Win98 can't find printer port

[DOOM]

In Win98se, when I try to add a printer through the Add Printer wizard, I get the following message:

The Add Printer wizard was unable to find any installed ports for your printer. Please restart Windows, and then try again.

I checked in device manager and LPT1 is installed and functioning.

Anyway, this isn't a big issue for me, cuz I'm getting a new mobo tomorrow. But I'm just curious if anybody's run into this problem before.

Thanks for the input.

-DOOM
"Ultimately, there is no knowledge -- only belief."

 

[girish]

check for any resourse conflicts in its properties in the Device Manager.

probabely the IRQ is screwed up that the printer port isnt responding. remove the port from the device manager and reboot. you could reset the BIOS or load default settings for the time being.

win98 should autodetect the printer port and install its driver, if this doesnt happen something is wrong.

then you can customise your BIOS settings and check if the printer works with new settings.

girish


<font color=red>No system is fool-proof. Fools are Ingenious!</font color=red>

 

[DOOM]

Thanks for the suggestions, but no go.

-DOOM
"Ultimately, there is no knowledge -- only belief."

 

[NickM]

What do you mean?
Have you checked your connections?
What mode is set for LPT in the BIOS?
Have you checked with the manual that it is supported by your printer? The ECP/EPP might work in most cases.

After you reinstalled the LTP port and the printer in Windows, what error message you've got when tried the Test Page?

From what I can read it's a parallel printer.
What's the printer model?


Does it produce any noise during system reboot?

In order to troubleshoot the problem, can you check whether DOS mode enabled or just reinstall with adding this option?

In DOS mode from DOS prompt type DIR and hit the Enter key. Memorize the name of any file there, (for example ANYFILE.TXT).
Then check whether the printer working by typing from DOS prompt

DIR anyfile.* >prn

or

DIR anyfile.* >LPT1

 

[DOOM]

Actually, I've gotten my printer to work.

I removed the LPT port from device manager, then rebooted and set the printer mode to EPP+ECP in the BIOS. When Windows came up, it recognized the ECP printer port and installed it. Then I used my Lexmark install CD to set up the actual printer.

What's weird is that I didn't get to choose LPT1 from the list of available ports. When the install program ran, I pulled down the list of ports and it was empty. I had to type in "LPT1". Then it worked, but only after I rebooted.

Hopefully my new ASUS TUSL2-C will arrive today!

-DOOM
"Ultimately, there is no knowledge -- only belief."

 

[NickM]

Oh, I've just updated my post, and I see, good to know that it working.

 

[girish]

windows is weird!

anyway, good choice for the board, dunno when they will arrive in India I desparately want a TUSL2.

girish

<font color=red>No system is fool-proof. Fools are Ingenious!</font color=red>