Re: printer problems {again}

[jxz@xxxxxxxx]

Leslie Savan wrote:

> However, for the last few days, it reads "printer error" and
> simply won't print. And as I said, the other new weird thing
> is that when I try to quit, either in C: or A:, it insists
> that I have a file open when I don't.

The message that you have a file open could well be a
consequence of the failure to print. In the background, xy
has copied the file you're working on to a temporary
printing file and this remains open till printing is
successfully completed.

To me the symptoms suggest a physical/electrical problem,
of connections and cables, rather than a software one. I
suggest testing each element in turn - printer, cables and
connexions, computer, software ...

Most printers can do a self-test, you probably have to hold
down one of the buttons while switching it on.

For the cables, just un- and re-plugging them is sometimes
enough to clean the pins. The computer sounds old enough
that the printer may be fed by a card - rather than direct
from the motherboard. If so, pull the card out and put it back
in.

If the printer works, try what Harry suggests, printing a file
straight from dos, e.g.

C:\> COPY autoexec.bat LPT1

If that works, then it might be the xy setup, but I doubt it.
John