When I print while connected to the internet I am disconnected after the first page prints. My ISP cannot find a problem. A friend checked the whole system including uninstalling and reinstalling the printer. The problem still exists. The computer runs Windows 98 with a HP PSC1210 Printer.

This is a problem which I have not come across before! In situations like this, the standard procedure is to check whether any background applications are causing problems. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL and close all non-essential background applications. Generally the only essential applications are ’systray’ and ‘explorer’. Check if the problem persists. If not, it is now a process of elimination to find the problem application.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, it is possible there is a conflict between the COM port (to which the modem is connected) and the USB port (to which the printer is connected). Alternatively, if you have an internal modem there could be a conflict between the internal modem resource allocation and USB. USB does not like sharing particular elements, such as IRQ addresses, with other devices (if you don’t know what these terms stand for, don’t worry). To check for any conflicts, go to the ‘Start’ menu > ‘Settings’ > ‘Control Panel’ and open the ‘System’ control panel. Click the ‘Device Manager’ tab. Expand ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’. Select the device which has ‘Universal Host Controller’ in its name (be aware that several devices may have this name, so you will need to do the following procedure for each device). Right-click on the device and select ‘Properties’ from the context menu. In the window that appears, click the ‘Resources’ tab. Check for any conflicts.

Assuming there were no conflicts for the device (or devices), if you are using an internal modem go back into the Device Manager and expand ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ and select the COM port to which your modem is connected then ‘Properties’. Check this device for any conflicts.

Finally, regardless of whether you have an external or internal modem, in the Device Manager, expand ‘Modem’ and check for any conflicts with your modem.

If you find that there are any conflicts with these devices, please contact me again as it will be a delicate issue to resolve these conflicts, especially if this is your first attempt. However, if no conflicts are evident, this issue is getting more complex by the minute! If you have an internal modem, you could always try moving the modem card to a different PCI slot in the computer. Almost all computers have PCI slots, which allow PCI cards to be connected. These cards have special purposes, such as graphics acceleration, network connections, or modems. By changing the PCI slot to which your internal modem is connected, you may resolve any conflicts (e.g., IRQ conflicts) which may be associated with the PCI slot itself. If you are unfamiliar with the internals of a computer do not attempt this yourself.

Should you continue to have problems, please contact me again. I would also like to hear from any other readers who have any suggestions for Bev.