Printer output scrambled: Serg, Aiwa please, please...

Changing the settings in BIOS varies from one manufacturer to another, but usually involves pressing a key during boot up.

If you wait until the cursor moves to the top right during boot up and then try pressing some keys you should be able to get into BIOS.

Compaq is F10
I think Toshiba is F2
Some PCs use F1
Some Ctl-Alt-Esc

If all else fails just try holding down any key during boot up, sometimes it gives you an error message and tells you what to press to get into BIOS.

Once in BIOS find a setting for the LPT1 port and change whatever it's value is e.g. Standard / ECP etc.

If this printer works OK in DOS, I don't think that it's a BIOS problem.  (Can't hurt to try though, I suppose.)

It sounds like you've got something else "grabbing" the parallel port that may be trying to initialize devices hooked up parallel. Almost anything that uses the parallel interface will have a port checker of some kind to make sure that the device it's using is ready to go when needed.  

These things can cause garbage to print out because the printer is actually getting data down the parallel port that was originally meant for another device.  Since devices rarely "talk" to each other, the printer doesn't know what to do with the data so it's prints garbage.

So, if you have anything else on there that uses that port, uninstall it.

Hopefully this helps.

Cindy

I have been trying to eliminate causes of the problem with no successs.  I have bought a new printer cable so its not the cable. I have tried a different printer, so its not the printer.  I tried two printers with different drivers so it cant be a driver problem? And it can print ascii from DOS so the parallel cant be knackered can it?  

Its driving me crazy.  The room is knee high of screwed up with bizare symols printed on the first few lines. Im going to get the priests in to drive out the demones if I cant find a software fix soon.

Are there any test I could perform to see what is going to the parallel port or to basically narrow the problem down?

Even a stab in the dark would be appreciated.

There are some known problems with Win95 and ECP port printing so the BIOS setting may help.

You could try installing SP1 for 95 if you do not have it already

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q142/7/94.ASP

See the extract below from Microsoft at :-

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q141/9/19.asp?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0

Printing Problems with ECP Port

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 95

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SYMPTOMS
When you print to an ECP (Enhanced Capability Port) port, you may experience any of the following symptoms:

You may receive an error message. The error messages can include:
The port is busy.

Error writing to LPT1.



The printout may be incorrect. Incorrect output can include incorrectly printed graphics or incomplete pages.


The printer may go offline when you try to print.


You may receive no printout.


The print job may hang the print spooler. You must restart the computer to clear the hung print job.





CAUSE
This behavior can occur when the ECP port sends information to the printer faster than the printer can process it.



RESOLUTION
Change the ECP port to a standard port. To do so, follow these steps:

In Control Panel, double-click System.


On the Device Manager tab, double-click the printer port.


On the Driver tab, click Change Driver.


Click Show All Devices.


In the Manufacturers box, click Standard Port Types. In the Models box, click Printer Port, and then click OK.


When you are prompted for the Windows 95 CD-ROM, insert the CD-ROM in the drive. Change the path to the Lpt.vxd file to the following path, and then click OK:
<cd-rom drive>:\drivers\printer\lpt
If you are not prompted for the Windows 95 CD-ROM in step 6, you must configure the ECP port as a standard port using the computer's CMOS settings as well. For information about configuring the port in the computer's CMOS settings, please consult the computer's documentation or manufacturer.

NOTE: If you do not have the CD-ROM version of Windows 95, you can obtain the alternate Lpt.vxd file from Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1. For information about obtaining Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q142794 Availability of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1



Verify that the version of the Lpt.vxd file in use is version 4.00.503. To check this, double-click the port in Device Manager, and then click the Driver tab.


Check the Resources tab in Printer Port properties and verify that the settings are correct. If the Direct Memory Access value is displayed for a setting, click the Use Automatic Settings check box to clear it, and then change the value in the Settings Based On box until the Direct Memory Access value is no longer displayed.


When you are prompted to confirm that you have modified the settings manually, click Yes. When you are prompted to restart your computer, do so.


If the version of the Lpt.vxd file is 4.00.950 after you follow the above steps, follow these steps to copy the Lpt.vxd file manually:
In Windows Explorer, use the right mouse button to click the Lpt.vxd file in the Windows\System folder, and then click Rename on the menu that appears.


Rename the Lpt.vxd file to Lpt.xxx.


Drag the Lpt.vxd file from the Drivers\Printer\Lpt folder on the Windows 95 CD-ROM to the Windows\System folder on the hard disk.


Restart Windows 95.

gennoeb, thanks very much for your help I really appreciate it. I am almost within touching distance of a printer that actually works but not quite...

