GQMgr: error: edgeII requires ECP parallel port...?

[Tony Teveris]

Ok, I think I figured it out (woke up in the middle of the night with this one). You originally had Omega 2.0 and a Edge I. The Edge I does NOT require an ECP port and did not require the WarpNine driver so I think this is why your earlier setup worked. When we started to support Windows NT we needed to use the WarpNine driver which requires an ECP port for the data rates we need for the Edge II. We decided then that from that point on we would always use the WarpNine and an ECP port. As ECP ports and parallel ports became less and less we then (and now) offer the USB to parallel option.

I think this is the entire story, at least from what I can 'recall".

 

[Fred Weiss]

Ok, I think I figured it out (woke up in the middle of the night with this one). You originally had Omega 2.0 and a Edge I. The Edge I does NOT require an ECP port and did not require the WarpNine driver so I think this is why your earlier setup worked. When we started to support Windows NT we needed to use the WarpNine driver which requires an ECP port for the data rates we need for the Edge II. We decided then that from that point on we would always use the WarpNine and an ECP port. As ECP ports and parallel ports became less and less we then (and now) offer the USB to parallel option.

I think this is the entire story, at least from what I can 'recall".

No Tony, it's the reverse of that. He originally had an Edge 2 and acquired an Edge which he attempted to test by unplugging the Edge 2 and plugging in the Edge. That gave him errors and when he went back to the Edge 2 it now doesn't work either.

 

[DeVries Signs]

That's all correct, Fred.

Brian- I'm running XP. I'll check device manager now...

 

[DeVries Signs]

Ok, looks like I do NOT have an "ECP" type port.

So why then did the Edge II work on this port previously??

And why won't the Edge I work on this port, if it does not require an ECP type port?


----

Second pic shows the port with the cable removed (the pinkish one).

 

[signage]

Did you go into your Bios and see if it could be changed? Some XP machines do have ECP available through the bios setting! From what I remember most are not shipped with ECP turned on! May be was changed and some how got set to something different!

 

[DeVries Signs]

Thanks Fred.
Not seeing any port settings under "advanced BIOS settings"...hmmm...

Yeah, i did look a couple days ago. Guess I will do some research and try and find out how/where to find this setting in BIOS, because i have no clue...

 

[Tony Teveris]

Then I'm at a lost. I have no idea whats up.

 

[DeVries Signs]

I'm in BIOS now. Can't seem to find ANY settings for the LPT1 port.

Attached are 3 pics (in order) of the closest I can find as far as ports go. And nothing about "ECP".

 

[DeVries Signs]

HMMM...

"Parallel port mode" is set on "SPP".

Should I change it to "EPP"??

 

[GVP]

It's the Parallel Port Mode you need to change - it's currently showing SPP. On most BIOS you just move the highlighted selector to the SPP setting and, I think, hit return. You should be shown the options to change it to ECP.

 

[DeVries Signs]

You should be shown the options to change it to ECP.

Thanks-

No "ECP" option though, just "EPP".

?

 

[DeVries Signs]

Oh, well...didn't work.

Changed the parallel port to "EPP" in BIOS, then rebooted.

Checking Device manager, I don't see "EPP" now though.

Also:

Port Settings in Device Manager have "Never use an interupt" checked, as well as "Enable Legacy plug and play" checked for LPT1.

Is that correct?

 

[signage]

Gerber says that it has to be ECP, so I can not tell you what or how your distributor had it working before with out ECP mode. Sorry, you may want to talk to them or the person that installed it and had it working.

 

[cptcorn]

I had a similar problem to this... two identical computers... identical motherboards... One could detect the parallel port as ECP, and the other it wouldnt. Same motherboard, same revisions, same bios, same everything. Both computers were purchased/built at the same time. I never found a solution.

 

[Tony Teveris]

The key to the "same every thing" is the actual chip on the mother board. When we started running into these problems we found the same thing, same everything until we looked at the actual chips.

But I still do not understand D's problem of how it worked and now it does not.

 

[joeshaul]

Another suggestion, try deleting the Parallel port in Windows, then readding it. In theory nothing driverwise should've changed, but who knows, we're clutching at straws here

 

[signage]

If you computer accepts PCI card then this may be a cheap answer

 

[DeVries Signs]

...and we're BACK!

Welp, decided to spend a couple hours at the shop on my holiday weekend to try and figure out my problem here again...

So before i go and buy and install a new parallel port, please tell me if THIS makes any sense:
THIS is my computer (it's not that old!) If you hit ctrl + F and type in "ECP", you'll see that the parallel port supposedly HAS that mode option. So why isn't "ECP" showing up in BIOS?? Attached is a pic showing that there is only SPP and EPP settings available, NO ECP.

So before I proceed to take afew Xanax and a couple shots of Jack and attept to call Gateway support, I figured I'd ask you guys.

I really have no problem installing a 2nd parellel port, especially since they are fairly cheap.

One was shown at newegg for only $5 plus shipping...not a bad deal! BUT: is there any particular brands/cheapo ones to AVOID?? I only wanna have to do this once...

This one's a little more, but it does go for $40 on SIIG's website:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SIIG-PC-paralle...ryZ96880QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks again everyone!!

 

[DeVries Signs]

Ok, just happened to be browsing gspinc.com and came acros this:

Important note for EDGE 2 owners purchasing new PCs
If you have a GERBER EDGE 2 and choose to upgrade your PC, you will need an ECP parallel port on the mother board to drive the EDGE 2. If this ECP parallel port is not available, the addition of an aftermarket ECP card will NOT work with the EDGE 2. Customers can purchase the USB-to-Parallel cable option if an ECP port is not available on their PC. (See the following bulletin)

So I'm glad i didn't buy the aftermarket card after all! Looks like I'll order the parallel to USB cable. Hopefully that will solve my problems here...