OT--printer driver question

A friend of mine recently got a computer with XP HOME.

He also attached an old Panasonic dot matrix printer (KXp-1123).

Anyway, it works well but not perfectly. For example, if he uses WORD or
WORKS and sets the page at 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 it still thinks it is 8 1/2 by 11.

I suspect he does not have the right driver.

I did a google search and it sounds like that driver should come with XP. So
I then searched my own C drive and found pakx1123.qpd located in
C:\i386\DRIVER.cab

That's on MY computer and I assume it is the correct driver. I will also
assume I can find that file on his computer.

My question: How can I tell if that driver is already installed and if it
is not installed how do I install it??

Mel

MZB wrote:
> A friend of mine recently got a computer with XP HOME.
>
> He also attached an old Panasonic dot matrix printer (KXp-1123).
>
> Anyway, it works well but not perfectly. For example, if he uses WORD or
> WORKS and sets the page at 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 it still thinks it is 8 1/2 by 11.
>
> I suspect he does not have the right driver.
>
> I did a google search and it sounds like that driver should come with XP. So
> I then searched my own C drive and found pakx1123.qpd located in
> C:\i386\DRIVER.cab
>
> That's on MY computer and I assume it is the correct driver. I will also
> assume I can find that file on his computer.
>
> My question: How can I tell if that driver is already installed and if it
> is not installed how do I install it??
>
> Mel
>
>
Go into the printers page and right click an installed printer. As long
as it's using an LPT port the printer properties pages should allow you
to deal with the driver.

I believe he is using the USB port.

(But I'm not sure -- wouldn't the USB port immediately recognize the printer
and install the driver?)
Mel
"Pen" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:L9udnQh9L9PNES7bnZ2dnUVZ_tOtnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> MZB wrote:
>> A friend of mine recently got a computer with XP HOME.
>>
>> He also attached an old Panasonic dot matrix printer (KXp-1123).
>>
>> Anyway, it works well but not perfectly. For example, if he uses WORD or
>> WORKS and sets the page at 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 it still thinks it is 8 1/2 by
>> 11.
>>
>> I suspect he does not have the right driver.
>>
>> I did a google search and it sounds like that driver should come with XP.
>> So I then searched my own C drive and found pakx1123.qpd located in
>> C:\i386\DRIVER.cab
>>
>> That's on MY computer and I assume it is the correct driver. I will also
>> assume I can find that file on his computer.
>>
>> My question: How can I tell if that driver is already installed and if
>> it is not installed how do I install it??
>>
>> Mel
> Go into the printers page and right click an installed printer. As long as
> it's using an LPT port the printer properties pages should allow you to
> deal with the driver.

MZB wrote:
> I believe he is using the USB port.
>
> (But I'm not sure -- wouldn't the USB port immediately recognize the printer
> and install the driver?)
> Mel
Yes the plug and play will find it and reinstalling it may allow you to
see what driver is used,
but there is no help elsewhere. Your original question was about the
driver and that is the problem. That printer is a old style centronics
interface isn't it? That adds the usb to LPT converter into the act.

the panasonic kxp-1123 printer driver is included with windows xp.
the printer itself has only a parallel port. it would be simplest if it
were connected to the parallel port on the pc (ltp1 but it is possible
that there is a usb to parallel adapter cable in use. either way, i would
simply suggest that you select
start-controlpanel-printersandotherhardware-addaprinter to start the 'add
printer wizard.' select next, select 'local printer attached to this
computer', uncheck 'automatically detect my plug and play printer'
(particularly if it is connected via a usb cable since the printer is not a
usb device it will not be detected properly), click next. select 'use the
following port' and select lpt1: even it if is connected via a usb port (if
it is connected to the lpt1: port then you don't have to think twice about
this, if it is connected via the usb port with a usb to parallel adapter
cable then you can change the port later), click next. select panasonic
found in the manufacturers list, then select kxp-1123 in the printer lst and
click next. click next again. if the printer is connected to the lpt1 port
then click leave 'do you want to print a test page' on yes, otherwise select
no, and then click next, then finish. if you need to select a virtual lpt1
port that is actually on the usb then right click on the new printer icon,
select properties, select the port tab, and select the alternate port,
select apply, and print a test page. good luck.

