HP zx5000 laptop. Can't get usb to centronix to work.

  • Thread starter Thread starter W. eWatson
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W. eWatson

I have an old HP 722c that I'd like to hook up to the laptop. The 722c
has a centronix connector. The laptop cannot accommodate it, but it has
usb ports. I borrowed a used usb to centronix cable from a computer
store. Supposedly the driver is already there. In fact, I was asked for
it, and it seemed like it installed. System Devices shows no printer and
Other Devices as yellow.

The computer store said finding the "right" connector in this case could
be tricky, but they used to have good luck with the one I borrowed.

We do not have the original CD for the printer.

Comments?
 
From: "W. eWatson said:
I have an old HP 722c that I'd like to hook up to the laptop. The 722c has a centronix
connector. The laptop cannot accommodate it, but it has usb ports. I borrowed a used
usb to centronix cable from a computer store. Supposedly the driver is already there. In
fact, I was asked for it, and it seemed like it installed. System Devices shows no
printer and Other Devices as yellow.

The computer store said finding the "right" connector in this case could be tricky, but
they used to have good luck with the one I borrowed.

We do not have the original CD for the printer.

Comments?
Click to expand...

Its a "Centronics" connector.

I have had good results with the Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics interface.

If the notebook has BlueTooth, I can suggest the MPI BlueToorth Printer adapter and print
wirelessly.

If you have a SOHO LAN then I can suggest an HP 300x JetDirect and print over TCP/IP.

The orginal CD won't help unless the notebook is runinng Win9x/ME. That's one OLD
printer.
Windows XP does have a native 722c driver and under Vista you'd have to use the 720c
driver.
 
Its a "Centronics" connector.

I have had good results with the Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics interface.

If the notebook has BlueTooth, I can suggest the MPI BlueToorth Printer adapter and print
wirelessly.

If you have a SOHO LAN then I can suggest an HP 300x JetDirect and print over TCP/IP.

The orginal CD won't help unless the notebook is runinng Win9x/ME. That's one OLD
printer.
Windows XP does have a native 722c driver and under Vista you'd have to use the 720c
driver.
Click to expand...
You do get around. :-)

Yes, Centronics. XP Home. PC is about 5 years old.

Well, wirelessly is an interesting thought.

What is SOHO?

I'll look into SOHO. Well, it won't matter, since I'm giving a friend
the laptop, and printer. Provided I can connect the printer.

Is the Bluetooth device easily available, and a modest cost, say, under
$25.
 
W. eWatson said:
You do get around. :-)

Yes, Centronics. XP Home. PC is about 5 years old.

Well, wirelessly is an interesting thought.

What is SOHO?

I'll look into SOHO. Well, it won't matter, since I'm giving a friend the
laptop, and printer. Provided I can connect the printer.

Is the Bluetooth device easily available, and a modest cost, say, under
$25.
Click to expand...

We have several XP systems connected to HP 6L printers with the USB to
Parallel connector cable and they work fine. XP has the HP 6L drivers built
in so there was no problem there. There was a warning NOT to connect the
printer software as a LPT1 port, but choose something else that I can't
remember now. If you need more info I can look tomorrow at work.
(e-mail address removed)
 
We have several XP systems connected to HP 6L printers with the USB to
Parallel connector cable and they work fine. XP has the HP 6L drivers built
in so there was no problem there. There was a warning NOT to connect the
printer software as a LPT1 port, but choose something else that I can't
remember now. If you need more info I can look tomorrow at work.
(e-mail address removed)
Click to expand...
Yes, that would be agreeable.
 
From: "W. eWatson said:
You do get around. :-)

Yes, Centronics. XP Home. PC is about 5 years old.

Well, wirelessly is an interesting thought.

What is SOHO?

I'll look into SOHO. Well, it won't matter, since I'm giving a friend the laptop, and
printer. Provided I can connect the printer.

Is the Bluetooth device easily available, and a modest cost, say, under $25.
Click to expand...


I looked for a a reseller but the product was discontinued in 2010. I purchased it in
2009.
https://www.mpitech.com/mpitech.nsf...discontinuation-of-Bluetooth-products_en.html

Damn !

SOHO - Small Office Home Office. A Local Area Network used in a residence or a small, Mom
& Pop, type business.

If you have a Router and a few LAN nodes, it is a SOHO environment. For example I have 1
desktop, 1 notebook, 1 HP Laser (networked via HP 300x), 1 HP business inkjet (networked
via HP 200m) and one Epson inkjet (networked).

Like I wrote...
I have had good results with the Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics interface.
 
....
I looked for a a reseller but the product was discontinued in 2010. I purchased it in
2009.
https://www.mpitech.com/mpitech.nsf...discontinuation-of-Bluetooth-products_en.html

Damn !

SOHO - Small Office Home Office. A Local Area Network used in a residence or a small, Mom
& Pop, type business.

If you have a Router and a few LAN nodes, it is a SOHO environment. For example I have 1
desktop, 1 notebook, 1 HP Laser (networked via HP 300x), 1 HP business inkjet (networked
via HP 200m) and one Epson inkjet (networked).
Click to expand...
The computer and printer are going to a friend. He has no LAN. The post
by Billy suggests that I shouldn't have it on LP1. He's checking to see
where he had success. I'm going to check with the comp shop that loaned
me the cable.
Like I wrote...
I have had good results with the Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics interface.
Click to expand...
I'll be looking for it when down in Sacramento next week. No one here
has it.
 
Well,I talked the comp shop about the LPT1 idea. They said that's
likely right. So I uninstalled the drvr, and plugged in the USB port. It
brought up the install Wizard, but I could not get it to show me a
choice for the printer port. I rebooted and tried again. Same result.

