HP LaserJet 4 not printing with XP Home

Hello, I need help.

I just purchased a new DELL pc that came with XP Home. My printer was
working fine with my old pc and Windows 98 and it still prints a test page
from the printer. I followed the install Printer Wizard and the printer
shows as my default printer and ready, but nothing shows in the print queue
and nothing happens when I try to print.

I'm not very tech literate, but I've tried the obvious: I've been through
the trouble-shooting wizard: tried downloading new drivers from the HP site,
but they seem to be only for post script printers, which mine is not, and
they don't offer any online support for my old printer; Dell was not able to
help me because it's not a Dell printer; and I've searched the Newsgroup and
not found an answer.

I'm guessing this is a problem with XP because it worked fine until I hooked
the printer up to my new pc the other day. But don't know how to resolve it,
can anyone help me?

Thank you,
heyzay

"heyzay" <heyzay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news721D0FF-971F-4859-B776-45FF21B04A09@microsoft.com...
> Hello, I need help.
>
> I just purchased a new DELL pc that came with XP Home. My printer was
> working fine with my old pc and Windows 98 and it still prints a test page
> from the printer. I followed the install Printer Wizard and the printer
> shows as my default printer and ready, but nothing shows in the print
> queue
> and nothing happens when I try to print.
>
> I'm not very tech literate, but I've tried the obvious: I've been through
> the trouble-shooting wizard: tried downloading new drivers from the HP
> site,
> but they seem to be only for post script printers, which mine is not, and
> they don't offer any online support for my old printer; Dell was not able
> to
> help me because it's not a Dell printer; and I've searched the Newsgroup
> and
> not found an answer.
>
> I'm guessing this is a problem with XP because it worked fine until I
> hooked
> the printer up to my new pc the other day. But don't know how to resolve
> it,
> can anyone help me?
>
> Thank you,
> heyzay

Obvious questions. Can you print to another printer or to a file? Can you
print the test page from Printers and Faxes\Printer Name\Properties\General?

Dick Kistler

Thank you, Richard.

I can print to a file. Well I chose that option and managed to create a
file by the name I chose. I've never done that and have no idea how I would
go about printing it now if my printer was functional.

I don't have another printer to try, I'll check with a friend tomorrow to
borrow one to try.

I wasn't able to print a test page from Printers and Faxes\Printer
Name\Properties\General. When I clicked on Print Test Page, a box came up
saying it was sending a test page to the printer, but it didn't show in the
print queue and it didn't print.

Any other suggestions? I was going to call HP in the morning, do you think
that will be any help?

Thanks, again
heyzay

"Richard Kistler" wrote:

>
> "heyzay" <heyzay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news721D0FF-971F-4859-B776-45FF21B04A09@microsoft.com...
> > Hello, I need help.
> >
> > I just purchased a new DELL pc that came with XP Home. My printer was
> > working fine with my old pc and Windows 98 and it still prints a test page
> > from the printer. I followed the install Printer Wizard and the printer
> > shows as my default printer and ready, but nothing shows in the print
> > queue
> > and nothing happens when I try to print.
> >
> > I'm not very tech literate, but I've tried the obvious: I've been through
> > the trouble-shooting wizard: tried downloading new drivers from the HP
> > site,
> > but they seem to be only for post script printers, which mine is not, and
> > they don't offer any online support for my old printer; Dell was not able
> > to
> > help me because it's not a Dell printer; and I've searched the Newsgroup
> > and
> > not found an answer.
> >
> > I'm guessing this is a problem with XP because it worked fine until I
> > hooked
> > the printer up to my new pc the other day. But don't know how to resolve
> > it,
> > can anyone help me?
> >
> > Thank you,
> > heyzay
>
> Obvious questions. Can you print to another printer or to a file? Can you
> print the test page from Printers and Faxes\Printer Name\Properties\General?
>
> Dick Kistler
>
>
>

Reconfigure the BIOS setting of the parallel port. Not sure what the 4
needs. If the BIOS is set to ECP change to BIDI .


