Posted on 07/17/2004 10:29:27 AM PDT by dwilli
Has anyone experienced a problem with printing out of WinXP?
Whatever I want to print, either from copied information or printing out of Notepad spools and creates the file to be printed but fails to print when sent to the printer. It creates an entry in the "failed to print" but does not activate the printing process.
I have deleted and reinstalled the printer both from CD and the Wizard several times. I have changed connectors and printers, ran the sfc scan from Windows XP, restarted,and everything else I can think to do.
It appears to be a command function that is not activating but I surely can't find the answer to the problem.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I'm having something of the same problem. If you figure yours out, please let me know. I'm not sure if mine is the printer (an HP) or somewhere in the operation system (XP). It's weird though.
I had a hard time ridding my computer of the Sasser worm and
think I turned off some function while going thru that exercise.
I just can't luck up and find out what I did.
I just can't luck up and find out what I did.
Someone told me that it sometimes works to unplug and detach the printer from the computer. Allows the printer to re-set. Give it at least five minutes. An hour would be better.
That didn't work for me, but you might try it.
I went further than that. I replaced the printer with another different make printer. Still got the same failed to print message. Thanks anyhow.
Has your printer ever worked with XP?
Are you using USB or parallel port cable?
If you are using parallel port then you should make sure that you have a "two way" parallel port cable. You will have the problem you described if you don't. If it is an old cable it probably is the wrong type. If your printer has a USB port then you should use it. Way better than parallel.
Using parallel port cables and the printer has worked before. Both processor and printer are four years-old. Use my USB port
for ISP and mouse. Have used two different connecting cables and exchanged printers. The only thing I haven't tried is going completely off line and try again.
I have seen a printer work with a one way cable on XP and then stop working. Replacing it with a two-way cable and it has worked perfectly ever since. I assume this has something to do with the "upgrades" that are installed by Microsoft every couple of weeks or so. In fact, the case I am refering to happened exactly after one of these upgrades to my fathers XP machine.
Recommendation 1: If your printer supports it, try out a USB connection even if you have to disconnect something else. USB ports are cheap and you can easily add 3-4.
Recommendation 2: Buy a two way parallel port cable for 10 bucks or so and try it out. Make sure it is a two way cable. They still sell the old fashioned kind so make sure the guy selling to you knows the difference.
I tried a printer with USB connectors and it will print out
of WXP.
I had to go into my registry and reinstalled WXP several times
while i was fighting the sasser worm. Apparently I disabled
the drivers for parallel printing. My printer is a HP 710c and
does not have a USB connection.
I have several parallel printer cables and switched them. The printer was printing out of WXP before i had the sasser attack.
Any thoughts how to reinstall the parallel printing parameters?
I assume the printer is installed OK and shows up under Printers in Control Panel. Correct?
If so then the XP driver for your printer is installed and I think Microsoft will tell you that either your printer is bad or your cable is bad. Since you have pretty much ruled out the printer as the problem how about trying your cable and your printer on someone elses XP machine and see if it works.
If it does then I would agree that you may have a screwed up XP system. The solution to that you don't want to hear: back it up, reformat the HD and reinstall XP.
Also - I think 2-way parallel port cables have a "2" marked on them somewhere. Check all of your cables and see if one of them has this marking. If so I will stop advising you to buy a cable. If not, go buy one with a two on it and try it.
A two-way compliant parallel cable has "IEEE 1284 Compliant" printed on it.
The problem with my printer failing to activate was a BIOS setting that was apparently changed from AUTO to O/S in the advanced tab of the F1 screen.
We had to go into the registry/BIOS while fighting the Sasser
worm and either I changed the setting or re-installation of XP
changed the setting.
All is well now, thanks for the help.
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