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While DOS-based applications are slowly fading away, many computer users still use them. In some cases, the software is proprietary Point-of-Sale software that would be cost prohibitive to redesign; in others, the software is perfectly fine as is, so why bother changing it? After all, if the software can run in Windows and performs as it should, who needs a pretty graphical interface?

However, while you can run many DOS-based applications in Windows, you can’t always print their output. DOS applications generally look for a parallel printer installed on LPT 1 and guess what? Today’s modern printers tend to be either USB printers or wireless. Parallel ports are quickly becoming extinct.

In order to get around this, you can use the Microsoft Loopback Adapter and a simple command to trick your DOS application into printing to your USB printer. Here’s how:

First you must install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter. Don’t worry, this isn’t a piece of hardware that you must buy and install. Rather, it is a virtual network adapter that will act much like a real network card.

To install the Loopback Adapter, you will need to go into the Control Panel and select Add Hardware. When prompted, click Next followed by “Yes, I have already connected the hardware.” Continue by clicking Next again and scrolling down to “Add a new hardware device.”

Now, you will need to select “Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)” and then select “Network Adapters.” Find Microsoft in the Manufacturer list and then scroll through the Network Adapter list until you find “Microsoft Loopback Adapter.” Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Once installed, you will need to configure the Loopback Adapter. Go back into the Control Panel and select Network Connections. Now look for the Loopback Adapter in the list of network connections and right-click it. Choose Properties. Select the TCP/IP item and hit Properties. Under the area that says “Use the following IP address” enter a static IP address such as 192.168.1.1. This will create a subnet address of 255.255.255.0. (Depending on your current settings, you may need to pick the next available IP address) Click OK and exit.

Now, share the printer that you will be printing to and give it a memorable name. Once shared, you will then capture the printer port. Go to the Start button and select Run. Now, type in the following in the Run dialogue box:

NET USE LPT1: \\[IP Address]\Printer /PERSISTENT:YES

Click the OK button and try printing from your DOS application. This should work with most DOS-based applications. If not, you might consider purchasing software that is designed specifically for the task. I did a quick Internet search and found several DOS to USB print utilities available. Here’s are two shareware versions that may help:

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Business/Printer_Tools/DOS2USB.html

http://www.dosprn.com/

Printers are popular pains-in-the-neck when it comes to networking. Anytime you have multiple computers and devices attempting to “talk” to one another, chances are great the setup with have issues. This is one area of Windows Vista where Microsoft acknowledges potential compatibility issues. There are a few ways to diagnose connection problems with network printers. Most users should start with normal troubleshooting procedures before attempting more advanced options like altering the Internet Protocol version. As a last resort, try contacting Microsoft support for a Hot Fix.

Troubleshooting printers and networked devices should always begin with the obvious. Double check your cables, connectors, and address settings of the devices and computers. Being off by a single digit in an IP address, a loose cable, or improper settings are the most likely culprits to networking issues. If you spot a problem here, it’s an easy fix, and will save you wasted hours of effort spent in frustration. 

A common problem with slow printing issues involves the print spooler service. Go to the Start button, click Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, and then click Administrative Tools. Now, double-click on Services.  Right-click the Print Spooler service before clicking on Properties. Find the General tab and look next to Startup type. Double check to be sure that Automatic is selected. If not, select it now. Finally, if the service is not already running, go to the Service status area and click Start. Click OK and try printing.

The next troubleshooting step should be an attempt to update your device drivers. Device drivers are the software that allows the operating system to talk to the printer, scanner, or other peripheral. With the release of Windows Vista, some manufacturers were late in developing device drivers for the new 64-bit compliant Windows. Visit the manufacturer’s website for official driver updates to improve compatibility with Windows Vista.

Another possible contribution to the long connect time are known issues with Windows Vista and Internet Protocol version 6.0(IPv6) and networks that run Internet Protocol version 4.0(IPv4). Some network administrators have experienced better connectivity results when IPv6 was removed from computer systems running Windows Vista.

There are a number of other possible issues with software compatibility, device drivers, and printer spoolers as well. For some solutions, the issues are resolved by modifying a specific file in the Windows Registry or device driver.  This type of a problem is more likely due to individual manufacturer nuances working with Windows Vista or Windows Server.

If after attempting the normal methods of printer and network troubleshooting, a call to Microsoft Support may work as a last resort. For known issues, users can download what is called a Hot Fix, and be walked through the tougher and more specific solutions. However, there may be charges associated with the call.