The reference you supplied described the exact problem, I did have some issues and discrepencies implimenting the fix though.

The instructions are fine up to the point select the directory "<cd-rom drive>:\drivers\printer\lpt".  I located the printr\lpt directory just as it instructed on the win95 CD and the Lpt.vxd is there with correct version.  However when I select this directory in the locate dialog the OK button becomes greyed out?  It becomes enabled again when I select any other directory.  It wont recognise the file in this directory as a driver for this port.

As it suggested I manually selected Printers, All Hardware components (radio button) then selected Standard port-> printer port.  This is fine but there are no details of the driver in the Resources tab (the Driver Details... is greyed out.)

The end result is that printer is still doning the same on Standard and ECP.  I even removed LPT1 and restarted the windows.  It detected a standard port at LPT1 and the correct printer, still the same problem.

Following the restart with a Standard prort in addition to no driver details, "Basic Configuration ..." drop down list and "Use automatic settings" are greyed out.  There are no conflicts in the settings.

I have Service Pack 1 installed.  The file was in Windows/system although I dont know whether the port is using it (it allowed me to rename and delete it anyway!!)

Upon reboot the only menu I can get has options for SAFE MODE and dos versions, etc.  The document refers to a CMOS setting if this is set to ECP would this override the standard setting of the port I have configured.

The only problem with this CMOS setting is that I cant find it.  Its a custom built PC with a Legend board if that helps.

Again, thanks in advance.

Gennoeb,

I eventually got into my CMOS settings and it was set to SPP (standard) so that still didnt help.  However I think that you have given me enough information to give it a good shot.  All that is left now is to have a play with the settings now that I know where they are and see what I can do.  Thanks for all your time and info.

D Igoe
Did you try changing the setting in BIOS, I have had a couple of occasions in the past where I changed the port setting to ECP (just trial and error) and it worked. I know it's the opposite of what was tried earlier but it's worth a try.

digoe,

hi, i was on vacation and I just got your e-mails. i have contacted canon with no success they keep on saying for me to call customer relations about it but they only have a fax and physical address........so I am going to call thier secret corporate number....get a hold of them....and tell them that the bjc-250 must be conterfiet and I want all of you at EE to know that I will get you all something out of this!!! I will get canon to realize how their customers feel about this. I will also tell them to give everybody printers. I am sick of this and I will get them to do htis I oodn't care if I do get mad at canon and I will not let you down. I will aslo help you d_i_GOE! I will get your printer online with windows! I will contact MS about this and I will try my best to get big about this......you will really benefeft form my power I have over companies! And I will tell caonon that it's customers desreve more than lousty treatment! well.......GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!AND wish me luck too.............and I hope your printer will be online and I will try to fix it! Please contact me soon! thanks so much d_i_GOE! Hope you have a nice weekend! once again...THANK YOU!!!

sincerely,
aiwa sound technician

D Igoe,

I don't believe that you've said, but did the printer ever work on this system?  If it did work then, but doesn't work now, what has changed since the last time the printer worked?

Have you ever had anything else loaded on your LPT1 port?  A different printer?  A parallel tape backup or external cd?  A scanner?  Anything?

If you ever had anything else on that port, it could be that there's something left over from your other device(s) that needs to be uninstalled.  

The fact that you've had two different printers have the same problem with garbage printing leads me to think that something like this may be the problem.

Please let us know.

Cindy

cindy,

my printer does the same, and we have had no external devices on the parrellel port.several members have reported this same problem. and they haven't had any devices hooked onto their computers.

d_igoe,

I need to know if you have spoke with canon about this (1.800.ok.canon ) if you did they obviosly did not give you much help. but I will help you.

aiwa sound technican

Aiwa Sound Technician,

He had never answered on this board that he hadn't had something else loaded, so there's no call to send a flamer.

I used to do tech support for HP printers and if something like this happened "all of a sudden" on a computer where the printer had worked fine before, something has changed.

So, he's going to have to do some troubleshooting and figure out the cause by process of elimination.  

If he hasn't loaded something else on his LPT1 port, and he's tried more than one printer on the same port and had the same problem, then I'd say that his port is probably bad.  He will have to get an extra port card put in into his computer.

Cindy

Edited By Community  Support

Linda Gardner

Edited by Community Support
Linda Gardner
   

Process of elimination is a logical process of finding out what the problem is by figuring out what it isn't.

So how can you prove what is really wrong here and what isn't?   Well, you take what you know works and you move it around in different combinations.

Since this is to me a communication problem, you can take the different participants in the communication stream (cpu's lpt port, the parallel cable and the printer's lpt port) and switch them around.

