I have a parallel printer working fine to a XP sp PC.

I'm swotching to a mobo with no parallel port and so would like to get
the pronter working on usb (rather than buy a new pronter just now).

So I got one of those "parallel-to-usb" converters. (Centronics plug
with electroncs to convert to usb 2)

So I:-

Disabled LPT1 in the Control Panel (shows up as OFF)

When I plugged in the usb end of the converter the PC indicated "new
device" and searched for software for it. Came back as "found ok -
your new h/ware is ready for use".

I tried printing. No printed output appears. Everything seems to work
and the PC seems to think it's sent stuff to the printer - but as I
say, no printed output. Nothing shows up in the promt queue (It thinks
it's been printed too)

Looking in Control Panel I see under usb controllers is listed

- usb printing support (enabled).

Somewhere along the line I thought I saw "virtual printer" but ccan't
find that anywhere now.

Any ideas how to fix this?
Thanks

"dave"  wrote in message 
news:b530f5p0690jtn1p8rvap1381hmg1uva6c@4ax.com...
>I have a parallel printer working fine to a XP sp PC.
>
> I'm swotching to a mobo with no parallel port and so would like to get
> the pronter working on usb (rather than buy a new pronter just now).
>
> So I got one of those "parallel-to-usb" converters. (Centronics plug
> with electroncs to convert to usb 2)
>
> So I:-
>
> Disabled LPT1 in the Control Panel (shows up as OFF)
>
> When I plugged in the usb end of the converter the PC indicated "new
> device" and searched for software for it. Came back as "found ok -
> your new h/ware is ready for use".
>
> I tried printing. No printed output appears. Everything seems to work
> and the PC seems to think it's sent stuff to the printer - but as I
> say, no printed output. Nothing shows up in the promt queue (It thinks
> it's been printed too)
>
> Looking in Control Panel I see under usb controllers is listed
>
> - usb printing support (enabled).
>
> Somewhere along the line I thought I saw "virtual printer" but ccan't
> find that anywhere now.
>
> Any ideas how to fix this?

You might not be able to.  USB>Parallel converters don't really
emulate a parallel port and most stuff (apart from very old 'dumb'
printers) usually don't work.  I'd be interested if anyone has managed
to get one working though.
If you can't get it going and have a spare pci slot, get a pci parallel
port card as these should work with everything.
HTH,
-- 
Rob

On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:24:19 -0000, "Rob" 
wrote:

>
>"dave"  wrote in message 
>news:b530f5p0690jtn1p8rvap1381hmg1uva6c@4ax.com...
>>I have a parallel printer working fine to a XP sp PC.
>>
>> I'm swotching to a mobo with no parallel port and so would like to get
>> the pronter working on usb (rather than buy a new pronter just now).
>>
>> So I got one of those "parallel-to-usb" converters. (Centronics plug
>> with electroncs to convert to usb 2)
>>
>> So I:-
>>
>> Disabled LPT1 in the Control Panel (shows up as OFF)
>>
>> When I plugged in the usb end of the converter the PC indicated "new
>> device" and searched for software for it. Came back as "found ok -
>> your new h/ware is ready for use".
>>
>> I tried printing. No printed output appears. Everything seems to work
>> and the PC seems to think it's sent stuff to the printer - but as I
>> say, no printed output. Nothing shows up in the promt queue (It thinks
>> it's been printed too)
>>
>> Looking in Control Panel I see under usb controllers is listed
>>
>> - usb printing support (enabled).
>>
>> Somewhere along the line I thought I saw "virtual printer" but ccan't
>> find that anywhere now.
>>
>> Any ideas how to fix this?
>
>You might not be able to.  USB>Parallel converters don't really
>emulate a parallel port and most stuff (apart from very old 'dumb'
>printers) usually don't work.  I'd be interested if anyone has managed
>to get one working though.
>If you can't get it going and have a spare pci slot, get a pci parallel
>port card as these should work with everything.
>HTH,

Yes thanks Rob. Have to smile - just when I thought as no way to do
this and I undid all the stuff I'd done, your response arrived! I'm
glad though that it confirms what I'm finding - that it just doesn't
work.
I did find this link
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/usbprint.mspx#EXB
which gives the illusion of workinged'ness - and I'd already did all
the stuff though.