If you’ve recently set up a home network, don’t be surprised if your printer doesn’t show up just yet. But don’t worry; it’s fairly easy to share your printer once you have your home network up and running.

First, is your printer wired or is it wireless? Does it have an Ethernet port? These questions will determine what your next step is. Let’s start with a wired printer. You will need to connect it to a computer on the network such as your main desktop PC. In most cases, you probably already have it connected to a PC, so this is the most common. Go into the Control Panel and select Printers. Find your printer in the list, double-click it, and select the Sharing tab. Click on Share this Printer. Assign a name in the box called “share” name. This name should have less than 8 characters, no spaces, and no characters.

Once you’ve shared the printer, you may want to make additional drivers available if the other computers on your network run different operating systems. This allows the other computers to download the proper drivers for the printer with little intervention on your part.

You may need to configure your third party firewall to allow the other computers to access your printer. This usually involves entering the IP address into a “trusted” zone or area.

Once you have your PC set up with the sharing settings, you will need to tell the other computers on the network about the shared printer. In essences, you will need to “add a printer.” This step is similar to adding a local printer, only you will select “A network printer or a printer is attached to another computer” in the Add Printer Wizard. You will then browse the network for the shared printer and follow the prompts.

Ethernet and wireless printers don’t connect into a computer at all. Instead, they either connect to a print server or directly into your router depending on the type of equipment you have.  

For example, many routers support printing making it a snap to share printers across the network. Start one computer at a time and see if your computer discovers the printer automatically. Most likely, you will need to go into the Control Panel> Printers section and Add a Printer. However, the computer should be able to see the new device on the network. Your printer may also have come with an installation disc. Check the instructions and try installing the software on the main computer if your computers do not automatically detect the printer on their own. You may also need to “trust” the printer in the router or firewall software.

When working with wireless printers, make sure that the wireless icon is lit up. Depending on your printer model, you may need to flip a switch to activate the wireless transmission.

No matter what type of printer you are installing, a printer driver is required. Your new printer will come with an installation disc that contains the required drivers. Plug and Play printers will automatically be detected by Windows which will then load the drivers automatically.

POST stands for Power On Self Test. This is a function of your computer’s BIOS. The BIOS is a crucial system component that helps all of your devices coexist and communicate with your operating system. BIOS has many functions such as checking for information about your computer, loading device drivers, determining bootable drives, activating other BIOS chips (such as any on-board BIOS chips found on other devices), managing input and output of devices, and much more. The Power On Self Test is one of BIOS’s many duties.

You can see BIOS in action when you start your computer. The first thing BIOS does is perform the POST tests. This diagnostic procedure happens fairly fast and when all goes well, BIOS moves on to its other duties and eventually loads the operating system. Because the operating system isn’t loaded until after BIOS completes the start up routine, POST and BIOS errors usually come in the form of audible beeps. These beeps are necessary because the video display drivers and the operating system haven’t yet been loaded.

You’ll know that you have a hardware error if your computer stops loading at startup and simply beeps at you. As if Windows obscure error messages weren’t confusing enough, now you have a blank screen and a series of beeps to interpret!

The beeps will come at you much like Morse code. For example, one beep may mean that the system can’t access the system memory while two beeps may mean that the parity circuitry has failed. It’s important to note that POST codes vary depending on the manufacturer of the BIOS. Before you begin troubleshooting those pesky beeps, you’ll need to find out what type of BIOS you have and head to the BIOS manufacturer’s website in search of POST codes.

When POST runs into an error, the boot process normally comes to a screeching, or should we say “beeping,” halt. These errors are generally hardware failure errors of some sort.

Many computer repair techs use a POST diagnostics tool to further evaluate the POST test results. In addition to the audible beeps, POST generates extended troubleshoot codes that these POST diagnostics tools can decipher. The tech inserts the card into an available ISA slot and receives the data. A series of LED lights light up in various sequences depending on the problem. The tech then compares these codes to a master list and pinpoints the exact failure.

Using a diagnostic tool such as this is far more efficient then haphazardly removing and replacing devices. For example, what if you suspect memory failure, run out and buy new memory, install it, only to find your computer stills beeps at you during the POST test? You’ve just wasted your money on memory that you don’t need - and you still have the original problem. 

Fortunately, most of the time, your computer will pass the POST test and everything will work as expected.

Scan your PC and update your audio device drivers automatically!

While deleting is great for removing unwanted programs and files, it really stinks when a device or hardware file is accidentally deleted. First thing to understand is there is a difference between removing something from the Desktop or Toolbar, and removing it from the computer entirely.

