[Spridgets] Computer printer question - NO LBC

[David Lieb]

> I want to buy a new computer printer and while the old printer had a 
> parallel
> port connection all the new stuff is USB and I'm not sure this PC
> (home-built) has USB ports that work.
>
> I'm running w98 and the mainboard does have USB ports but I don't want to 
> to
> buy a USB connecting printer only to find I can't get this PCs USB ports 
> to
> work?
>
> Any way to test a USB port?

Daniel,
Windows 98 Second Edition supported USB fairly well. The biggest problem
you should have is that it might be difficult to find a printer with Win98 
drivers
anymore. Very little chance that the port is bad from a hardware 
perspective.
Check Device Manager to be sure the USB ports have been installed (right-
click "My Computer", select Properties. Verify the version of Windows 98
and then look at Device Manager. Borrow a "USB flash drive" from a friend
and plug it in; PC should see that something is there; hit escape and remove
the drive; port is good.

Do NOT connect the printer until AFTER you install the software!!! The
software might ask you to connect the printer during installation; if so, do 
it.
You just do not want Windows to try installing software for the device it 
just
detected until the software is there. It can be very amusing in a macabre 
way
to recover from this...
David Lieb