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Thread ID: 61695 2005-09-13 12:02:00 Need help installing printer Peter M (852) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
388214 2005-09-16 09:03:00 Graham, How can I tell? I enter a password on boot but not a seperate one to enter Bios. Some of the entries in Bios are accessible & some are not able to be selected. I am set up as Administrator in the accounts. Why can't I access all items in the Bios? Peter M (852)
388215 2005-09-16 09:59:00 Thanks Murray but it is not a USB printer it is serial connector on LPT1. Epson website says they have no driver for this printer to run with XP except the one that comes with Win XP.

If it is a serial printer as you say, it does dot connect to LPT1, the Parallel port (even with a DB9 to 25 adapter).

So, is it a serial printer, that you need to connect to a serial RS232 port, or is it a Parallel printer that connects to a Parallel (LPT1) port?

We seem to have a contradiction here that *could* be a root cause?
godfather (25)
388216 2005-09-16 10:04:00 Just looked at the manuals via Google, its a Parallel connected printer not a Serial. godfather (25)
388217 2005-09-16 10:25:00 Ooops my mistake. you are correct it is a parallel connection. Sorry if I confused anyone. Still need to know about the Bios and why I can't change it. Peter M (852)
388218 2005-09-16 11:54:00 Many brand name PCs are factory set as EPP or ECC and the bios options are unavailable.

It saves people fiddling and causing service calls that cost money.

Make sure your printer cable is IEEE1284 rated. High CPU speeds cause problems with old unscreened cables that works OK on a 486....
godfather (25)
388219 2005-09-17 00:20:00 This printer and cable work fine when connected to the other PC which is Pentium 2 350 with Win 98. The problem occurs when I try to connect it to the HP pc with Win XP installed. Peter M (852)
388220 2005-09-17 02:04:00 Didn't confuse me Peter . :D My ESP was working well . Shame on you, GF .

The BIOS can often be protected with two passwords: a "User" password, which lets you start the computer, and a "Supervisor" password which allows you to make changes to the BIOS settings . If these are used, they are totally independent of any rights you have in the OS .

The BIOS doesn't know, or care what the OS is . It doesn't even care whether there is an OS .

Writing to the registers which hold the BIOS settings is done through code in the BIOS, normally by commands in the BIOS setup code . . (I used to often write to them from DOS -- using DEBUG, or programmes I wrote, but I don't know if you can with modern hardware, and I don't think the clever stuff past the original AT 64 bytes is documented) . But if you haven't entered the Supervisor password it will refuse to write .

You can tell if the BIOS passwords are enabled . There will probably be a page dedicated to this . Browse around . It is possible for "Supervisor" to be enabled, and "User" not . That allows booting without any password, but stops changes to the BIOS settings . (There may be some which can be changed without that . . . I don't know) .

Getting rid of passwords used to be "just" a matter of resetting the BIOS registers ("CMOS") . It mightr not be that simple now . The "cheat" override passwords might stil;l work, except on laptops . ;)
Graham L (2)
388221 2005-09-17 09:00:00 Looks like I may have to give up the idea of installing this printer and put it back on the Win 98 PC. Then find another printer that will work better with Win XP. Peter M (852)
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