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General discussion

Cannot Print To Correct Printer

Mar 31, 2011 6:52AM PDT

I have a XP Pro client machine that is hooked up to both a local printer and a printer on a old Novell network.

The machine will only print to the printer on the Novell network. I have uninstalled both printers and reinstalled just the local printer and it still prints out on the network printer. I have tried uninstalling both of the printers, and the drivers and even deleted registry entries and still everything prints out on the network printer. The wierd thing is that when I logon as the administrator everything prints as it should.

Any ideas?

Discussion is locked

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Re: weird printer
Mar 31, 2011 7:08AM PDT

What happens in a newly created Windows account with administrator capabilities?
And what in a newly created Windows account without?

Kees

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Weird Printer
Mar 31, 2011 7:26AM PDT

OK,
With a new account both admin and user everything prints as it should and where it should.

So I am guessing it is a setting or something on the specific users account. I have no idea where to go from here.

Thanks!

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Weird Printer
Mar 31, 2011 11:18AM PDT

Update, I fixed the problem.
I went into the device manager, and opened up the properties for LPT1.
Clicked on the Resources Tab and unchecked the Use automatic settings box.

Now all is good!
Seems Weird but it worked!

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(NT) Good job. Mystery indeed.
Mar 31, 2011 6:25PM PDT
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Helpful Thread
Mar 13, 2012 8:34PM PDT

I've installed a printer into LP2, which once helped quite a while back, so I thought I'd try it again. This time I'm getting a Print Queue Error msg on every document. Should I go back to LP1? Uninstall and Reinstall with Disk again? Would it make a difference?

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Do you mean LPT2?
Mar 13, 2012 10:09PM PDT

This would necessitate that you actually have two parallel type ports on your PC. Do you have such? It's been a while but I do recall some printers requiring the BIOS setting to also be involved. You might want to add some hardware details about your PC and what sort of add in card you have for LPT2

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Replies Always Helpful, Even if A Bit Over My Head
Mar 14, 2012 8:53PM PDT

I can't answer your (informative) question about add-in cards, but learned something, that they exist. I've been online for about a dozen years but didn't have tech problems until the last few months, after a virus and three or four Reformats where they didn't use my own Recovery disks. Yesterday I talked to one of the repairmen again, who said my Print Spooler error is what prevents my installing any new printer, or the old one, so I guess maybe LP1 or LP2 doesn't matter (?) Can't even install from HP site, had to use my 2007 disk, and can only get 2 of HP Dir's little icons, using HP's Critical Update to Resolve I.E. 7 compatibility problem.

If the repairman that I liked installed the Printer Software/Drivers into my Flash Drive, it would not work becaue of the Print Spooler? He said $60 to come to the house and "set up" my printer. I said I want to study the problem a bit, first. Learning new things every day.

Thank you so much for the reply, and I hope you'll do so again, for these additional questions I didn't know to ask before, because it sounds like you'd know. Thanks again.