Canon i450 Printer

[CaligulaJones]

Ok I have to tell you: I don't like peripherals. I had a home computer for seven years and never found the need for a printer. Then when I got one, it almost died of loneliness.

But, a few months back my wife and I bought a Canon A60 Powershot, which works well. A bit of trouble with the software, but it seems to be ok. Taking lotsa pics, putting them on the computer. E-mailing most of them.

However, the i450 printer that came with is basically just a dust collector.

No matter what I do, it just won't connect, i.e, it won't find it.

I have four USB plugs, two in the front, two in the back. I plug the camera into the ones in the front, no problem downloading (although I might get a car reader soon).

I tried to plug the printer into the one in the back. No good. I follow the instructions to the letter (i.e., make sure computer and printer are off, plug in printer, turn on computer, run install CD, install driver, turn on printer then....nothing.

So, I plug it into the USB plug in the front...the one that WORKS with the camera. Doesn't find it.

Then, I plug the camera into the slot in the back....and it finds the camera, can download no problem.

I've uninstalled, re-installed and re-reinstalled the driver. Again. And again.

The only solution I've been offered that makes sense is upgrade to Windows 2000.

But if there are any other ideas out there I'd appreciate hearing them.

How on earth can a USB port find one plug and pray peripherial, but not another?

Thanks in advance.

Cal

[stopbath]

Does the printer manual say that it works with whatever operating system you have on the computer?
If so, it should install ok as per the instructions for that operating system.

Try to print with different programs.
Check your printer settings (perhaps default setting on your computer does not even point to the printer.)
Try printing a text document, web page, or something other than a picture.
Is there no error messages and yet no output? Check your printer LCD panel. Perhaps the paper path is jammed, obstructed. Find and operate the selftest on the printer.

Perhaps the inks are dried up, are they still good? Installed correctly...

You should have some error message somewhere to help lead the way to resolving the issue.

[CaligulaJones]

(Questions are stopbath's, answers mine...)

Q: Does the printer manual say that it works with whatever operating system you have on the computer?

A: Yep. Windows 98 SE. I know its a wonky platform and I'll probably upgrade to Windows 2000, but I'm hoping not to have to.

Q: If so, it should install ok as per the instructions for that operating system.

A: It installs the driver fine, it just can't find the printer. As I said: the USB port finds my camera just fine, but won't find the printer. Then, when I am asked to install the printer manually, it asked for what port. And from there, I'm lost. I know it can't be the LPT1 port, or the Communications ports.

Q: Try to print with different programs.

A: Yep. Won't print with anything: Excel, Word, Notepad. It simply can't find any printer.

Q: Check your printer settings (perhaps default setting on your computer does not even point to the printer.)

A: I think this is it, but not sure what to do, as I am totally ignorant about USB. I thought it was supposed to find things automatically (like it does the camera).

Right now it says "Print to the following port" in the Details tab. Right now it has USB (unknown port).

Q: Try printing a text document, web page, or something other than a picture. Is there no error messages and yet no output? Check your printer LCD panel. Perhaps the paper path is jammed, obstructed. Find and operate the selftest on the printer.

A: As above: all apps, nada. And no message that there is anything wrong, either. Just....silence....

Q: Perhaps the inks are dried up, are they still good? Installed correctly...

A: We have been able to print directly off the camera, and the printer was just bought in October. Inks are fine.

Q: You should have some error message somewhere to help lead the way to resolving the issue.

A: I think the problem is with the original setup. It won't find the printer automatically, and I have no idea what to do after that.

I guess the question is: what port should a USB printer be set to, if it doesn't set it automatically?

Thanks!

[stopbath]

Do you have the manual for the computer? Look up what it's says for hooking up the printer. There might be a designated port and you need a special cable (parrallel or serial instead of usb) If there is a port specifically for the printer, it may have a little picture of a dot matrix printer near it.

There might be a section on trouble shooting. Check that. Also, Windows help might help figuring out the manual printer set up (LPT1...) Usually I found Windows Help not too much of a help, but sometimes they have some information in there that is useful)

Is the same cable used when printing from the camera as is used when trying to print from the PC? If not, it might be the cable.

Hope it gets fixed!

[CaligulaJones]

Thanks Stopbath.

All my problems with my USB ports disappeared when I installed Windows 2000. The problem was with Windows 98.

Thanks again!

Cal

[John_T]

I was just about to suggest you download the latest/correct Windows driver at the link below. You still might want to do that.

http://www.usa.canon.com/html/conCprTechSupport.jsp?modelid=8740&section=10216&p name=i450&item=8778