Windows 10 Update stopped IEEE-1284 (Parallel)-USB Adapter Cable Working

Windows 10 update stopped my Parallel (IEEE-1284)-USB adapter cable from working. I assume it’s the 1 st September update as I got everything working again after the massive (and annoying) 1607 update.

After much searching I found that older IEEE-1284 cables often do not work with Win10 so I purchased a new one with Win10 drivers. Unfortunately, whenever I try to load the new cable/drivers, the old IEEE-1284 drivers automatically install as soon as I plug the cable in, regardless of the other driver installation.

I checked the box that says do not automatically download updates for drivers, but the ‘IEEE-1284 Controller (Unknown category)’ is already on my system and will not leave! Uninstalling or ‘Removing’ it just means it re-installs itself whenever I plug the cable in.

I do not want to roll back to pre-update Win10 as this will cause subsequent update problems – and it’s a rubbish, very temporary fix at best. The is no ‘update driver’ option available and ‘properties’ in ‘Devices and Printers’ only has two tabs, ‘General’ (with no options to do anything) and ‘Hardware’ (which only relates to the Brother printer driver and the MS ‘USB Printing Support’ driver (10.0.14393.0) – ‘usbprint.sys’ in ‘System32’ folder.)

Please help me remove this IEEE-1284 driver, or at least stop it from loading every time.

Replies (2) 

Here’s what I can suggest for you to have the IEEE-1284 uninstalled. Kindly follow the instructions below:

1. Right click on Start Menu.
2. Click Device Manager.
3. Find and select the IEEE-1284 (Parallel)-USB Adapter.
4. Right click the native driver adapter and select Uninstall.
5. Check the box that says «Delete the driver software for this device«.

This should help in removing the said driver.

Let us know how it goes.

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Thanks for the reply Andree. I wish MS would not issue updates that break stuff which worked perfectly well before! (Not your fault, I know, but I just needed a rant.)

Previously, in Device Manager, the IEEE driver appeared as a COM (LPT1). When I checked following your advice, it has changed to an Unknown Device: ‘Brother HL-1230’: this is actually the printer, which is also duplicated (correctly) under Printer Queues. I Uninstalled it, removed it, updated it and rebooted but it never worked; and as soon as I pluged/unpluged the cable, it reverted back to Unknown Device.

It is the 17th September today and the update which ruined the driver was downloaded on the 1st: 16 days of hassel, on and off! (Again, just a rant — apologies. )

I bought a new Ugreen IEEEE-1284 — USB cable from Amazon, with a new chipset & Prolific drivers, but, after the same initial problem, I got (two versions of) the driver loaded (one at a time) only to get a ‘code 10’ error both times. (Prolific help files say I’ve probably got a ‘counterfeit’ item. ) Anyway, it doesn’t work so I’m sending it back.

I’ve spent so many hours trying to sort this it has become a huge obsticle to just living life — unbelievable, but true — and not the first time. I’m very grateful for your help Andree — thank you. I am also so very angry with Microsoft for breaking a feature that’s been working in Windows 10 for over a year and then, apparently, refusing to mend it. (Not blaming you Andree — just ranting again. And, after 16 days of research, I know I am not the only one with this precise IEEE-1284 problem.)

Anyway, since they have come down in price greatly over the last few years, I going to purchase a new USB printer: this is disgusting on so many levels, but we urgently need a printer.

Thanks anyway Andree — you’re been a real gent.

Windows 10 & LPT Parallel Printer Port.

My computer uses a Gigabyte GA-EP43T-UD3L Rev 1.00 motherboard with F8 BIOS, fitted with an Intel 3.15 gigahertz Core2 Duo processor and 4 GB of memory. Windows 7 Ultimate and my peripherals have worked perfectly since 2010. I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro on 13 th November and have managed to get my peripherals working with the exception of my ancient HP DeskJet 610C printer on the LPT1 parallel port. After numerous uninstalls and re-installs I found that the problem was connected with the integral LPT port. When I click on print in Word I first received the error: ‘Error Printing on the HP DeskJet 610C’. If I attempt to print a second time I receive the error: ‘Printer in an error state’. If I now open ‘Device Manager’, ‘Ports’, ‘Printer Port (LPT1)’ and change practically any of the settings then close Device Manager the printer works normally and continues to do so until I shut down and re-start my computer.

I have tried uninstalling the LPT driver and re-starting with still the same results.

I have also tried uninstalling the LPT driver, changing the settings from SPP in the BIOS and re-starting with exactly the same result each time.

Any help would be most welcome.

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I too have fixed the problem by using a USB converter cable. Specifically, I have a Sabrent USB 2.0 TO PRINTER CONVERTER CABLE (6 FT) purchased from newegg.com for US$10, which is a small price to pay for all the aggravation this broken printer has caused me. In installing the cable, I read somewhere that it is important to connect it to the computer first and let Windows’ plug-n-play discover it as a USB printer. Then you can connect it to the printer, turn the printer on, and install printer drivers; also disable the LPT port in the BIOS if you can and uninstall it in Device Manager. Unlike the fixes to the LPT port in Windows, the conversion cable fix will survive rebooting.

I spent countless hours solving this mystery. Several Microsoft support engineers responded to my pleas for help in this forum, and I had two hour-long interactive sessions with Microsoft engineers where they took control of my computer. But they all just repeated the standard advice to reinstall printer drivers, check the print spooler, etc.; not one of them considered the LPT port as a possible problem. I see no evidence that Microsoft intends to fix the LPT problem. I had a similar situation when I tried to install my first Windows 10 Insider Preview in May 2015. Apparently Windows 10 had discontinued support for my two SCSI hard drives without announcing it. I had to buy two new SATA hard drives, and then everything was fine. So I am not hopeful that Microsoft will admit to or fix the LPT problem.

So I believe it is wisest to assume that LPT support in Windows is dead, just as SCSI support seems to be, and move on. This is why I think the USB converter cable solution is the best alternative we have.

ASIX USB-to-Parallel Port Driver 1.18.10.0 for Windows 10 64-bit

Description

Free Download

The package provides the installation files for ASIX USB-to-Parallel Port Driver version 1.18.10.0

If the driver is already installed on your system, updating (overwrite-installing) may fix various issues, add new functions, or just upgrade to the available version. Take into consideration that is not recommended to install the driver on Operating Systems other than stated ones.

In order to manually update your driver, follow the steps below (the next steps):

1. Extract the .cab file to a folder of your choice
2. Go to Device Manager (right click on My Computer, choose Manage and then find Device Manager in the left panel), or right click on Start Menu for Windows 10 and select Device Manager
3. Right click on the hardware device you wish to update and choose Update Driver Software
4. Choose to select the location of the new driver manually and browse to the folder where you extracted the driver
5. If you already have the driver installed and want to update to a newer version got to «Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer»
6. Click «Have Disk»
7. Browse to the folder where you extracted the driver and click Ok

About Device Driver:

If you install this package, your device will be properly recognized by compatible systems, and might even benefit from new features or various bug fixes.

Please note that, even though other operating systems might also be compatible, we do not recommend you apply any software on platforms other than the specified ones. Doing so might cause the installation to crash, which could even render the device unusable.

When it comes to installing the package, the steps should not be much of a hassle because each manufacturer tries to make them as easy as possible; usually, you must make check for compatibility, get the package, run the available setup, and follow the instructions displayed on-screen.

However, due to the large number of devices out there and the various ways for applying these packages, it would be best if you refer to the installation manual first, to be sure of a successful update.

That being said, click the download button, and apply the present software on your product. Also constantly check with our website to stay up to speed with latest releases.

It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.

Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed an incorrect or mismatched driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.