HP LaserJet 6L and Vista

After more hours than a care to explain to responsible adults, I wish to report about getting a legacy LaserJet working (yes, working!) on Vista (32 bit).

Initially, I was told that it was impossible, but I bought a USB<->Centronics cable anyway, and tried. Ah. arrogance!

Hours were then spent, contacting the computer manufacturer and HP on the one hand, and the internet (that font of all knowledge) on the other. Curiously, everything I read didn't work for me and I gave up!

Taking the USB<->Centronics cable back to the seller required re-packaging it in the original (saved) blister pack, and when I was doing this, I noticed that between the folds of the cardboard backing, there was a diskette. Would you believe that there wasn't a single word printed on the outer surfaces of the cardboard to indicate that there was a diskette included. Not one single word.

Be that as it may, I loaded the diskette, read the material thereon, went to the web site indicated (the original URL was wrong, but backtracking, I finally found the right site), downloaded the driver, installed it (apprehensively since uncertified software is always risky) and, lo and behold, the test page printed.

Voila!

So, if you search on the internet concerning this question, the answer is that legacy printers which used to be connected to mother boards using LPT1: are now useable under Vista on newer computers which only have USB ports.

One last comment. Apparently, the printer raises the out-of-paper signal inappropriately sometimes. I've found that if you unplug the USB cable except when you want to actually print. then plugging it in generates a new install of the driver (apparently) which clears these flags so that you can print. What I do is unplug the USB cable every time I turn off the computer, and plug it back in only when I want to print. Seems to work. What a pain.

NOTE added after a month (or so) of experience. It appears that if one forgets to unplug the printer at powerdown, one can instead just unplug and re-plug-in the printer with power up, and all turns out OK. HOWEVER, I always have to use the same USB port on the computer itself!

I really hope all this helps someone!!!!!!



======================notes:

1. In chagrin, I checked the packaging again, and noticed, in the tiniest of print, that there is a mention that before installation one should read the material on the enclosed diskette. Shame on me!
2. I had to re-install the driver, somehow, in moving the installation files I goofed. It then printed a web-page properly, so perhaps everything is OK now. Who knows. It leaves "junk" on the desktop, however. Phooey!
3. I happened to want to change the "name" of the printer, and used the Properties window to alter it, whereupon I lost the printer completely, and had to re-install it.