I upgraded my motherboard just over a year ago, I
bought one that didn't have a parallel port built in. I had to decide
whether to buy a new USB printer, an adapter cable, or just get a PCI
Parallel port card. The third solution was also the cheapest, so I got
a Sunix 4008a card for about $14 shipped. It worked fine.
Problem is, evidently I didn't save the driver install file like I
normally would, so I had to track it down again and download:
http://www.sunix.com.tw/cc/en/detail.php?class_a=34&prod_id=330
Notice that the driver only goes up to Vista - no Windows 7
It LOOKS like the driver for the PCI Parallel card installed ok, but
I have no idea how to test the card properly. For example, if it was a
network card, I could ping it. What can you do to test a parallel port?
Thankfully, the Samsung website had a driver specifically for Windows
7 for the ML-1740. They are really on the ball. I got that installed.
When I first tried to print a test page, it came up and asked me what
to call the file. That was confusing - it thought I wanted to print to
a file.
In the control panel, I've tried setting the printer to LPT1, LPT2,
and LPT3. None of these seems to work - I just get an error now. (no
longer tries to print to a file, at least)
When I look at the Parallel port in device manager, it shows
"communications port Com1" - this device is working properly. Device
Type = Ports (COM & LPT) Port settings + 9600 Bits per second, 8 Data
bits, Parity=None, Stop bits 1, Flow Control None. Under Port Settings
> Advanced, I can set the com port for it from Com1 to something like
Com200.
Anyone have any ideas on what I might be able to try so I can print
again? As it is right now, I feel like I've exhausted the things I can
think of to try, and I'm unable to print anything at all. I realize
that this group is particularly focused on PS2 hardware, but you are all
so smart - I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
Thanks for any help you can offer!
supervinx
friends with Win ...
As far I can see, I don't see any parallel port listed in the control
panel :-(
Do you have a real COM1, besides the added LPTx port ?
In the printer properties you can't set to LPTx because no LPTx in the
system ...
Check the driver installation (and reboot ... Windows is not Linux ...)
It's a bit harder to diagnose far away from the machine.
Testing a parallel port is not very difficult, when the port is
recognized.
You can't do this booting with plain DOS, because you added a PCI LPTx
port and, AFAIK, is not seen by plain old DOS :-(
Last thing: sure you don't have a parallel port on the MB ?
Sometimes they are present, but disabled in BIOS and the flat ribbon
cable not connected.
J. Clarke
What driver are you using? Looking on the SUNIX site they list a
verson 7.0.0.0 driver (at the top of the list of drivers) for that
board that is supposed to support Windows 7. Is that the driver
you're using? You mention that the driver only goes up to Vista--if
you're using one of the older drivers that is likely your problem.
William R. Walsh
> I have a Samsung ML-1740 Laser Printer. It hooks up using
> a parallel printer port.
Look on the side for a USB port. The ML-1740 should have both ports.
Mine does...
> The third solution was also the cheapest, so I got
> a Sunix 4008a card for about $14 shipped. It worked fine.
I was recently alerted to the presence of "fake" parallel port cards
that use a USB chipset and "build in" a USB to parallel adapter. Yours
does not appear to be like that. If the example picture is correct, it
has a Netmos/Moschip IC at its heart, and those provide "real"
parallel or serial ports.
> Notice that the driver only goes up to Vista - no Windows 7
It should work anyway. Have you tried it anyway?
> What can you do to test a parallel port?
Print to it, possibly from DOS. (Have a boot disk handy.) Not sure if
that would work for a PCI card, however--as it could use a large
number of possible configurations that DOS may not know about.
Look in system setup or use a hardware probe program to find out what
the system believes to be installed onboard and in its expansion
slots.
Under DOS, you might try the following command:
ECHO some letters >LPT1
You can substitute PRN (for LPT1), LPT2 or LPT3 to experiment and see
if you can "find" the printer.
Does it show up in the Windows Device Manager? It *should*, under
"Ports (COM and LPT)".
> When I look at the Parallel port in device manager, it shows
> "communications port Com1" - this device is working
> properly.
That is not a parallel port.
A couple of other things spring to mind--first of all, does your
motherboard (what model #/maker?) support a parallel port if you could
plug one in somewhere? I have seen a number of motherboards set up
this way, with headers for optional parallel and serial ports that
aren't normally provided.
A component known as the LPCIO supplies all the "legacy" ports (PS/2,
serial, parallel, internal floppy drive connector) on most
motherboards. Even if there is no port provided on the board, or no
way to hook one up, not all motherboard makers disable the unused (or
unusable) hardware.
If your motherboard could be supplying a parallel port but isn't, have
you turned the option off in system setup? Until you do, there is a
possibility for a resource conflict.
(for your viewing pleasure, I've left the rant out about stupid
motherboards that don't include a full card of legacy ports -- I may
be silly, but I like it when each connector has ONE PLACE it can go!)
Seriously though, it would amaze me to learn that parallel ports
actually work at all on Windows 7.
William (I could try to find out -- I have a Compaq Deskpro EN running
a Win7 RC...)
Ohioguy
through Windows Vista, and didn't check the download page - Windows 7
there! (thanks)
I downloaded that, and installed. Now it is showing up as "Sunix LPT
Port", which is much better. However, there is still a triangular sign
with yellow exclamation point.
Device Status says "this device cannot start. (Code 10)
Driver version 7, digitally signed, driver date 7-14-2009.
Resources: this device isn't using any resources because it has
a problem.
<thank you, so very much for the specific details>
Oh, and now that you mention it, this printer DOES HAVE A USB PORT ON
THE SIDE, WAY IN THE REAR. I can't believe I never noticed it, but I
do, ever so vaguely remember seeing that on the box about 4 years ago.
I never saw the port, and had a plethora of parallel printer cords at
the time, so I didn't give it much thought.
The printer was installed back in an area where you can only see the
top and front, so I guess over the past 4 years it was easy for me to
forget that it had more than the parallel port.
I STILL would like to get this card working, but I think if another
week goes by and I can't make any headway, I may look around to see if I
have a USB cable, and simply remove the PCI card. It's a shame, too,
because it was working before Windows 7 was installed. (though I do
remember that I had to tweak a setting for the card - the default
setting had it using the wrong port, or something like that)
Thanks again!
UZnal
> Port", which is much better. However, there is still a triangular sign
> with yellow exclamation point.
>
> Device Status says "this device cannot start. (Code 10)
>
> Driver version 7, digitally signed, driver date 7-14-2009.
>
> Resources: this device isn't using any resources because it has
> a problem.
You have a conflict most probably because of the previous attempts. Remove
the device from the system config, copy the config to a new hardware
profile, start with the new hardware profile, be sure it does not contain
the device.
> I STILL would like to get this card working, but I think if another
> week goes by and I can't make any headway
Remove the driver and the card to cleanup the device index, reinsert the
card.
Ohioguy
rebooted, and installed the driver. Then I installed the parallel port
pci card to another pci slot, and guess what? It works fine now.