Printer problems,,could use some advice?

We are running Windows XP corp edition, and have two printers hooked up. One printer is an Hp 940c printer which we are using via a usb connection. The other printer is an Epson 5000 (tractor feed) which we using in doing billing for our rural water district. The Epson is on Lpt1. Today, after doing bookwork, my wife tried to print out some billing statements on the Epson, but it would not work. Nothing happens when she tries to print, I had her reboot the computer and try again, but still would not print. I tried the Epson "self test" for printing, and it would not even print. Computer must not be communicating through Lpt1 with the computer. Can anybody tell me how to check all of this?
thanks,
coadman

Here is the Epson printer we are using....Epson Action Printer 5000

 

What do u mean by this? Did u try a "self test" from the printer itself, its own buttons, or to "print a test page" from windows?

 

I went through windows, control panel, printers and faxes. Both my printers were displayed, clicked on my epson, went to properties, there I could select a "test Print" option,,tried that, and nothing happened.
coadman

 

ok
A "self-test" is run from the printer itself.
To do it on urs (according to ur printer manual):
- turn printer off
- while holding down the LF/FF button, power on again. When printing starts, release buttons.
- let the printer print a few lines if it works, then press the pause button to stop the test and hold down the LF/FF button to release the paper.

if the printer doesn't work, then no need to look through windows. The printer itself is faulty.
If the printer works, instead of losing time checking every windows settings, have u just tried to reinstal the printer driver? Checking for the latest XP drivers from the epson website wud be a good idea as well.

 

Try this?

I hope this dosen' sound stupid but here goes!! I have Xp home edition with 2 printers both are connected by usb one front and one back. The samsung is the default and the lexmark is the back up. every so often The samsung just sits there ane acts exactly as you decribe in your post. I finally in desperation turned the off/on switch off and waited a couple of mins. then turned it on . It worked? I was told that doing that resets the printer logic also by unplugging the AC to the printer resets it even deeper? It is worth a try and it works for me. Lenny

 

Ok, Printer works doing the test on the printer.....Do I uninstall the present printer driver, and if so, how and where do I do this?
thanks,
coadman

I checked epson's site, and they dont have any drivers more currant than mine,,so now what?

 

follow up...

This printer has been working until just today. I ran a self print test, using the controls on the printer, and it is ok,,but something must have happened to my lpt1 port, because when I go to device manager and click on "ports(COM & LPT) "..there is no LPT port listed,any ideas???
thanks,
coadman

 

Problem solved! I went in to BIOS and found out the parralell port was "disabled "! I dont know how it got to be that way, but I changed it, rebooted computer, and all is well now.
coadman