greetings.

I hope someone can help with a simple question about a new laptop (Vista) and the lack of a parallel printer connection. I am told that I should just use the USB port and connect that to my printer. I use a bi-directional autoswitch to share my HP Laserjet 5 printer. The autoswitch receives the printer output cable and then it is shared to various PC's I have. I need to plug a DB25 Male into the autoswitch and the other end will go to now a USB port instead of the normal parallel printer port on the laptop. I can't find the correct cable anywhere so I was sold a USB to serial cable 9 pin and a 9 pin cable that connects to it with a DB25 parallel output to my autoswitch. It won't work and I thought it was the driver for Vista as all the other PC's work to the LJ5 printer.

Am I correct that the 9 pin serial connector will not carry the parallel print info to the printer and vice versa?

If so can someone tell me where to buy a USB to DB25 parallel cable?

Thanks
glb
3/36/07

I'd check Radio Shack for the converter. If not, then an extensive web search may be in order.

I wonder if the 2 adapters that you are using are bi-directional. Also, I've seen some postings on the web about shutting off the bi-directional aspect of the printer (which should enable this to work - although I haven't tried it myself).