Trouble with a parallel port is usually in the device attached to it. Because a parallel port is virtually featureless, it either works or it doesn't (and it usually does). Problems are either in the connector (bent pins or blocked holes), the cable (wrong type ----SPP, EPP, or ECP), or the device itself. |
An outside chance exists that a problem may be a system resource conflict, but only if more than two parallel ports are on the PC. Remember that printers and LPT ports don't use IRQ or DMA channels, but other parallel port devices do. Check for system resource conflicts when troubleshooting nonprinter parallel port problems. |