--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"heyzay" <heyzay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A7CB4AB4-4078-430A-B652-67C442BE8879@microsoft.com...
> Thank you, Richard.
>
> I can print to a file. Well I chose that option and managed to create a
> file by the name I chose. I've never done that and have no idea how I
> would
> go about printing it now if my printer was functional.
>
> I don't have another printer to try, I'll check with a friend tomorrow to
> borrow one to try.
>
> I wasn't able to print a test page from Printers and Faxes\Printer
> Name\Properties\General. When I clicked on Print Test Page, a box came up
> saying it was sending a test page to the printer, but it didn't show in
> the
> print queue and it didn't print.
>
> Any other suggestions? I was going to call HP in the morning, do you
> think
> that will be any help?
>
> Thanks, again
> heyzay
>
> "Richard Kistler" wrote:
>
>>
>> "heyzay" <heyzay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news721D0FF-971F-4859-B776-45FF21B04A09@microsoft.com...
>> > Hello, I need help.
>> >
>> > I just purchased a new DELL pc that came with XP Home. My printer was
>> > working fine with my old pc and Windows 98 and it still prints a test
>> > page
>> > from the printer. I followed the install Printer Wizard and the
>> > printer
>> > shows as my default printer and ready, but nothing shows in the print
>> > queue
>> > and nothing happens when I try to print.
>> >
>> > I'm not very tech literate, but I've tried the obvious: I've been
>> > through
>> > the trouble-shooting wizard: tried downloading new drivers from the HP
>> > site,
>> > but they seem to be only for post script printers, which mine is not,
>> > and
>> > they don't offer any online support for my old printer; Dell was not
>> > able
>> > to
>> > help me because it's not a Dell printer; and I've searched the
>> > Newsgroup
>> > and
>> > not found an answer.
>> >
>> > I'm guessing this is a problem with XP because it worked fine until I
>> > hooked
>> > the printer up to my new pc the other day. But don't know how to
>> > resolve
>> > it,
>> > can anyone help me?
>> >
>> > Thank you,
>> > heyzay
>>
>> Obvious questions. Can you print to another printer or to a file? Can you
>> print the test page from Printers and Faxes\Printer
>> Name\Properties\General?
>>
>> Dick Kistler
>>
>>
>>

Thank you, Dick and Alan, for your suggestions. Unfortunately, I couldn't
follow through on your suggestion, Alan, because I have no idea how to
reconfigure the BIOS setting of the parallel port. Dell ended up helping me
get the printer up and running after about 2 hours on the phone today with a
very helpful tech guy. The parallel port was set to ECP, BIDI wasn't an
option. He walked me through changing that setting back and forth between
ECP and EPP. However, when we did that XP didn't notice any changes.

In the end we reinstalled XP, the parallel port is now set to ECP, with
D-something off. The key bit I think was ticking a box in the parallel port
settings to "Enable legacy Plug and Play detection". XP still did not detect
the printer, but we were successful installing it manually through "Add a
Printer" after ticking that little box.

Again thanks for your help, maybe my experience will help someone else who
doesn't want to part with their old HP laserjet 4!

BTW, I can't seem to get to the part that lets me rate a post, but I'll keep
trying.

Sincerely,
heyzay

"Alan Morris [MSFT]" wrote:

> Reconfigure the BIOS setting of the parallel port. Not sure what the 4
> needs. If the BIOS is set to ECP change to BIDI .
>
>
> --
> Alan Morris
> Windows Printing Team
> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];kbhowto
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>
> "heyzay" <heyzay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A7CB4AB4-4078-430A-B652-67C442BE8879@microsoft.com...
> > Thank you, Richard.
> >
> > I can print to a file. Well I chose that option and managed to create a
> > file by the name I chose. I've never done that and have no idea how I
> > would
> > go about printing it now if my printer was functional.
> >
> > I don't have another printer to try, I'll check with a friend tomorrow to
> > borrow one to try.
> >
> > I wasn't able to print a test page from Printers and Faxes\Printer
> > Name\Properties\General. When I clicked on Print Test Page, a box came up
> > saying it was sending a test page to the printer, but it didn't show in
> > the
> > print queue and it didn't print.
> >
> > Any other suggestions? I was going to call HP in the morning, do you
> > think
> > that will be any help?
> >
> > Thanks, again
> > heyzay
> >
> > "Richard Kistler" wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "heyzay" <heyzay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news721D0FF-971F-4859-B776-45FF21B04A09@microsoft.com...
> >> > Hello, I need help.
> >> >
> >> > I just purchased a new DELL pc that came with XP Home. My printer was
> >> > working fine with my old pc and Windows 98 and it still prints a test
> >> > page
> >> > from the printer. I followed the install Printer Wizard and the
> >> > printer
> >> > shows as my default printer and ready, but nothing shows in the print
> >> > queue
> >> > and nothing happens when I try to print.
> >> >
> >> > I'm not very tech literate, but I've tried the obvious: I've been
> >> > through
> >> > the trouble-shooting wizard: tried downloading new drivers from the HP
> >> > site,
> >> > but they seem to be only for post script printers, which mine is not,
> >> > and
> >> > they don't offer any online support for my old printer; Dell was not
> >> > able
> >> > to
> >> > help me because it's not a Dell printer; and I've searched the
> >> > Newsgroup
> >> > and
> >> > not found an answer.
> >> >
> >> > I'm guessing this is a problem with XP because it worked fine until I
> >> > hooked
> >> > the printer up to my new pc the other day. But don't know how to
> >> > resolve
> >> > it,
> >> > can anyone help me?
> >> >
> >> > Thank you,
> >> > heyzay
> >>
> >> Obvious questions. Can you print to another printer or to a file? Can you
> >> print the test page from Printers and Faxes\Printer
> >> Name\Properties\General?
> >>
> >> Dick Kistler
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>