Topic: Problem with printer & port conflicts

[magua]

Hi everybody, I'm new here. Hope I'm in the right section, having a problem with ports which comes up under Device Manager, Hardware, so hope it's hardware. I cannot print and have reinstalled my printer again and again, checked drivers, all settings, etc. The Troubleshooter says there seems to be a problem with my parallel port. When I look in Device Manager under Ports I have a problem. The I/O Range of COM11 is set at 03F8-03FF and the IRQ at 04 interrupt request is used by COM1 and is the one that shows the conflict in COM11. It will not let me use automatic settings and I have to change settings manually, have a choice between basic configurations of 0000 - 0008. I tried 0001, it said this was acceptable but using that I couldn't boot up any way but manually. I'm a bit wary of trying out any others as it's clearly having a big impact on my system. For the moment I've disabled it, it now shows no conflict, the disablement is making my machine go like a bat out of hell (nice!), but printer still not working (my printer is a usb plug and play, wont work on usb ports or lpt1). I don't know what COM11 is used for, have only become aware of this port today. Would be grateful for any advice, thanks all. I'm Windows XP Home Edition, browser is IE7. I can't do a system restore, I've never been able to create new dates and my pc doesn't create them either, the system appears to let me set new restor dates but then they just don't work. The only thing I know that's been used differently on my pc lately is my son has sometimes plugged in an ethernet cable for XBox Live. I'm not very tecchy minded so some of this might not be explained very well. Thanks all   

[Rik]

The address/IRQ you quote is correct for COM1. I can think of no reason, however, why a USB printer would be trying to use a COM port or a parallel port (LPT1).

What printer are you using, how did you install it, ie drivers then physically connect the printer, or did you plug the printer in then load the drivers?

If you right-click on My Computer, then System Restore, what does it show in the way of drives being monitored?

[sam]

I'd try to reinstall the drivers, sounds like an odd issue...

[magua]

Hi guy, thanks.  'System Restore' simply says monitoring.  Definitely the correct drivers.  I have tried absolutely everything.  I have disabled the COM11 and my pc is racing like a bat out of hell, one good thing, but it won't allow me to reenable it.  Decided to take a huge chance and delete it, it deleted itself but then automatically reinstalled itself and disabled itself at next startup!  The ONLY thing I haven't tried is to install it & drivers and then plug it in, will try that now, but that wasn't the original way I installed it last year and had no probs then.  Yes, its a really wierd this.  Cheers, will try that now......

[Rik]

Most USB printers want the drivers installed before the device is connected, so try unplugging, uninstalling, then running the supplied CD and see if that helps.

If System Restore is monitoring your drives, it should be possible to set a restore point. What excatly happens if you try?

[magua]

My machine wont ever let me use any system restore dates, not those set by various updates etc not those I make.  Have no idea why this is.  Have tried everything now, booting with it uninstalled, loading up drivers etc before installing.  Have disconnected the modem and reconnected but then it can't boot with the correct settings on the port and then I have to manually boot and then it defaults to the conflict settings again but will boot with those.  I am wondering if the port problem dates back to a motherboard update I had some time ago, along with a new bank of usbs?

To add to the confusion, when it did work properly, which was for a long time it was on LPT1 despite being a USB printer and I am wondering if that was because I used to have some old bits of the previous parallel port Lexmark printer settings still on the pc but have since deleted them?  Thanks all

[Simon]

I'm afraid I can't help with this, Magua, but Rik, or someone else, will be back in the morning.

[Sandra]

When you say that you deleted the Lexmark settings did you unistall it from the Add/Remove programs part of the control panel or just delete the icons from the Printers folder ?

I would go into Device Manager and unistall anything under com ports, and the USB controllers (presuming you have the driver CDs for any other USB peripherals you have).
Then go into Add/Remove programs and uninstall anything printer related, present one and older ones.

Make sure that the new printer is disconnected and reboot the pc.
Let it install what it wants re the USB controllers then reboot again when its done.

Install the drivers for the new printer off the CD and when asked connect the printer.
Hopefully that should fix it.

As Rik said it shouldnt be trying to use the LPT port or even a Comm port so its still looking for something thats been connected when it was using a parallel printer, apparently. By doing what I suggest it should remove any left over bits.

[Rik]

Any thoughts on the System Restore problem, Sandra?

[Sandra]

No thats a strange one Rik.
Unless theres insufficient space left on the hard drive 

[Rik]

That's about the only thing I could think of too.

[magua]

Hi all, sorry for the delay, have been kept busy by the printer and much else.  Right, have discovered what part of the problem is.  Whatever printer I have installed will be dependent on the Lexmark Z700 server but as I have deleted it I have a problem.  There is much posting about this on the net, even on Microsoft website.  I don't know if this is because the pc came as a complete package with the Lexmark printer or if once you have had a Lexmark printer and delete it you will always have this problem, have not had the time nor incentive to check that out!  Further complications, because the pc cannot now find the spooler, I have tried everything to sort this out, even using command prompt, I cannot install the necessary Lexmark software without the printer attached so I have to go up in the loft and reattach it.  Fun and games.  With the entire Lexmark software reinstated on the pc I don't know if I will then have a further problem!  Will let you know.  Thanks everybody

[Rik]

I hate printer software that tries to control me.