I have an older HP Laserjet 4L printer that I am trying to move over to the server computer here, that's running Windows Server 2003 SP2, and I have not been able to find a driver that works. I'm using a bridge cable (Parallel-to-USB) to connect the printer to this computer, and it can't detect what type of device it is (Unknown USB device), and nor does any driver I've downloaded work. I've tried looking on HP's website, but they don't have specific drivers for Windows 2003, and the XP/Vista/2000 ones don't work. The printer works fine on any of the XP machines here. Is this printer compatible with Server 2003?

I think you have a USB to parallel adapter. Some of them work on some printers with certain drivers. Did you try it on another computer with the HP4L? The printer should work with a PCL3 driver.

"I'm using a bridge cable (Parallel-to-USB) to connect the printer to this computer, and it can't detect what type of device it is (Unknown USB device), " USB devices may not work correcly when they're connected to certain USB ports e.g. ports in a hub or on the front of a desktop case. If you have a desktop computer, you may have an IRQ sharing problem you need to fix. See response 3 in this: http://www.computing.net/answers/wi... Also - if you are using a USB extension cable, some of them have inadequate wiring and will not work properly with some USB devices. USB to Centronics I assume. (Some of the old HP printers and scanners have a SCSI interface - some used a 25 pin D-sub port that looks identical to a parallel port.) The USB to parallel printer adapters (they have conversion circuitry as well as the wiring) don't work with all printers, and they often don't work for anything but printers. Your operating system must detect the adapter. You may need to install drivers for it BEFORE you first plug it in. If it doesn't come with server 2003 drivers and if 2000/XP drivers won't work (Vista drivers wouldn't work in Server 2003 in any case) you're probably SOL. If you have a spare PCI slot, a PCI enhanced parallel port card will work fine with the printer (it requires the parallel port supports EPP or ECP mode - enhanced parallel port cards - which may be all that's available new these days - are capable of that. ) Note that the LAVA enhanced parallel port cards disable some soundblaster/creative cards / chipsets from producing sound.

All that touble might have to put a jetdirect card or external in and run it network. Playing to the angels Les Paul (1915-2009)