[acmatters]

I purchased a USB to Parallel Converter Cable in the hopes of getting this printer to work with my new Vista system. I was successful in installing the printer driver and have that marked as the default printer, but it won't print. Any suggestions?

Edited by acmatters, 15 December 2008 - 02:27 PM.

[Advertisements]

With respect this printer is ancient, it's so old it's not even listed as supported under Windows 95 so I'm surprised it works under Vista. The USB/Parallel adaptors I personally wouldn't give the time of day to, they tend to complicate situations. This printer is listed as no major issues under Vista so you'll most likely find its your adaptor that's interfering.

[Neil Jones]

With respect this printer is ancient, it's so old it's not even listed as supported under Windows 95 so I'm surprised it works under Vista. The USB/Parallel adaptors I personally wouldn't give the time of day to, they tend to complicate situations. This printer is listed as no major issues under Vista so you'll most likely find its your adaptor that's interfering.

[acmatters]

LOL. Thanks, Neil. I know it's a dinosaur. But I'm trying to keep it alive as it's the most economical way to print a couple of different quarterly newsletters I do from home. I've used it before with both Windows 95 as well as 2000, but with this most recent PC and no parallel ports, I think it might be time to retire it as much as I really don't want to. The toner cartridges last forever in this thing.

Do you know of an adaptor that would have any chance of working? I had been warned by the techs at the store where the adaptor was purchased that these things have a 50/50 chance of working. Must I give up? Or do you have any other suggestions? There's nothing I can do within the computer to make it accept this adaptor?

Thanks!

[PedroDaGR8]

LOL. Thanks, Neil. I know it's a dinosaur. But I'm trying to keep it alive as it's the most economical way to print a couple of different quarterly newsletters I do from home. I've used it before with both Windows 95 as well as 2000, but with this most recent PC and no parallel ports, I think it might be time to retire it as much as I really don't want to. The toner cartridges last forever in this thing.

Do you know of an adaptor that would have any chance of working? I had been warned by the techs at the store where the adaptor was purchased that these things have a 50/50 chance of working. Must I give up? Or do you have any other suggestions? There's nothing I can do within the computer to make it accept this adaptor?

Thanks!

I know SEVERAL people with this printer and they all LOVE it because it is so cheap to print stuff on and it is a tank. One guy has several broken ones in storage so that when a part on his good one breaks he has spare parts.

[acmatters]

Oh good; I'm not the only one! So do you know if and how they run it off of Vista?

[PedroDaGR8]

Oh good; I'm not the only one! So do you know if and how they run it off of Vista?

Unfortunately none of them run it off of vista, most of the computers are ALMOST as old as the printer itself. Something you may want to look into if your computer is a desktop is a parallel port add in card. That should give you the functionality you need while avoiding the PP to USB adapter.

[dsenette]

do you have a network in place? i.e. a router or anything like that? you can get a parallel port print server that can connect the printer to your network....then you can print from any computer on the network to that printer

[acmatters]

We do have a router for the wireless Internet. Is that what you mean? We've never networked the printers. So a parallel port print server? Are those expensive?

[dsenette]

http://www.tigerdire...a...nt-Servers you can get print servers for as little as $40 (i've seen them cheaper)...basically allows you to connect to the printer by IP address

http://www.tigerdire...a...t=0&Recs=10 you can get parallel cables cards for as little as $30

again..can't assure you that either of these will fix the issue with connecting the printer in vista...HOWEVER i can be relatively sure that the USB to parallel adapter isn't exactly helping

[acmatters]

Excellent. Thanks for the advice. We'll look into that, and I'll pop back in here if I have any more questions.