Can't get printer back on LPT1. Help!

[Kentucky Fisherman]

I flashed the BIOS on my FIC PA-2013 in order to upgrade my CPU to a K6-III 450+. After doing that, I got a port conflict message upon bootup and indeed have been having frequent lockups. I've fiddled and diddled with my COM port and IRQ settings to no avail.

Somewhere in the midst of this, I uninstalled my printer, thinking it might help diagnose or resole the IRQ conflicts. When I re-installed the printer, it doesn't give me LPT1 as an option, just COM1 or File. I do have a ZIP drive connected to the parallel port and the printer was previously chained off the ZIP, and they both worked fine. The system still recognizeds the ZIP drive and can access it, so I assume from that that LPT1 still does exist, right?

So what do I try next? Maybe totally remove the ZIP drive and then try to reinstall the printer to see if it will then recognize and connect to LPT1?

 

[DaddyG]

After the BIOS flash, its likely that your Patallel Port defaulted in your BIOS. You may need to set to EPP or ECP. Try the various options, without the ZIP drive attached.

 

[rommel]

have you tried to reflash the bios again?...and did you save a copy of the old bios...you could reinstall that if reflashing doesnt work to correct the problem to at least determine if the bios is indeed the problem

 

[Basse]

A tip along the lines DaddyG suggested: Set the Parallel Port to Bi-Directional.

That way, when you boot up, it should find a new LPT port and install it. You will also free a DMA channel.

You didn't mention it so have you checked if it is listed in Device Manager (assuming you're not running NT?).

/B

 

[Kentucky Fisherman]

Yeah, Basse, someone suggested that I delete the parallel port in Device Manager, then reboot, but that didn't fix anything. The more I think about this one, the more I think having that ZIP drive on the same parallel port is probably part or all the problem. I think I'll totally uninstall the ZIP and see if I can get the printer connected. If that works, then I should be able to add the ZIP back however I did it in the first place.