Dual booting 98/XP.

My printer (HP LaserJet III) lives on LPT2 on an add-on card. 98 finds LPT2 OK, 2000 found LPT2 OK while I was dual-booting that, but XP can't find LPT2. (But it'll let me install the printer to it)

I know I can switch the printer to LPT1, and the LS120, which I rarely use, to LPT2, but I don't think I should have to, especially as I didn't have the problem with 2000 dual booting.

Any ideas, anyone?

Please!

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Paul, I have an Epson 1500 laser that I use with HP laser Jet III emulation and drivers. XP had and installed the correct driver for it. I have it on LPT1, since my ink jet is on USB. It works better than it ever did with the HP drivers.

Shelly

The printer isn't the problem.
The problem is that XP can't find LPT2, which is on an add-on card, and also won't let me set up LPT2 manually. What's even more illogical is that I can actually install the printer on LPT2, even though LPT2 isn't there.
As I said, I could physically switch the printer and the LS120, or I could run the printer through the pass-through port on the LS120. Option 1 means I wouldn't have the LS120 in XP (no big deal), and I'd have to reinstall both in 98. Option 2 I just don't like.
It's the principle of the thing. I just think I should be able to run this way in XP, the same as I can in both 98 and 2000.

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Does the port show up in Device Manager? Is it enabled? Have you tried to remove and reinstall? I have a HP laserjet III. I use the IIIP drivers have you checked which ones 2000 or 98 are using? I had to print a test page in 98 to remember which ones, so I could install it in 2000. Yes Windows 2000 and XP will even install a printer that has never been hooked up to the machine. I always install my printers before I hook them up. My HP is actually a NEC SilentWriter 95 with HPLaserjetIII mode. I don't use the postscript so I never installed it.

There is the option to install a port right at the beginning of of the new printer install. How did that go for you? PCI or ISA card? Is it PNP?

In the properties for the lpt port what is checked?

The port doesn't show up in Device Manager. I have tried to install it several times. It's a PCI card.

The printer installs to LPT2 quite happily, even though LPT2 doesn't exist. Obviously, when it tries to print, nothing happens.

I've just realised that the Add a Printer Wizard is seeing all the ports on the add-onn card. It's just Device Mangler that's not seeing them, and I am unable to add them to Device Mangler manually. So the printer isn't the problem, it's definitely the card that's not being seen.

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Paul, I saw your post late last night (EST) and did some checking but could not find anything on LPT2.

Don't shoot the messenger cause I did try.

Nah Sonny, can't get away that easy. you're shot down.
My wife says for me not to EVER bring her any bad news because then I'm guilty.....
.....been guilty a lot lately......

.....been guilty a lot lately......

Who, Moi?

Sonny, no guy, me..I was born guilty...ask my wife.....

Shoot!! I don't have an add-on card. I just plug and unplug the two printers. They are both installed on LPT1. Cards are cheaper to replace than Laser Printers. I love my old clunker.

Have you gone into the Bios and checked how card is set up in there? It should be under something like PNP/PCI Configuration.

I haven't checked the BIOS, but surely if the problem was in the BIOS, the printer wouldn't work in 98 or 2000 either. I'm currently dual-booting 98 & XP, and was previously dual-booting 98 & 2000, and I have had no problems in 98 or 2000.

Maggie, I'm not trying to be difficult, and I really appreciate the time you're putting into this. Thanks.

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Are there XP drivers available for that port card? Seems that is where your problem is.

Shelly

Paul, on second thought, it may be your location in the southern hemisphere. I mean, my God man, even your sig scrolls backwards!

Shelly

Do you write from right to the left in the US? I didn't know that!

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No it only appears that way to a viewer down under.

Shelly

Why should there be? I didn't need drivers for 98 or 2000.

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XP uses a slightly different driver model than W2k. Although W2K drivers often work, they also often do not. That is why some people are having driver problems waiting for manufacturers to publish XP compatible drivers.