Let’s start by figuring out if you deleted the audio controller completely from the computer, or simply misplaced the shortcut or icon you are accustomed to using for access. If you simply deleted a shortcut off the Desktop, chances are it is still sitting in your Recycle Bin. Open your Recycle Bin and right click to “Restore” the program, file, or shortcut you didn’t want to accidentally delete.

If you actually succeeded in removing the controller from the task bar, we need to make sure it isn’t completely gone from the computer. Sign into Windows with an account that has full administration rights. If there is only one user account on your system, don’t worry about that step. Next, open Control Panel from the Start menu. I prefer the classic view because it shows more options.

Open Sounds and Audio Devices, and click on the Hardware tab at the top. Is your audio controller listed? In this case, you didn’t delete the audio controller, you simply disabled it somehow. Select the audio controller with the problem, and click Troubleshoot. At this point, a solution may be dependent upon your specific type of audio controller, and assistance is best found at the device manufacturer’s website or in any manuals you have for the device. Read the options in the Troubleshoot tab, and see if there are any common sense errors that stick out, such as a check mark next to ‘Disable this device.’

If the audio controller is not listed in the Hardware tab under Sounds and Audio Devices, return back to the main Control Panel screen. Our next step is to reinstall the hardware device driver. A driver is simply the file(s) that allow the operating system to talk to the physical device in your computer case. Windows’ hardware wizard is pretty adept at finding hardware and installing the proper device driver.

To access the wizard for reinstalling a device driver, select Add Hardware from the Control Panel. The system should automatically detect you have an audio controller device plugged into your CPU that lacks installation. If you have any recovery disk software from the company you purchased the computer from, you might need this software to reinstall the device driver.

If Windows recognizes the audio controller is there, but can’t install a driver and you don’t have a disk, the next place to look is the Internet. Use a major search engine to search for “(your device name) drivers for Windows XP (or the version you run).” Try to use the official manufacturer website for device drivers whenever possible, though older models may no longer be available and require you to use a third-party source. If you elect to use a device driver from a third-party, never allow the device driver to install itself without first a virus scan.

Once you have located the device driver for the audio controller, go back to the Control Panel and Add Hardware. Select the option allowing you to provide your own software, and follow the appropriate steps to reinstall the driver. In many cases, if you simply restart the computer, Windows will give a yellow bubble in the right corner of the screen alerting you it has detected hardware not installed. Simply click the bubble to allow Windows to automatically reinstall the device driver.

Scan your PC and get all the latest Sound card Drivers automatically!

If the sound on my computer suddenly disappears completely, I can go through several steps to try and narrow down the reason. First, I am going to check the obvious, even though I have my doubts that I will find the answer to my dilemma.

If I have never attempted to use the sound feature on the computer that I am using, I need to check to see if the sound is turned on, that the cables are fully engaged for any external sound speakers, and that a sound card has been installed on the computer. An external sound control might be located in a variety of locations depending on the specific manufacturer of the computer as well as the style of computer including desktop versus laptop. I might need to look for a control knob on the side of a laptop, on the front, back, or side of the monitor, or on the side or front of a desktop model.

Additionally, I should check the volume control to see if the sound has been muted or turned down on a low setting. Opening the volume control by double-clicking the icon for it, I can adjust the slider bar if necessary to adjust the volume. Once I have ensured that the sound feature is enabled, I need to check any external speakers.

If I am using external speakers, I am going to check that the cable is properly engaged. It is possible for the cable to become dislodged when I dust around the computer or if I have recently moved my set up from one location to another. I need to check that the cable is plugged into the correct jack on my computer as well. Plus, if I am using headphones, I need to follow the same strategy for them. Next, I need to check

whether the computer has a sound card.

Although some variation does exist, the manner in which I check for a sound card is similar for most computers and operating systems. On Windows based systems, I navigate from the start button to settings and then to the control panel or directly to the control panel from the start.

Next, I click on “system and maintenance,” “sounds and multimedia,” or something similar. If I click on “system and maintenance,” then I will click on “device manager next.” Now, I need to click on the category that is labeled for sound to check whether a sound card is listed.

If I don’t see a sound card listed, then I need to install one in order to obtain sound with my computer. If I think that a sound card does exist and it simply isn’t listed in the area that I am searching, I can also check in the list of other devices that is located on my computer.

If I do locate a listing for the sound card and it has a yellow question mark or some other notation in front of it, a problem might exist with my existing sound card. I need to investigate further by right clicking on the name of my sound card and selecting “properties.” From there, I can check out potential problems that might be creating difficulty with my sound.