Wanted: Old, old laptop

[Bibs]

The TLF membership card printer is back up and running-ish, it's just the drivers haven't been updated since '05 and don't work on W7 64 bit would you believe!

I need an old laptop, XP/Vista vintage just to run this on, anyone care to donate one to TLF?

[rogerch]

Be cooool my bruda.

Sorry don't have a spare, I've just been switching my old netbook to Win 7 as I though it might be more salable on Ebay, tell me about win 7 drivers I've been stuffing with it for days (on and off) trying to get the correct and updated drivers working in 7, still no WiFi, or webcam, yet I can put a Ubuntu pen drive in it and do a full install in under 20 minutes, and it works.

Go on try Linux, you know you want to, and it much less resource hungry.

[Bibs]

It's to run a single printer Roger, I only anticipate turning it on once a month.

There's a years' free FFM on offer if anyone can help

[oneshot]

Does it have to be a laptop? Might be able to rustle up an old desktop.

[SteveSmith]

How about running a virtual XP machine on your Win 7 laptop using Virtual PC 2007 ?? Only needs to be a basic install with minimal resources... Would save on having to have extra hardware lying around.

[Bibs]

If it works, it'd be great. I was told by the printer vendors today that the software uses a kernel to run, something W7 doesn't use. Does that?

[SteveSmith]

Sounds odd. Be interested to know what kernel... If it can run off XP with drivers then the virtual machine option would be fine. Failing that, I can lay my hands on a number of redundant 5 - 8 year old laptops.

Happy to help out with either option

[Bibs]

Thanks Steve. I'll give it a go in the morning

[Bibs]

Downloaded the lastest version from the MS website with an XP mode set up, how cool is that!

Just installing the printer now and it's looking good, thanks Steve

[Bibs]

Printer installed, everything looks rosy then it just generates an error when I try to print. Meh.

[Iconic Ride]

I'm sure you've already verified it, Bibs, but is the correct "default" printer selected with the checkmark symbol in the Printers Folder?

[rogerch]

I solved my issue, when I upgraded XP to 7 it was just that an upgrade, I'm lead to believe that this is a no, no, because 7 thinks the XP drivers are OK and leaves them, when thy're not OK.

I re-formatted the drive, reloaded, still had the get the correct 7 drivers, but it's working fine, it'll be on Ebay tomorrow.

[SteveSmith]

What error are you getting when you try to print ?? There's no reason why the virtual XP machine would behave any differently to a physical one as long as its seeing the USB connected printer OK.

[Bibs]

It comes up with a dialogue box in the system tray say it couldn't print, click it to run through the troubleshooter.

I'm attaching the printer via USB to the virtual machine just fine.

[SteveSmith]

Can you see the printer's properties in Printers & Faxes ?? If so, is there a test print facility ?? That should identify why it isn't working.

[Bibs]

Just to reliven this, anyone got an old XP laptop they don't want and would like to donate to TLF please? Happy to pay a nominal sum and shipping etc?

 

Either that or a copy of XP I can use on CD?

 

Ta