Shelly

I don't remember ever installing drivers for this card at all, but it's been there over 3 years, so I guess they may have come off the 98 CD. I certainly got nothing on a floppy or CD with the card.
And then picked up as part of installation when I installed 2000.
As for finding anything on the web, forget it. It's a totally unbranded Taiwanese card.

So we're getting back to my other thread. Why do 98 and 2000 natively support this card, but XP doesn't? (if that is indeed the case)

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The updated XP driver model with signed drivers was designed to prevent problems that often plagued earlier MS OS's. XP is just one step along the way to a goal of building computers with the kind of reliability we all expect from the other appliances we buy and use. The computer industry knows that it has nearly saturated the market of customers willing to put up with complex technology that requires some amount of ability by the user. If there is any hope of selling computers to the remaining 40% or so of the population, they need computers that are essentially no brainers to operate. The first thing they need to do is break with the legacy software and hardware of the past. Backward compatibility has been an albatross around the necks of engineers for the whole history of the PC. Why should every new system be required to support the DOS game or ISA card that someone purchased 15 years ago? Cars don't still come with cranks, and bias tires! How many people would buy a TV if they needed to be technicians to keep it playing? I think within a decade or so you will see computers as easy to use and as reliable as a TV, or microwave oven. You will just turn it on and use it. It will never crash, never need "tweaking", and be designed for an average person to approach without trepidation or special skills.

Shelly

There are a bunch of drivers on that CD...so far it has covered about everything going down. I had to remove stuff from YSYTEM DEVICES and let XP find it again and load off the XP CD.....

Perhaps this has something to do with IRQs (which I don't fully understand).

These are my IRQs as per Device Manager in 98

00 System Timer
01 Keyboard
02 Programmable interrupt controller
03 COM2
04 COM1
05 Soundblaster
05 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
06 Floppy Disk Controller
07 LPT1
08 System CMOS/real time clock
10 Intel82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
11 Matrox Millenium G400 DualHead-English
11 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12 Optical Mouse1 (PS/2)
13 Numeric data processor
14 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
14 Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
15 Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)

Now XP

00 System Timer
01 Keyboard
03 COM2
04 COM1
05 Soundblaster
06 Floppy Disk Controller
08 System CMOS/real time clock
10 Intel82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
11 Matrox Millenium G400 DualHead-English
12 Optical Mouse1 (PS/2)
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary IDE channel
15 Secondary IDE channel

I've found the jumper settings I set up on the card, and without opening the case to confirm it, it seems it should be on IRQ 5. But it doesn't actually appear there in 98 either, and it's working there.

Note also IRQ 7 doesn't appear on the XP list, but that's where the LS120 is, and it's working.

My Brain hurts!!!

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i dont run xp but maybe this will jar something...what irq is the ls120 on in win98..shouldnt it be on 14 or 15 or 6 ? if you force it there will irq 7 show up as it the lpt port?

Vitalt

Useful Team Info

The LS120 is connected to LPT1, so I guess that means it's on IRQ 7.

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ooops...was thinking internal...forgot about the external Ls120....sorry..

Vitalt

Useful Team Info

Looks like you are not using ACPI.

Shelly

When I was installing XP I got a message that my BIOS wasn't fully ACPI compliant, and suggesting I get the latest BIOS flash.
Did that successfully, and the message didn't come back next time I booted, so I assumed it was OK.
Where do I go from here?

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Enable ACPI in the BIOS.

Shelly

I'll do that, and let you know in an hour or so how it went.

Can't find anything that simple in the BIOS. It's a Gigabyte BX2000 MoBo, Award BIOS, 440BX chipset. The manual claims to support ACPI features.

In the PNP/PCI Configuration section, I have "Resources Controlled By" set to Auto. If I change that to Manual, IRQs 7, 12, 14 & 15 default to Legacy ISA. Is that relevant? I have nothing ISA that I'm aware of, so should I change all those IRQs to PCI/ISA PnP?

The only direct mention of ACPI in the BIOS is ACPI Suspend Type, under Power Management.

And what exactly is ACPI, anyway?

