How to check and change the printer port setting in Windows 2000 and XP

RELATES TO:


  • You receive the error "There was an error writing to LPT1" after sending a print job.
  • The printer does not respond to the print command.
  • Printing fails and Status Monitor cannot connect to the printer and may report a "Communication Error".


EXPLANATION:



If you are using a printer via a FireWire or USB connection to a computer running Windows 2000 or XP and receive the error message "There was an error writing to LPT1", the port setting in the printer driver's properties is incorrect. You can check the printer's port setting and change the setting if necessary.

If the printer has failed to respond to a print command but you have not received the message above, the port in the printer driver may not have been configured correctly. However, as it's possible that printing fails for another reason, we recommend that you first follow the guidance in the following Related Article, and return to this article if instructed: Troubleshooting Printer-related Communication Issues in Windows 2000 & XP



SOLUTION:



To resolve this issue, check the port setting and change it if necessary.


  1. Open the Printers / Printers and Faxes folder

    1. Open the Printers or Printers and Faxes folder via Control Panel, or Start > Settings > Printers.
    2. An icon for your Epson printer should be present.

      Notes Icon Note:

      If an icon for your Epson printer is not listed, the printer driver is not installed.

      If you are using your printer via a USB connection, see the following article for instructions: How to install a USB printer on Windows 2000 or XP

      If you are not using your printer via USB, please refer to your user's guide for further advice - a version is also provided on the Epson support website.

      If there is more than one icon for your Epson printer, such as 'Epson Stylus DX4400 Series' and 'Epson Stylus DX4400 Series (Copy 1)', see the following article and return to this article if necessary: Multiple copies of printer driver are listed in the Printers folder


  2. Check that the printer port setting is correct

    1. Right-click on the Epson printer icon and left-click on Properties.


    2. This will open the Properties window for your printer.

    3. Click on the Ports tab.

    4. Check the port setting in the white box under 'Print to the following port(s)…'

      • For a printer connected to the computer via USB, it should be set to USB Virtual Printer Port (e.g. USB001, USB002).

      • For a printer connected to the computer via Parallel, it should be set to LPT1 (or LPT2, LPT3 if you have more than one Parallel interface on your computer).

      • For a printer connected to the computer via FireWire, it should be set to IEEE 1394.

      • For a printer connected to the computer via a network, it should be set to EpsonNet Print Port. Check that the correct IP address is listed. You can check the current IP address assigned to the Epson printer or print server by printing a network status sheet or locating the device via EpsonNet Config.
        • Make sure you have configured the network interface correctly.
        • We recommend that printers using an Epson network interface (integrated Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Ethernet / Wi-Fi card, or external print server) is set to use the EpsonNet Print Port.

      Figure 1: In this example, a USB printer (DX4000) is set to LPT2:


    5. If the port is set correctly, see Step 2.h and onwards.

    6. If the port is not set correctly, for example the port is LPT1 when it should be USB, click into the box beside the correct port for your printer then click Apply.

      For printers using an Epson network interface, click below for instructions on adding the port.




      For printers using an Epson network interface, click here to hide instructions on adding the port.

      1. In Ports, click on Add Port.
      2. A window will appear with a choice of ports to add, click on EpsonNet Print Port from the list, and then click on New Port.
      3. The Add EpsonNet Print Port Wizard will appear, displaying a list of printers detected on the network. Select the target device (printer or All-In-One) from the list, and then click Next. If the target device is not in the list, click Search Again.
      4. The summary of the device and port will be displayed, the default Port Type is IP Address (Manual), this can be changed as required. Click Finish.
      5. It will return to the Add Port window, click Close.
      6. In the Ports window, locate the port you added - it should display the port name or IP address. Click into the checkbox beside it to select it, and then click on Apply.
      7. The printer driver should now be configured, try printing a Test Page from the General tab to test this.
      8. Click OK to close the printer Properties window.

        Notes Icon Note:

        If you do not have the choice of EpsonNet Print Port, this means that EpsonNet Print has not been installed. You can download EpsonNet Print from the Epson support website or install it from the Epson printer or EpsonNet Print Server software CD-ROM.




    7. If you cannot find the required port setting, try scrolling down the list. If the port is not listed, move to Step 3.

    8. Try to print a Test Page from the Properties > General tab. Click on Print Test Page from the bottom of the window:


      Test Page prints:

      If the Test Page prints, printing from Windows programs should now be normal. If printing is possible but you continue to experience problems, return to the following Related Article for a solution: Troubleshooting Printer-related Communication Issues in Windows 2000 & XP


      Test Page fails to print:

      • If a printer connected via Parallel fails to print, the printer port may need to be refreshed in Device Manager.

      • If a printer connected via USB fails to print and the port is already set to USB Virtual Printer Port, do the following:

        1. Check the cable connection between the printer and the computer. Follow the USB cable from one device to the other to ensure the correct cable is connecting the two devices.
        2. Open the Printers/Printers and Faxes folder.
        3. Double-click on the Epson printer icon.
        4. If a document is listed in the queue, cancel it by clicking on the Printer menu then Cancel All Documents.
        5. Restart the computer before printing again.
        6. Should this fail, cancel the document and restart the computer. Then, in Printers, open the printer Properties and in the Ports tab, change the port setting to a different USB Virtual Printer Port.

      • If a printer connected via FireWire fails to print, do the following:

        1. Check the cable connection between the printer and the computer. Follow the FireWire cable from one device to the other to ensure the correct cable is connecting the two devices.
          • Do not link the printer through a different FireWire device.
        2. Open the Printers / Printers and Faxes folder.
        3. Double-click on the Epson printer icon.
        4. If a document is listed in the queue, cancel it by clicking on the Printer menu then Cancel All Documents.
        5. Restart the computer before printing again.
        6. Should this fail, cancel the document and restart the computer. Then, in Printers, open the printer Properties and in the Ports tab, change the port setting to a different FireWire port.

        If these steps fail, return to the following Related Article for a solution: Troubleshooting Printer-related Communication Issues in Windows 2000 & XP.


  3. The required printer port setting is not listed:

    • If the printer is connected to the computer via USB and the port setting you require is not listed then check that the computer system supports USB

    • If the printer is connected to the computer via FireWire and the port setting you require is not listed then check that the computer system supports FireWire.

    • If the printer is connected via Parallel, ensure that the LPTx port (e.g. LPT1) is not disabled in Device Manager.

    • If the printer is connected on a network, ensure that you have configured the network interface correctly.

      • We recommend an Epson network interface is set to use the EpsonNet Print Port. See your product manual for instructions on setting up the printer on a network and configuring the network interface.

      • With the exception of the Stylus SX405 Wi-Fi Edition, Epson do not support third party external print servers - refer to the print server manufacturer's documentation for help.

      • Return to the next step Related Article: Troubleshooting Printer-related Communication Issues in Windows 2000 & XP

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