Upgrading & Fixing Laptops DUMmIES

11. Open your word processor or other program that uses the printer and
    check all of its settings.


12. If you have no success with a test page, turn your attention to the
    device itself.

Does it have any built-in diagnostics? Many printers go through a test

routine when they are first turned on, displaying warning lights or a mes-

sage on a small LCD screen. It is plugged in to a working AC outlet, and

the power is turned on, right? The problem could be as simple as a

paper jam or lack of paper, ink, or toner.

13. Try a swap of known-good components.

If you have another laptop or a desktop PC with a parallel port, try

attaching the suspect printer or other device to it. If it works properly,

you have a good indication of a problem with the parallel port on the

original machine.

14. Substitute a known-good cable between the computer and the device.

See if normal function returns. If it does, this is an indication that the

original cable has failed, possibly because of a crimp in the wiring or a

bent pin.

If you are finally convinced that your laptop’s parallel port has failed, it

probably does not make economic sense to have the motherboard or its

connectors repaired. Instead, purchase an inexpensive USB to parallel con-

verter (or a serial to parallel converter) and use either as a workaround.

Where’s the FireWire (aka IEEE 1394)? ......................................................

Although it is all but ubiquitous on laptops, USB is not the only high-speed

show in town. A competitive technology is IEEE 1394, also known as FireWire

on Apple products and i.Link on some Sony video products. (I call it by its

formal techy-spec name, IEEE 1394.)

This specification uses a six-wire cable for computer devices: a pair of wires

for data, a second pair for clock signals, and a third pair delivering electrical

power. A four-wire version of the cable is for self-powered devices such as

camcorders. IEEE 1394 is very close in speed to USB 2.0, delivering 400 Mbps;

an advanced specification called 1394b moves data at twice that speed.

Future plans call for optical fiber versions at 1,600 and 3,200 Mbps.

You can buy an Apple laptop with FireWire built in, or you can add IEEE 1394

to a Windows machine by plugging in a PC Card that adds a pair of ports. As

Chapter 16: Breaking Out of the Box: PC Cards, USB, and FireWire 251