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It's an advanced form of power management that is able to remove power selectively from peripherals and thus place a large number of certain devices on the same IRQ, reserving other IRQ's for devices that need exclusive use of an interupt. It should be in the power management setup menu. Normally all your Devices must support ACPI in order to use it.

Shelly

Here's what I have, and how they are set:-

Power Management : Enabled (I've tried that one both ways
PM control by APM : Yes
Video Off Method : DPMS
Suspend Mode : Disable
HDD Power Down : Disable
VGA Active Monitor : Disabled
Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN : Instant-Off
System After AC Back : Soft-Off
Power LED in Suspend : BLINKING
CPUFAN Off In Suspend : Enabled
PME Event Wakeup : Enabled
ModemRingOn/WakeOnLAN : Disabled
ACPI Suspend Type : Power On Suspend
Resume by Alarm : Disabled


I've switched the printer and LS120, so now I have a printer in XP, but no LS120.
Good old 98 didn't even blink at the change. I didn't even have to tell it I'd switched the LS120 to LPT2, and I just changed the port setting for the printer - no problem.

So it's not so urgent now that I've more or less conceded defeat, but I'm still pissed off about it, and I find it hard to believe that XP can't see a fairly simple and universal piece of hardware.

But if anyone has any further ideas, I'd still like to hear them.

And Shelly, why would ACPI apparently function effectively in 98 & 2000, but not XP?

Seeing I flashed the BIOS somewhere after the start of installing XP, is there any chance that a fresh install would achieve anything? I wouldn't lose anything but time at this stage.

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Paul,

I've been following your delima and have a couple of thoughts. Windows XP drivers were rewritten compltely and in doing so, some were left out. Yours may have been one of those. Since you stated your add-in card was a no name from Taiwan, it's possble that it was not considered for inclusion. During the pre release testing, many devices were dropped and howls came from a few testers even though they were working in earlier builds of XP. I have searched my documentation that I saved during that period but coln't find anything related and since the Newsgroup for testers has been discontinued, I can't go back and search. One thing you may try is the Hardware and Software Compatablility test that came with your CD, or a Download of a newer version from Microsoft to see if the card is listed. Shelly has stated a few times that over 8000 drivers are included in XP. With that many, it's entirely possible that your card was dropped. XP is bloated enough, so including all previous drivers would make it a bigger hog than it is. I know this is not a solution for you, but Microsoft had to cut some corners somewhere just to fit the OS on one CD.

Sonny, thanks for your interest.

I did run the Compatibiity test, and the only warnings I got were for the LS120, which is running OK on the Windows 2000 beta driver, and for my scanner software, which I don't need, because HP recommend using the native XP software. I've checked that too, and it's fine. No warning on the card, or on LPT2.

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Paul,

Crazy idea. Download Frsh Diagnose to see if your add-in card is shown anywhere. It is more thourogh than Device Mangler and a great FREE benchmark program you can use anyway.

http://www.freshdevices.com

Thanks.

It'll be interesting to run it in 98 & XP and see what differences there are.

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just out of curiousity why are you using a card is there no lpt2 plug on your motherboard that could be used instead?as in attach a ribbon and enable lpt2 in bios...?

Vitalt

Useful Team Info

Vitalt is that common in the Bios? Where would you attach the ribbon? Can you buy another printer port to attach to the motherboard? That would be neat!! I have two printers and thought you would have to buy an add on card to get them both hooked up at the same time. I don't see anyplace to do that on mine.

if you follow the ribbon back from your lpt1 port to the mb there may or may not be another set of pins for lpt2..if its there you knock out the plug in the case and add another ribbon and port.then go into bios and enable lpt2...some motherboards have it some dont...if you dont then you have to use a card like PaulD..some have 2 ports but one is female and one is male and you can use it (lpt2)for a printer if you use a gender changer(adaptor)

Vitalt

Useful Team Info

I have to open the case and check. I'm using an Abit KT7A-Raid. Going to my New DSL provider to pick up the ethernet card and modem. No more Dial up for me!!! Will check this out. Thanks Vitalt!
Sorry Paul D for interrupting this thread.