"MZB" <moo@noway.prudigy.net> wrote in message
news:kkMsi.26$f_1.15@newsfe02.lga...
>I believe he is using the USB port.
>
> (But I'm not sure -- wouldn't the USB port immediately recognize the
> printer and install the driver?)
> Mel
> "Pen" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:L9udnQh9L9PNES7bnZ2dnUVZ_tOtnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> MZB wrote:
>>> A friend of mine recently got a computer with XP HOME.
>>>
>>> He also attached an old Panasonic dot matrix printer (KXp-1123).
>>>
>>> Anyway, it works well but not perfectly. For example, if he uses WORD or
>>> WORKS and sets the page at 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 it still thinks it is 8 1/2 by
>>> 11.
>>>
>>> I suspect he does not have the right driver.
>>>
>>> I did a google search and it sounds like that driver should come with
>>> XP. So I then searched my own C drive and found pakx1123.qpd located in
>>> C:\i386\DRIVER.cab
>>>
>>> That's on MY computer and I assume it is the correct driver. I will also
>>> assume I can find that file on his computer.
>>>
>>> My question: How can I tell if that driver is already installed and if
>>> it is not installed how do I install it??
>>>
>>> Mel
>> Go into the printers page and right click an installed printer. As long
>> as it's using an LPT port the printer properties pages should allow you
>> to deal with the driver.
>
>

the panasonic kxp-1123 printer driver is included with windows xp.
the printer itself has only a parallel port. it would be simplest if it
were connected to the parallel port on the pc (ltp1 but it is possible
that there is a usb to parallel adapter cable in use. either way, i would
simply suggest that you select
start-controlpanel-printersandotherhardware-addaprinter to start the 'add
printer wizard.' select next, select 'local printer attached to this
computer', uncheck 'automatically detect my plug and play printer'
(particularly if it is connected via a usb cable since the printer is not a
usb device it will not be detected properly), click next. select 'use the
following port' and select lpt1: even it if is connected via a usb port (if
it is connected to the lpt1: port then you don't have to think twice about
this, if it is connected via the usb port with a usb to parallel adapter
cable then you can change the port later), click next. select panasonic
found in the manufacturers list, then select kxp-1123 in the printer lst and
click next. click next again. if the printer is connected to the lpt1 port
then click leave 'do you want to print a test page' on yes, otherwise select
no, and then click next, then finish. if you need to select a virtual lpt1
port that is actually on the usb then right click on the new printer icon,
select properties, select the port tab, and select the alternate port,
select apply, and print a test page. good luck.

"MZB" <moo@noway.prudigy.net> wrote in message
news:kkMsi.26$f_1.15@newsfe02.lga...
>I believe he is using the USB port.
>
> (But I'm not sure -- wouldn't the USB port immediately recognize the
> printer and install the driver?)
> Mel
> "Pen" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:L9udnQh9L9PNES7bnZ2dnUVZ_tOtnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> MZB wrote:
>>> A friend of mine recently got a computer with XP HOME.
>>>
>>> He also attached an old Panasonic dot matrix printer (KXp-1123).
>>>
>>> Anyway, it works well but not perfectly. For example, if he uses WORD or
>>> WORKS and sets the page at 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 it still thinks it is 8 1/2 by
>>> 11.
>>>
>>> I suspect he does not have the right driver.
>>>
>>> I did a google search and it sounds like that driver should come with
>>> XP. So I then searched my own C drive and found pakx1123.qpd located in
>>> C:\i386\DRIVER.cab
>>>
>>> That's on MY computer and I assume it is the correct driver. I will also
>>> assume I can find that file on his computer.
>>>
>>> My question: How can I tell if that driver is already installed and if
>>> it is not installed how do I install it??
>>>
>>> Mel
>> Go into the printers page and right click an installed printer. As long
>> as it's using an LPT port the printer properties pages should allow you
>> to deal with the driver.
>
>

The KXP-1123 is a parallel port printer. If it is connected to a USB port,
then the cable must be one of those handy hybrids with a USB plug on one end and
a Centronics D-shell parallel connector on the other... Ben Myers

On Fri, 3 Aug 2007 16:35:29 -0400, "MZB" <moo@noway.prudigy.net> wrote:

>I believe he is using the USB port.
>
>(But I'm not sure -- wouldn't the USB port immediately recognize the printer
>and install the driver?)
>Mel
>"Pen" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
>news:L9udnQh9L9PNES7bnZ2dnUVZ_tOtnZ2d@comcast.com ...
>> MZB wrote:
>>> A friend of mine recently got a computer with XP HOME.
>>>
>>> He also attached an old Panasonic dot matrix printer (KXp-1123).
>>>
>>> Anyway, it works well but not perfectly. For example, if he uses WORD or
>>> WORKS and sets the page at 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 it still thinks it is 8 1/2 by
>>> 11.
>>>
>>> I suspect he does not have the right driver.
>>>
>>> I did a google search and it sounds like that driver should come with XP.
>>> So I then searched my own C drive and found pakx1123.qpd located in
>>> C:\i386\DRIVER.cab
>>>
>>> That's on MY computer and I assume it is the correct driver. I will also
>>> assume I can find that file on his computer.
>>>
>>> My question: How can I tell if that driver is already installed and if
>>> it is not installed how do I install it??
>>>
>>> Mel
>> Go into the printers page and right click an installed printer. As long as
>> it's using an LPT port the printer properties pages should allow you to
>> deal with the driver.
>