How to Enable Plug and Play detection ( LPT Port )

How to Enable Plug and Play detection ( LPT Port )

To enable Plug and Play detection:

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
3. Click to expand Ports, right-click Printer Port (LPT1), and then click Properties.
   
   Note If have more than one printer port installed on your computer, click LPT2 or LPT3.
4. Click the Port Settings tab, click Enable legacy Plug and Play detection, and then click OK.
5. Restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.

After you restart your computer, Windows detects your Plug and Play hardware and the New Hardware Installation Wizard starts if the hardware is connected to the computer.

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How to print to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based program in Windows XP

By default, most MS-DOS-based programs print directly to either the LPT1 port or to the LPT2 port. However, the output is not automatically routed across a redirector to a print share unless you use one of the following methods.

Method 1

Use the net.exe command to establish a persistent connection. To do this, use the following syntax at a command prompt

net use lptx \\printserver\sharename /persistent:yes

where x is the number of the printer port that you want to map, where printserver is the print server that is sharing the printer, and where sharename is the name of the printer share.

For example, to map LPT2 to a printer shared as Laser1 on a print server that is named Pserver, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. Type net use lpt2 \\pserver\laser1 /persistent:yes, and then press ENTER.
4. To quit the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER.

Note In Windows XP, non-administrative users cannot map an LPT port to a network printer path when the LPT port exists on the computer as a physical parallel port.

For more information about how to map LPT ports as a regular user, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

313644  Non-administrators cannot remap an LPT port to a network printer

Method 2

Print directly to the printer share by using the following syntax at a command prompt

print /d:\\printserver\sharenamedrive:\path\filename

where printserver is the print server sharing the printer, where sharename is the name of the printer share, and where drive:, path, and filename make up the complete path of the document that you want to print.

For example, to print a document that is named letter.doc from the root directory of drive C to a printer shared as Laser1 on a print server that is named Pserver, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. Type print /d:\\pserver\laser1 c:\letter.doc, and then press ENTER.
   
   The following command-line message appears:
   C:\letter.doc is currently being printed
4. To quit the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER.

Because Novell NetWare's CAPTURE command is not supported in Windows XP, use the following command to map the LPT port to a Novell NetWare print queue:

net use lptx \\server\queue

If the LPT port is redirected successfully, you receive the following message:

The command completed successfully.

To disconnect persistent LPTx connections, use the following syntax:

net use lptx /delete

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Troubleshoot printer problems

Here are solutions to common problems with printers. For a step-by-step tutorial to help you identify and fix common printer problems, go to Printer problems in Windows.

You can also try running a program from Microsoft that automatically diagnoses and repairs problems with printing, installing a printer, connecting to a network printer, and other related errors. To do so, click this link and follow the instructions:

Diagnose and repair problems with printing

‌

My printer doesn't print.

This is a difficult problem to diagnose because there are many printers on the market and numerous reasons why one might not print.

First, make sure your printer is powered up and connected to your Windows computer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Next, try updating the printer driver on your computer. Printer problems sometimes stem from out-of-date driver software, and can be solved by installing, or reinstalling, the latest driver.

To find the latest driver for your printer, first check Windows Update, which is designed to detect the hardware connected to your computer and automatically notify you when new drivers are available:

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Update.
2. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.
3. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   If any updates are found, click Install updates.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

If you don't see an updated printer driver listed, it's still possible that one exists: Your printer manufacturer may not have provided it to Microsoft yet.

Most printer manufacturers offer up-to-date drivers on the support sections of their websites. Drivers are typically organized by Windows edition and printer model. Once you find the proper driver, download and install it according to the manufacturer's instructions. For more help, see Update a driver for hardware that isn't working properly.

If your printer still doesn't print, consult the support section of your printer manufacturer's website for model-specific troubleshooting tips.

I see an error message about "spooler" problems, or the printer is printing more slowly than usual.

A print spooler is software that temporarily stores print jobs on the computer hard disk or in memory until the printer is ready to print them. If you've been waiting an unusually long time for a document to print, or if you see an error message about the print spooler, spooler subsystem, or spooler resources, you might need to change and then restart the Print Spooler service on your computer.

To do this, we recommend that you save your work, and then restart the computer to restart the Print Spooler service. If you don't want to restart the computer, try these steps instead.

To change or restart the Print Spooler service

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps.

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Open Administrative Tools by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Administrative Tools.
2. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Double-click Services.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Right-click the Print Spooler service, and then click Properties.
4. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   On the General tab, next to Startup type, make sure that Automatic is selected.
5. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   If the service is not already running, under Service status, click Start, and then click OK.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

The printer only prints part of a page, prints blurry ink, or prints faded or inaccurate colors.

You might need to replace an ink or toner cartridge. Check the status information in the print queue for low ink or toner messages. If the printer has a status or display area, you can also check for low ink or toner messages on the printer itself. For more information, see Change an ink or toner cartridge and View the print queue.

The printer is out of paper.

Reload the paper tray or, if the printer has more than one tray, make sure that you reload the tray that contains the paper size you selected. To see how to load printer paper for your printer, refer to the information that came with the printer. Some printers also provide steps in a status or display area on the printer itself.

If you add paper but still receive an out-of-paper message, check the print options for the document to see if you've selected the correct paper tray or source.

Paper is caught in the printer (paper jam).

To prevent damage to the printer, check the information that came with the printer to see how to remove paper jams. Depending on the printer and where the problem occurred, you might want to try one of these options:

• 
  
  
  
  Go to the printer, check for messages in the status or display area on the printer that might tell you where the problem occurred, and then complete any steps provided to remove the paper jam. If the printer does not display information about the problem, check the information that came with the printer. If the printer is connected to a network domain, contact a system administrator or your company support desk for assistance.
• 
  
  
  
  Some printers offer a button that you can press and hold, or another paper feed option that you can use to try to extract paper without damaging the printer.
• 
  
  
  
  You might need to open the printer casing and remove the paper that is causing the problem. Before you do, check the information that came with the printer to see if you should turn off the printer or take other steps to prevent injury to yourself or damage to the printer.
  You should also check if opening the printer casing will void the warranty or any repair agreements that you've purchased or that came with the printer. For information about agreements, check the retail and manufacturer information that came with the printer.

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Network / USB Printing Solutions

Printing Thro USB Port Share the Printer name( in the Printer attached System)  Go to Command Prompt Create a Batch file like this thro edit command  ( Eg.  NETPRINT.BAT)    @ECHO ON NET USE LPT1:  \\SYSTEMNAME\SHARENAME  /PERSISTENT:YES CLS Add the Batch file into Windows startup menu in the required client system   Copythe  DOS2USB in to the system and bring into Windows Startup  ( Download )

Network Print Setup   Share the Printer name( in the Printer attached System) In Other Clients: Go to Command Prompt Create a Batch file like this thro edit command  ( Eg.  NETPRINT.BAT)    @ECHO ON NET USE LPT1:  \\SYSTEMNAME\SHARENAME /PERSISTENT:YES CLS Add the Batch file into Windows startup menu in the required client system

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