[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Printer Problems

mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams) (02/02/88)

I have just been trying to connect a printer to my AT clone (a COPAM AT).
It did not work. At first I thought it must be a printer failure, so
I tried with another printer and cable. Same result. I have two printer
ports (parallel) LPT1 and LPT2. Same result on both of them so HW failure
also seems doubtful. I am using standard 3.20 DOS. Other people have 
connected printers to COPAMs (I think they are sold under another name
outside Sweden - anyone know what) without problems. The DIP switches
inside the AT are OK (for both ports) and both printers work OK on other
machines.

The symptoms are as follows:

The DOS print command says all is OK for default device PRN = LPT1
and for LPT2.

The system hangs sometimes afterwards and always if I try a print screen.

Sometimes I gat the first line of the file I'm trying to print out
after a long delay. Sometimes the second and third lines apear about
15 minutes later. 

What's going on? Can it be that both of the printer ports are faulty.
Am I missing something obvious. Any help and suggestions would be welcome.
(excluding comments that I should buy a new machine!)

Mike Williams