Of course now I've revert to the parallel setup... (yes you've guessed
it) that doesn't work either :-) After working perfectly for 4 years I
go and screw it up by trying to usb it. <sigh>. LPT1 was showing up as
"offline" which it never was before - managed to get it back "online"
with some right-clicking options but still no joy. The print job ends
up in the Q at least - but has an error by it.

Just off to try the old reboot favourite.

Rob wrote:
> "dave"  wrote in message 
> news:b530f5p0690jtn1p8rvap1381hmg1uva6c@4ax.com...
>> I have a parallel printer working fine to a XP sp PC.
>>
>> I'm swotching to a mobo with no parallel port and so would like to get
>> the pronter working on usb (rather than buy a new pronter just now).
>>
>> So I got one of those "parallel-to-usb" converters. (Centronics plug
>> with electroncs to convert to usb 2)
>>
>> So I:-
>>
>> Disabled LPT1 in the Control Panel (shows up as OFF)
>>
>> When I plugged in the usb end of the converter the PC indicated "new
>> device" and searched for software for it. Came back as "found ok -
>> your new h/ware is ready for use".
>>
>> I tried printing. No printed output appears. Everything seems to work
>> and the PC seems to think it's sent stuff to the printer - but as I
>> say, no printed output. Nothing shows up in the promt queue (It thinks
>> it's been printed too)
>>
>> Looking in Control Panel I see under usb controllers is listed
>>
>> - usb printing support (enabled).
>>
>> Somewhere along the line I thought I saw "virtual printer" but ccan't
>> find that anywhere now.
>>
>> Any ideas how to fix this?
> 
> You might not be able to.  USB>Parallel converters don't really
> emulate a parallel port and most stuff (apart from very old 'dumb'
> printers) usually don't work.  I'd be interested if anyone has managed
> to get one working though.
> If you can't get it going and have a spare pci slot, get a pci parallel
> port card as these should work with everything.
> HTH,

I got one working with an old HP laserjet (5l?)

Phil, London

On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:16:33 +0000, Philip Herlihy <me@here.localhost>
wrote:


>I got one working with an old HP laserjet (5l?)
>
>Phil, London

Well done. No such luck here.
I had to reinstall the parallel driver to fix the whatever-was-broken
by my usb experiment. My printer prints again!

dave wrote:
> 
> Somewhere along the line I thought I saw "virtual printer" but ccan't
> find that anywhere now.

The normal method for making these devices work is to find your 
(locally-installed) printer in control panel->printers, right click, 
properties, ports tab, then pick something like "USB001".

It may not work anyway because this stuff is flaky, but if it's still 
set to print to LPT1 then it definitely won't work.


-- 
John Jordan

On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:24:19 -0000
"Rob"  wrote:

> If you can't get it going and have a spare pci slot, get a pci
> parallel port card as these should work with everything.
> 

Or stick it on a parallel print server.

dave  wrote
>I have a parallel printer working fine to a XP sp PC.
>
>I'm swotching to a mobo with no parallel port and so would like to get
>the pronter working on usb (rather than buy a new pronter just now).
>
>So I got one of those "parallel-to-usb" converters. (Centronics plug
>with electroncs to convert to usb 2)
>
>So I:-
>
>Disabled LPT1 in the Control Panel (shows up as OFF)
>
>When I plugged in the usb end of the converter the PC indicated "new
>device" and searched for software for it. Came back as "found ok -
>your new h/ware is ready for use".
>
>I tried printing. No printed output appears. Everything seems to work
>and the PC seems to think it's sent stuff to the printer - but as I
>say, no printed output. Nothing shows up in the promt queue (It thinks
>it's been printed too)
>
>Looking in Control Panel I see under usb controllers is listed
>
>- usb printing support (enabled).
>
>Somewhere along the line I thought I saw "virtual printer" but ccan't
>find that anywhere now.
>
>Any ideas how to fix this?
>Thanks

Just out of interest ... what is the make & model of the new
motherboard?
-- 
Roger Hunt