Re: printer problems {again}

["Leslie Savan" lsavan@xxxxxxxx]

Thank you Harry and John.
     Here's where I am now: Over the weekend--before I got Harry's most
recent instructions--I did what he advised in an earlier message. That is, I
renamed the autoexec.bat file. (Thanks, btw, i never knew how to rename
files on the command field.) It's now called AUTOEXEC.SAV, and that alone
has changed quite a few things: 1) I don't have to go into Windows at all,
which is fine by me. 2) the boot-up is much shorter; I do, however, now have
to fill in the date and time each time (and, of course, 05 for the year is
unusable; any year before 2000 will work.) And 3) the "pause" after c:>\ is
gone!
     But...some sort of "pause" appears to still be activated behind the
scenes. I still get "printer error" when I try to print out (whether using
the commands ty, type, or print--and, by the way, I am working in "editor,"
which I think is OK, right?). And, after trying and failing to print out, I
still cannot quit C: or A: without the computer insisting that I still have
files open when I don't. Furthermore, when I do CONTROL F10 to see what
windows are open, below the column of numbered windows 1 thru 9 is "P C:\ty"
(the characters after "P" will vary according to whether I've used A: or C:,
ty or type or print.)
     So this leads me to think that John is right that "xy has copied
the file you're working on to a temporary printing file and this remains
open till printing is successfully completed" and that it's a
"phyical/electrical problem" (which also makes sense, since, as far as I
know, nothing has changed in xywrite or elsewhere on my computer since it
was set up).
      I went thru most of the steps John suggested: 1) the printer will
run a test of itself when i hold the button down, so apparently it's not the
printer itself. 2) I unplugged and replugged every plug there is, and that
hasn't helped. But as for the card that my computer may have: I'll gladly
pull it out, but how do i find it? How do I get into the computer, and where
do I get in?
      Also, should I still try to get rid of the "REMIND" in the (newly
named) AUTOEXEC.SAV? And if so, can I just delete it? And exactly what
characters would I delete?
      I'm starting to get a little desperate now. I need to start
printing out today or tomorrow (printing long inserts to go back to
publisher with the copyedited version of my manuscript). If anyone can tell
me how to handle this card business--or anything else that might help
(including a new printer that will do Xywrite italics/bold and is compatible
with Windows Millenium--a pipedream, I suspect)--as soon as possible, I will
be eternally grateful.
     Thank you all,
     Leslie






>
> 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
>
>