It's a brand new printer???

If so it may need a USB 2, as far as I know the 98 machines only had USB 1... You can buy a USB 2 card for your machine though.

Rita

Ritaotay. no it's not a brand new printer but one that I've been using on that machine for some time. This just happened today which is why it's such a mystery to me why it's not working now.

I'm not familiar with Win 98 (I'm not familiar with XP either ... but what the?) but as always check your cables. There have many anxiety attacks over computer and peripheral performances posted on this forum due to an electrical plug not all the way in the wall or a loose cable connection, or as in my case recently, the electrical sockets used for my printer's electricity are controlled by a wall switch...and of course someone flipped the wrong switch and I thought I had a dead printer...it happens.

Now with XP when you print you have to make sure the correct printer or device is highlighted in the print box, its easy to overlook, especially after a few years.

This USB hub...I'm assuming is for a laptop? You aren't going over your computer's capacity with everything plugged in?

Plug the printer directly to your computer. If you are using a hub that might be the problem ... they do wear out, as we all do.


If all of that checks out, well it might be time to upgrade to XP...as you know '98 is no longer supported. I don't know what extent Microsoft interprets "Not Supported". The reason I say this is its time to check your drivers and maybe reinstall them.

I have been in driver hell myself. The number of times XP Windows has reported a device or driver was working properly when it wasn't is more than I have fingers and toes and I still have all of them.

You can get your original drivers off your basic install disc...so I've heard...if you place it in your multi-drive after your desktop is up. (If you do it before your desktop is up and viewable you might be on your way to reinstalling Windows...that's what Best Buy told me anyway. I'm too lazy to check it out today.)

Or you can subscribe to a place like Driver Agent DriverAgent.com). They will do a scan. Sometimes they are wrong and supply you with downloads that don't apply, but in those cases the driver just doesn't install, I've never heard of or had damage from Driver Agent myself. I have gotten many drivers back and up and running through them...mostly my realtek sound drivers after an electrical storm. I'm just too stupid to figure out which driver I need when I go to the manufacturer's site. I get lost in the Intel site...I've even downloaded the wrong drivers and updates from Toshiba ... who told me I needed them through their automatic update service. Drivers are something I don't want to think about...its so confusing, and Windows is less than useless with their driver recommendations.

Make sure your cables and plugs are not fried and conducting current and memo groups like they should, check out that hub by plugging the printer directly into your computer and pray that you won't get lost in driver hell..or that your hard drive is failing.

marf

You are going to have to excuse me...I'm not sure if you meant a USB Hub peripheral or a port I/O controller hub.
Such is life.

marf

Personally, I would uninstall/reinstall the printer using the newest driver for your OS from Canon. Did you recently install another printer?

Pam

marthapartha

I have a 4 port hub that I've been using on the machine for at least 3 years now. The printer has worked fine up until the day I posted the message. The machine I'm talking about is a desktop. I know Win98 is no longer supported, but this machine doesn't have the capacity to upgrade to XP. Checked all cables and connections and everything is fine. Latest driver is installed for that printer.

pkponder I'm going to uninstall and reinstall the printer like you suggested. Actually, I had that in my mind, but just wanted to check with folks to see if there was something I wasn't doing.

Thanks everyone.

If 98 is not supported...then the latest update might not work with 98. Driver updates are usually updates that help work with the latest Microsoft changes.

Once in a while you will find an update that improves overall driver performance. But mostly, updates and driver updates are to accomodate the changes brought about by Microsoft updates.

Again, cables wear out, extesnion cords wear out...especially if they come from Target, but make sure they work. You'd be surprised how fast a short in the wire can develop.

I am leary of the hub. Until you plug your printer directly into your computer... with a known working cable, you can't rule it out as the source of your problem. If you need an adapter to hook the USB printer directly...those are realtively easy and inespensive to obtain.

Driver Agent does have a free scan...you can try it, I don't know what the free scan will tell you as far as specifics without paying...won't hurt, It always tells me my Intel Host Controllers and Video Card need updating but my computer won't accept the updates (probably because its a notebook) but it might give some info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Driver Agent

LPT1 is usually a parallel port, not a USB (serial) port. Check your setup and hardware. If your printer is connected to a parallel port, then you must set up 'intall' the printer desiginating the same port. Parallel ports were favorite connections for older printers, but most new ones are USB and preferrable the higher speed USB2 ports.

Go to the "Control Panel", click on 'Printers' and check the properties of your printer install. Correct if it in error.

Thanks all for your help. I did an uninstall and then reinstalled according to the instructions and all is working fine once again.