StarTech.com PCI2S1P - Manual (Page 8)

Instruction Manual 5
Troubleshooting
Q: Do these cards work with point-of-sale (POS) systems, manufacturing equipment, software
unlock keys, and other specialized applications?
A: The answer depends on whether the devices you need to use are designed to work with
specific system resources. Because StarTech.com PCI parallel and serial cards are designed to
work with the Plug and Play standard, the computer allocates the resources needed to use the
card in cooperation with the operating system (OS). Some software applications and devices can
only access a port using older reserved, pre-defined resources (for example, LPT1 at memory
address 378 and an IRQ setting of 7). Consult your documentation to see if the software and/or
hardware you are using has this requirement. If so, you will not be able to use a PCI card. Instead,
you can use an ISA based card like StarTech.com’s ISA1P (parallel) or ISA1S550 (serial) that can
be hard configured to use a specific setting. Check the documentation for your computer or
motherboard to see if you have the necessary ISA slot(s) for this solution.
Q: I need to add several parallel ports to my computer, but I am having problems when I have
more than three parallel ports installed in my computer. Why?
A: While Windows will support more than three parallel ports (up to nine in total), LPT4 through
LPT9 must be configured by editing critical system files, a task that should beundertaken by
experienced users only. Microsoft offers support on how to make those modifications.
Q: I have installed the card, it is assigned a LPT port number and appears without any warnings
in Device Manager, but it does not appear as an option when I attempt to install or re-configure
a printer to the port. How can I correct this?
A: You can manually install the port(s) so they are available to printers, using the following
instructions:
1. On the opening screen of the Add Printer Wizard, click Next.
2. Choose Local Printer and uncheck Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer.
Click Next.
3. Choose Create a new port and select Local Port from the Type: drop-down list. Click Next.
4. A dialog box will appear that prompts you to enter a name for the new port. Type LPTx in
the box (where “x” is the number assigned in Device Manager to the port you are adding,
without a colon). Click OK.
5. Continue the rest of the printer installation process, following the on-screen prompts.
Q: I have installed the card, and a NetMos Parallel Port appears in Device Manager, but does not
have an LPT port number assigned. How can I correct this?
A: Right click the NetMos Parallel Port entry in Device Manager and choose Uninstall from the
menu. Power off the computer and re-install the card in a different PCI slot according to the
instructions in the manual.