OK, we know that more than printer has the same problem of printing garbage on this computer.  That probably eliminates the printer's parallel port as the cause of the problem.  The way to prove that would be to hook one of these printers up to another computer and see if he can get it to print from there.  If it does.  The printer is proven to be functional.

So, the question probably lies with either the printer cable or the lpt port on the computer itself.  OK, so it's easy to try a different cable that is known to be working.  (One from another computer that isn't having problems printing, for example, or a brand new cable.)  Has he done this? He hasn't said so, who knows.

If a known working cable doesn't resolve the problem, then the problem must lie with the computer.  Changing the parallel port mode in the BIOS didn't help, so I don't think that is the answer.  It's because of this that I believe that the problem is that the port just doesn't work.  I think that he should throw a new parallel port card in one of his expansion slots and I would bet that would solve his problem.

EE is about people getting together to help each other out, so I don't usually answer questions unless I honestly think that I can be helpful.   I answer questions to try and help out someone who needs it.

Cindy

Edited by Community Support

Linda Gardner

Dear cindy,

I really apoligize for all the mean stuff.....

And I would like to know If we both acn work together as freinds to solve his problem!

See....The ee staff reminded me that I was wrong....and I was! so Please disreard the mean e-mails! and please remember that I can be really friendly ok...well better shoretn this with one small detail.....I will get you a free cd for all this confusion betwixt me and you....I will have to talk to mGMT about this so It may take a while....I only work in the accounts div. so the most I can do for you is credit your cd selecttions.Please let us be freinds in this......

I have no mean regards for you anymore and I understand now!! I'll only post an "answer if I know it will solve the user's Quest.Ok! well....I'll be on vaciation for 2 weeks at a realtives(moving in so I have to help them move in.) well.....Please relax and have a nice day cindy!  [ :) ]  

I hope you aren't mad and Plese accept my apoiligy! :)

THANKS AND NO HARD FEELINGS!!!

Aiwa sound tech :)

Digoe,

Please rspond to my comments or I'll leave this quest. I am leaving for maryland on a 2 week vacation. so I'll need you to bear with me,as my reply's may be delayed.thanks for your time and please don't forget to contact me soon. once again...thanks

Ps. Is you printer problem fixed?

if noe reeinstall your parr.port and set everything to default on that port.

You can do so by going into bios.

or if you have an enhanced Pc you can acces bios within windows.

hope these quick pointers work out.

aiwa sound tech.

hi,

I am still at my relatives house.I will return in approx. 4 days. I am still helping them move in...

Now digoe,

Will you please reply to me...I need yor reply or I'll drop  out of this quest.  

aiwa sounde technician

Aiwa Sound Technician,

I appreciate your apology, but there's no need to go to the trouble of sending me a CD or getting me a discount.  I do appreciate the offer, however.  Thank you.

I hope our comments have helped digoe resolve the problem, despite his lack of response.

Cindy

cindy,

thanks! now I just talked to my mgmt. over the phone and I can't give people free cd's but I can credit them$5 or give you a discount of $10 on 6 cd's. now I am at my relatives house trying to get reday to leave but their little kids don't wanna have me leave they are so cute! one is 1,2,and 5....ok enogh of me talkin about my realtives kids....well...I really appreciate the apoligy and I hope we can be friends now....

by the way.....do you like aiwa's electroncs...cause I might be able to get you into aiwa but I am just an audio tester and I can't weasel people in..but I'll try you for a ref. ok. well......once again thank you so much for your apoiligy and now all we gotta do now is wait for digoe to reply so we BOTH can help him together and stop evil canon for making thier printers bad.(not so eveil but they are a little snotty on the phone.) ok enogh of the chit chat....now with our apoligys lets forget all the bad things....and just remember all the good things....ok :)  and again......thank you very much for aploigizing!!!!!!!!!!!!

sincerely,
..: aiwa sound technician .: |  :)

now....

digoe...........

i need a reply. please do so. i will need it by monday when I come back to my real home..i am at a realatives's and I am giong to leave sunday.  and their kids don't want me to leave ( all 1,2,and 5 year olds are like that) thaey are so upset about me leaving sunday they hate it when I even walk out the door!  I am really anxious to help you! I need your assstance as much as you may need mine! So please reply soon ok!

aiwa sound technician

Aiwa,

I am not looking for a new job at present, but I do appreciate the offer of the reference.

thank you,

Cindy

cindy and DIGOE,

I am on vacation a little longer because I am in the proccess of gettying my car fixed and I have mettings to attend(I have to use my rel. 's car and I have to wait til fri for my car to be fixed.I have to use my comp for all the other postings I own't be back home untuill fri. night. soon. ) I will repost more on fri. thanks for your patince.

aiwa sound technician