No, there isn't. That's why I'm using a card.

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Sonny, that's a really nice little app, and I reccomend it to anybody, but it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.
Neither OS sees the card itself, but 98 sees LPT2, and XP doesn't.

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Dang. That's just plain weird. Wish I could help more.

I was at the store today buying another nic and CDrom and asked about those cards. They had them but they are no XP drivers for them. I don't have anything on my motherboard either. Go to help and Support on XP then choose find compatible hardware and software for XP it will take you to the catalog site. On the left is "other hardware" check there. Way nicer the the HCL.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

I'm more or less giving up, because I rarely use the LS120, and it still works in 98, which I intend to keep for the foreseeable future.
The price of a new port card over here is ridiculous, with no guarantee that it'll do any better, so that's not really an option.
I shall continue mucking around with this from time to time, but I suspect the real answer is a newer MoBo, which will only come when this old CPU dies.
But I learnt a bit along the way, which is the main thing!

Maggie, your last idea is noted, and I'll have a look at it.

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Sorry it won't work. I had to give up on a nice Tape Backup that worked great in 98 but Windows 2000 and XP don't recognize the the controller card that is attached to it. Nice Software also. But it was 16 bit, Backup Exec. Well I have an External HDD to take it's place. It is the pits when you have to give up on something.

What I didn't understand is why you said you cannot add the LPT2 card manually something I know for sure can be done through the hardware wizzard as I have done it myself.

Because I have no driver for it. Never needed one in 98/2000.

Am I missing something?

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You can add an LPT card from the Add hardware wizzard even if you do not have a driver as Windows XP comes with a generic one.
To install a LPT port.

Add Hardware,Next
Select: Yes, I have already connected the hardware, Next
Scroll down, Select Add new hardware device, Next
Select, Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced), Next
Select, Ports (COM & LPT), Next
Select (Standard port types) and ECP Printer Port, Next, Next

Port will be installed, you can go now to Device Manager and set the appropriate values there (LPT, IRQ etc).

Been there, done that, doesn't work!
The hardware wizard sets up LPT3 automatically, not LPT2, and the IO I need (278) is unavailable, as it's being used by something called an ISAPNP Read Data Port.
And I can't figure the IRQ thing at all. The Add Hardware Wizard tells me ACPI is working OK, but there's no indication of that in the IRQ list. LPT1, which is working, doesn't have an IRQ (should be on 7), and when I create LPT3, I'm not offered an option to assign an IRQ

I haven't mentioned this before, but this card has jumpers for IO and IRQ settings for each port. It offers a parallel port, 2 serial ports, a games port and an IDE interface, but I have everything but the parallel port jumpered to disabled. I figure if i start messing with the jumpers, I'll lose my 98 settings, so that's not on..

Maggie, according to help and support there's only one or two port cards made for XP, and you can bet they won't be available in Aussie. Which supports my paranoid theory that Bill is out to accelerate hardware redundancy!

Look, thanks again guys and gals, but this time I really do quit. It's just not worth the hassles!

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You have a different version of XP than the 3 copies I have, in mine in device manager you can change IRQ, and I/O after you install the LPT port.

Roni, I suspect that the problem is that some small part of XP is recognising this card, just enough to stop me doing anything meaningful with it. (Like setting up LPT2 properly)
Believe me, I have tried the Add Hardware thing at least 5 times, and always end up with an inactive LPT3.

My last faint hope is that because I flashed the BIOS after I had started the install, (because the install told me to), it's somehow confused setup. So next weekend, I'm wiping XP and reinstalling. If that doesn't fix it, I'll just live without the LS120, and boot to 98 if I ever need it (which is unlikely)

But thanks for your continued interest.

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Something I read here, if I remember correctly....The port isn't the actual physical plug you connect up with a piece of wire. It's the same physical port piece of hardware. The software determines what is sent to the physical connector and that can have a number of names like LPT1,2 or 3...Am I mistaken on this? I think Grogan or Shelly spoke about this once......