Printer problem - HP Laserjet 4

[Fossaw]

I cannot print. I rarely need to print, but right now, I have some pdf's to do with some travel, that I need, or might at least, need a hard copy of. I have had a HP LaserJet 4 since the 1990's. Old but it works, and because of its infrequent use, I do not have ink drying in jets, spiders nesting in ribbons, etc. the printer is always there and normally just works. Except right now. The OS has been changed, more than once actually, currently it has Windows 8.1 on it. When I try to print, Open Office for example, the LaserJet is on the list and shows "HP Laserjet 4/Letter PCL6 Class Driver". Is that the right driver? Sounds familiar to me, but a lot of things do.

[Salem]

What kind of connection is between the printer and PC
- very old D-type parallel interface
- USB
- LAN

Have you managed to use windows to locate the printer, install a driver, and print a test page?

Does the printer respond in any way to your attempt to print?
- lights flash as if receiving data
- motors turn as if processing paper
- paper appears, but nothing is visible

Does the printed job disappear from the windows print queue, or is it stuck waiting to be printed, along with all your other attempts?

TBH, I would try things like "generic laser" (or other similarly general terms). The generic drivers should be basic functionality but have a really good chance of doing something even when things are poorly matched.

Does the printer have a standalone "print test page", to prove you actually have ink that works?

[Fossaw]

The printer is old enough to have a parallel connector. I have a card in the machine here which provides this, it has worked under Windows 8 before the upheval. (The upheval was caused by me applying the free upgrade to Windows 10, then later, rebuilding the machine, motherboard processor and RAM. The system originally had 4GB but the rebuilt had 16GB so I needed 64 bit Windows. I have the 8.1 media, but the free upgrade to 10 was no longer available. So it runs 64 bit Windows 8.1.)

I don't know. Windows can see the printer, it is on the list of options, and it says it has that driver, so I guess so, I don't know if it has printed anything since doing that however. It is very rare that I need print anything.

It is doing absolutely nothing.

I found the queue, there are a shed load of things in there, mostly look like attempts to print while this problem was in evidence.

I can try to find such a generic driver.

No standalone print test. The printer WAS working normally before the troubles started.

[Salem]

Maybe delete the print queue, then via control panel -> devices and printers tell windows to 'remove' the printer and then use the "add printer" option to re-acquire it.

[Fossaw]

I have removed the LaserJet and reinstalled it. Windows says "You've successfully added HP LaserJet A4/Letter PCL6 Class Driver" it has a button "Print a test page", clicking that puts up a little box "A test page has been sent to your printer" but nothing happens on the HP, LEDs do not flash, nothing. If I try to print the printer troubleshooter page it says the device status is "Error".

[Salem]

Have you checked under device manager to check your adapter card has been initialised properly?

[Fossaw]

There is nothing in there that looks suspicious to me.

[jimblumberg]

I have removed the LaserJet and reinstalled it.

Did you recycle (power off) both the printer and the computer after you "removed" the printer driver and before you reinstalled the driver? I'd also recommend leaving the printer off until the OS is completely up and running, then turning the printer on to see if the OS auto detects the printer. Have you checked with the printer manufacturer to see if they have any special "install" disks for your OS and printer?

[Fossaw]

The printer is normally powered off, I need to print something perhaps a few times a year, no point having it on, I need to print something, I power it up. The computer is a different story, it is a BOINC number cruncher and normally runs 24/7/365. I can restart it of course, I'll do that sometime within the next hour depending on the work load. The printer has been on four or five versions of the machine since 1997/98, it has never needed any disks before.

[jimblumberg]

The printer has been on four or five versions of the machine since 1997/98, it has never needed any disks before.

Since this printer is getting rather old it is possible (although doubtful) that the driver has been obsoleted on some of the more modern Windows operating systems. Also are you sure your parallel printer adapter card is functioning properly? Is this a new item for this particular computer build?

Do you have another computer that you can use to check out the printer?

Does that particular printer have both Serial and Parallel interfaces? If so have you tried both?

[Fossaw]

The printer worked fine on Windows 8.1 before, it had a different parallel port card though, the new mother board did not have an appropriate "socket" to connect the old parallel port card. Similarly, the driver name looks familiar too me, but then, a lot of things do. I am not sure the new parallel adaptor is functioning, the printer is the only thing I have that requires a parallel connection. The new adaptor is a StarTech device, I have other parts from them which have worked without issue. I have another i7 under the desk here, but it would mean moving the parallel port card as well, so I cannot see how that would acheive much. The printer only has a parallel port.

[jimblumberg]

I am not sure the new parallel adaptor is functioning

Did this adapter come with any install software?

It's been a long time since I used Windows, so assuming that the current Windows still uses "printer" ports (LPT1, LPT2, etc) have you checked:

What printer port is this card set to use?

Are you sure that the driver is using the proper port?

Have you tried different printer cables?

Lastly you may want to consider getting a USB to parallel adapter instead of your internal adapter card.

[Fossaw]

The card has an "install CD" which I can see has been opened, I don't remember but evidence and experience suggests that it was done. I would expect the card to default to LPT1, I'll run the install CD and see if it tells me anything.

[Fossaw]

The installer does not say anything. The Device Manager says it is LPT3.

[Fossaw]

The company that made the port card's chat guy told me I could change the port letter/number, and so I have. It is now LPT1. So back to the driver install, HP said the driver was the wrong one, and have given me a new driver pack, (three times actually), which unpacks to exactly the same as I had originally...