W7 fails to recognise device

[Ken]

I have a new W7 machine. I have had considerable problems connecting up
an HP 2100/M printer. It originally came with a 25 pin cable but I have
converted it with an adapter to a USB connection, as the new computer
doesn't have a 25 pin socket.

I have gone through the whole gamut of installing the latest driver.
Troubleshooting, uninstalling, reinstalling etc.

The issue seems to boil down to the Windows not recognising the printer
and therefore not being able to use it, nor to get a virtual USP port to
be created for it to be connected to. Can anyone please help. Looking at
the web this problem, in various forms seems to have been occuring for
years, with no consistently reliable fix.


Some further information:

I did get the printer to work eventually earlier. And when it worked, it
worked fine. But it stopped for no reason that I can determine.
Eventually after hours I managed to get it to start again, but not by
anything that I could identify as the cause of the problem. Initially
when I got this computer it didn't work, but then I noticed the printer
properties indicated it was set to LPT1 so I changed it to a USB port
and it worked fine. However plugging the cable into a different socket
seems to stop it working, so it is temperamental. The problem I have
now is that the printer is not being recognised, so there is no USB port
created for it, that I can connect to. But windows says it has stopped
it anyway! The error message is:

"USB device not recognised. One of the USB devices attached to this
computer has malfunctioned and windows did not recognize it. For
assistance click the message." Then I get a diagram:

USB Root hub - ports - 2 ports
- USB composite device
- USB composite device
- MicrosoftUSB Wireless mouse
- Unknown device
- unused port
- unused port

Unused port

The latter port is linked directly to the USB root hub at the top of the
list.

Trouble shooting gives the message: "windows has stopped this device
because it has reported problems (code 43)

Device: usb controllers
Manufacturer: Std USB host controller
Location: port#0004_ #hub0003

I have downloaded the latest driver and installed it from the HP site.

I have tried the fix that some people have suggested, which is turning
the power off for a while (unplugging). All to no avail.

 

[Seth]

<snipped>

Sounds like the USB-->LPT adapter might not be properly recognized here. Is
it possible that piece went bad?

Also, at some point the amount of effort involved is going to be way more
than it would cost to just buy a newer, native USB printer.

 

[Char Jackson]

I have a new W7 machine. I have had considerable problems connecting up
an HP 2100/M printer. It originally came with a 25 pin cable but I have
converted it with an adapter to a USB connection, as the new computer
doesn't have a 25 pin socket.

If you absolutely love the printer, consider installing a standard
parallel port so that you don't have to rely on adapters. If you don't
absolutely love the printer, consider replacing it with a newer model.

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