Invasive XP?

[T3chGuy]

Hey guys,

Ok here's the deal. I boot up and I enter BIOS and but the parallel port to be enabled as LPT1 and then I save and exit. I then boot to DOS with a CD and run the programs I need to run with the Parallel port. Works well. I then restart the PC and let it boot to XP. Later I put in the boot disk and try to use my programmer again and the parallel port isn't working. I go back into BIOS and now it is disabled! I enable it and boot to DOS with my CD and everything is fine. Long story short after trying a few start ups I discovered that only when I let Windows XP Pro load does my Parallel port get disabled in the BIOS. If I just boot to DOS then no problems the BIOS keeps the settings for the parallel port. XP is now reconfiguring my BIOS? What the heck, a little too invasive for mu liking. Is there anyway to keep XP from altering my parallel port settings in the BIOS?

 

[Enric]

Maybe you can try do disable the parallel port in windows xp if you don't need it like this maybe it will not reconfigure

Probably it’ll want work but trying doesn’t hurt

 

[T3chGuy]

I tried diabling it. I tried removing it and still XP decides that it should change the BIOS setting. At this point I am almost ready to re-install 2000 as it is much nicer to work with than XP. I figured it was probably just a learning curve but the more I use it the more I hate it. Anyhow if anyone knows what is going on and how I can stop XP from altering my BIOS settings please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[linney]

I doubt this applies but just in case I thought I should post it.


254664 - HOW TO: Enable Plug and Play Detection for Parallel Port Devices in Windows 2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;254664&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Have you tried your luck with either Microsoft or the support for the software you want to run, or even your Bios manufacturer?

 

[SYAR2003]

After you set LPT enebled in bios -
Goto the PnP section and enable ESCD update.

Then boot to xp , check the properties in dev-mangr
for the port that its okay .
Reboot , and check once more .
Then i think it should stay.

 

[bcastner]

You can use the parallel port under DOS within XP. This saves all the booting.

I honestly do not think XP is changing your BIOS settings; SYAR2003's suggestion sounds more likely: the BIOS setting is not being saved for some reason.

To use parallel ports under DOS within XP:

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/printfromdos.htm

 

[Ed2020]

Possibly a problem with your CMOS battery.......?

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[T3chGuy]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the suggestions. After banging my head against the wall a few times I ran through the control panel and decided to check out the TOSHIBA HW SETUP menu. It has all the BIOS settings available through the operating system with a GUI interface and everything. After looking through it I found a option where either you can have the device setup be done by the OS or by BIOS. After I selected the BIOS then there was no further problems. I tried using the XP DOS window and for whatever reason the XP version of DOS is scaled back and no longer has the some of the files that my programming software uses. I just boot with DOS 6.22 and all is well. Thanks againg for you help and suggestions.