Compatability mode for WinNT printer ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter RS
  • Start date Start date
R

RS

I have a Mita DP-580 laser printer that the maker supplied drivers for ...
up to NT4.0 (their website shows none newer)

I tried that driver with WinXP, and all seemed to go well ... till I tried
to check the Properties of the new printer ... and I got a BSOD and core
dump.

Question: Do you think it's possible to use some sort of "compatability
mode" in installing the printer driver ? A friend suggested right-clicking
the Setup ("Install" in this case) icon and following the "compatability"
option. However no such option is presented when I right click on the
Install.exe icon.

Thanks for any tips !

-RS-
 
This is one of those printers that Microsoft did not support when they
include drivers for XP and the printer's manufacturer did not write a driver
for XP. You may be out of luck if the NT 4.0 drivers don't work.

I checked a few sources for updated drivers and none show a driver later
than NT 4.

Did you attempt to print anything to the printer? If so was it successful
and the BSOD occurred after that or did you just try to look at the
Properties after the install. If printing works and doesn't cause a BSOD
use it but don't look at or attempt to adjust properties.

The install program that you are referencing does not have a compatibility
mode since it basically copies files to the hard drive and sets up the
printer in the registry. There is no compatibility mode for drivers that I
am aware of.
 
RS said:
I have a Mita DP-580 laser printer that the maker supplied drivers for ...
up to NT4.0 (their website shows none newer)

I tried that driver with WinXP, and all seemed to go well ... till I tried
to check the Properties of the new printer ... and I got a BSOD and core
dump.

Question: Do you think it's possible to use some sort of "compatability
mode" in installing the printer driver ? A friend suggested right-clicking
the Setup ("Install" in this case) icon and following the "compatability"
option. However no such option is presented when I right click on the
Install.exe icon.

Thanks for any tips !

-RS-
Click to expand...


With the exception of win2k drivers it's not likely any hardware will
work without specific XP drivers
 
Hi RS,

Compatibility mode is for installing software, and while driver files are a
type of software, this will not work. Compatibility mode allows software to
run in a simulated user mode environment. The driver files are what the
subsystem uses to address the system hardware in kernel mode. These simply
*must* be compatible with the OS. As Win2K and WinXP share many
similarities, sometimes a Win2K driver will work, but I doubt anything older
would.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
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