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General discussion

connecting old printer to new desktop, or wireless printing?

Nov 16, 2010 10:51PM PST

I have an old HP printer, 7 years old, with the old prong connections. We recently bought a used HP desktop, for the kids, about 3 years old, that does not have the old type of printer attachment with prongs-slot. Um, what do I do? Is it possible to use the old printer with the new desktop?

Also, we're buying a new wireless printer and new laptop, for the adults! Would it be better to connect the used desktop to the wireless printer? And how would I do that?

Discussion is locked

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Sorry.
Nov 17, 2010 6:00AM PST

I can't find the make, model of the printer. And there were 2 types of PRONG plugs back then. One was RS-232 and the other called by many names such as Centronics and a few other names.
Bob

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models
Nov 17, 2010 7:45AM PST

Ok the printer is an HP Deskjet 5550. Ya know, I was searching the net, would a USB-Parallel printer cable work?

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Is this your printer?
Nov 17, 2010 8:41AM PST
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yes
Nov 17, 2010 10:12PM PST

that's our printer. looks like it'll work. it works with our current Dell desktop and XP, and the newer, yet used HP desktop will have XP too. So maybe it'll work. It does have one more plug opening in the back. It doesn't look like a USB connection, though I"m not a techie and it very well may be a USB connection. (It's a plug with a black thing sticking out of the center and it has 2 prongs to the side of the black center thing.) (Can you tell I"m not a techie?!!)

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i figured it out.
Nov 18, 2010 12:23AM PST

downloading the manual helps! Thanks!