Bottom line. No connection yet.

How do I get the drvr associated with something other than LPT?
 
From: "W. eWatson said:
Well,I talked the comp shop about the LPT1 idea. They said that's
likely right. So I uninstalled the drvr, and plugged in the USB port. It brought up the
install Wizard, but I could not get it to show me a choice for the printer port. I
rebooted and tried again. Same result.

Bottom line. No connection yet.

How do I get the drvr associated with something other than LPT?
Click to expand...

Does it create a USB001 or USB002 (Virtual Printer Port for USB) ?

It is the USB00x (where x=1, 2, 3...N) posrt that you use.
 
Does it create a USB001 or USB002 (Virtual Printer Port for USB) ?

It is the USB00x (where x=1, 2, 3...N) posrt that you use.
Click to expand...
There is no choice, since the first time I attempted it. It even allowed
me to scroll to a list of printer mfgers, and select the 722c. I found
the the book for it today, but no CDs. I think in the XP world of that
period, the drivers came with the PC.

I would have guessed the yellow symbol I see via System Devices would
have shown up under Printers, but it is next to Others.

I found an FSU002 40 miles from here, but I'm not on planning on driving
there. I might order it if the present one doesn't get the job done.
Fry's Electronics for $23.00. I just to make sure I had the right one.
It's a F5U002v1.
 
Does it create a USB001 or USB002 (Virtual Printer Port for USB) ?

It is the USB00x (where x=1, 2, 3...N) posrt that you use.
Click to expand...
There is no choice, since the first time I attempted it. It even allowed
me to scroll to a list of printer mfgers, and select the 722c. I found
the the book for it today, but no CDs. I think in the XP world of that
period, the drivers came with the PC.

I would have guessed the yellow symbol I see via System Devices would
have shown up under Printers, but it is next to Others.

I found an FSU002 40 miles from here, but I'm not on planning on driving
there. I might order it if the present one doesn't get the job done.
Fry's Electronics for $23.00. I just to make sure I had the right one.
It's a F5U002v1.
 
From: "W. eWatson said:
There is no choice, since the first time I attempted it. It even allowed me to scroll to
a list of printer mfgers, and select the 722c. I found the the book for it today, but no
CDs. I think in the XP world of that period, the drivers came with the PC.

I would have guessed the yellow symbol I see via System Devices would have shown up
under Printers, but it is next to Others.

I found an FSU002 40 miles from here, but I'm not on planning on driving there. I might
order it if the present one doesn't get the job done. Fry's Electronics for $23.00. I
just to make sure I had the right one. It's a F5U002v1.
Click to expand...

Just for you...

I removed the HP JetDirect 200m from my HP Business inkjet 1100 and replaced it with a
Centronics Parallel option.

I connected my Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics interface to my HP Business inkjet and then
to my Windows XP desktop.

WinXP Plug 'n Played and installed the HP Business inkjet 1100 on the port USB002 with no
problems noted.
{ USB001 is connected and assigned to my Brother P-Touch, PT-1950 }
 
Just for you...

I removed the HP JetDirect 200m from my HP Business inkjet 1100 and replaced it with a
Centronics Parallel option.

I connected my Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics interface to my HP Business inkjet and then
to my Windows XP desktop.

WinXP Plug 'n Played and installed the HP Business inkjet 1100 on the port USB002 with no
problems noted.
{ USB001 is connected and assigned to my Brother P-Touch, PT-1950 }
Click to expand...
Even better. If one looks at the back of the laptop carefully, it has a
centronics connection. The lighting was dim where we had it. My wife
actually recalled the centronics. It was her PC, and long out of use.
It is now working, but the new color cartridge, one not used for several
years and still in a box, produces something like grey. I used paint
brush. The b/w cartridge works fine. My friend can buy a new color
cartridge, if he wants.

Maybe there's a way to liven up the "new" color cartridge?
 
From: "W. eWatson said:
Even better. If one looks at the back of the laptop carefully, it has a centronics
connection. The lighting was dim where we had it. My wife actually recalled the
centronics. It was her PC, and long out of use. It is now working, but the new color
cartridge, one not used for several years and still in a box, produces something like
grey. I used paint brush. The b/w cartridge works fine. My friend can buy a new color
cartridge, if he wants.

Maybe there's a way to liven up the "new" color cartridge?
Click to expand...

Notebooks do NOT have a Centronics connection. Printers have a centronic connector which
uses a parallel cable to connect to a PC. The Parallel port standard on a computer uses a
DB-25 female connector.
 
David H. Lipman said:
From: "W. eWatson" <[email protected]>
Click to expand...
I removed the HP JetDirect 200m from my HP Business inkjet 1100 and
replaced it with a Centronics Parallel option.

I connected my Belkin F5U002 USB to Centronics interface to my HP Business
inkjet and then to my Windows XP desktop.

WinXP Plug 'n Played and installed the HP Business inkjet 1100 on the port
USB002 with no problems noted.
{ USB001 is connected and assigned to my Brother P-Touch, PT-1950 }
Click to expand...
I checked today at work and it is connected to the USB001 port. If there is
no USB00x port showing in the setup, you might try plugging in the cable to
both the computer and the printer and powering up the printer, then reboot
the computer. I would not be surprised if the converter cable draws some
power from either the computer or the printer. For whatever reason I always
had a USBx port show up during the setup.

Good Luck. (e-mail address removed)
 
Notebooks do NOT have a Centronics connection. Printers have a centronic connector which
uses a parallel cable to connect to a PC. The Parallel port standard on a computer uses a
DB-25 female connector.
Click to expand...
OK.
 
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