Originally Posted by
ChrisVJ
It's a while ago now, but you may have a point!
I think they have stopped all support for these old plotters though. I can't even remember when I bought it, two houses ago or three!
We have been doing the family bit over Easter, five of six kids here all with family, first time for about five or six years so have been a bit preoccupied. Will get back on my problem in the next few days.
Large format plotters are usually high cost, low print volume, long life items, used by industry professionals, and because there are so few of them, they tend to be supported for far longer than consumer items that have a design life span of only months. Don't abandon it yet! Where do you buy your pens? They may have somebody old and wise on these old plotters on staff that will be able to click their fingers and possibly solve your issues instantly. In my case, having used HP large format printers many years ago, I have used various solutions to keep these bulletproof machines going for ever. A methodical approach, observing before changing is usually the most successful approach.
I've got a feeling that Windoze Plug-n-Pray has been allocating ever increasing port numbers to your USB adaptor each time you plug it into a different socket, hence my question to
look for hidden devices in the control panel.
Look first and see what is there
before attempting some of these workarounds suggested as some may be hard to reverse once you have done them. After watching Bill Gates personally demonstrate plug-n-play with an Epson printer many years ago during a Windows 95 launch, and promptly seeing it crash with a blue screen of death (much to his embarrassment - he shrugged and rebooted), I can vouch when it works it works well, but when it doesn't, alchemy and witchcraft is often needed.
I'm also guessing that as Windoze updates and new versions were released, the Visual CADD developers also modified their software to work with adaptors such as yours. Have you considered a software update of your Visual CADD may be a quick solution? Is it worth approaching Visual CADD support to confirm this?
Does the laptop have any other printers connected? Were the same printers and plotters connected and working on your old machine? Advise which brand and model if so.
Does your plotter have an optional Ethernet port fitted?
Please keep us posted on developments. Don't abandon this thread and leave it hanging. Your solution may just benefit somebody else having the same issues.
Family first - life has priority. We will still be here when you go back and answer all the questions in our path of discovery.