Comments on: NEC SuperScript 870

By: jimmy

jimmy — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:01:11 +0000

Vince,
it worked!!! thanks for the advice. I got my hands on a XP pro x64 disc. then when I was on the “browse” for “have disk”, I selected the “PRINTUPG” inf and I then selected the driver. printing at 600dpi.
this has been a great printer.

By: Vince

Vince — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:31:30 +0000

Jimmy,

I’ve never tried it without a real XP 32/64 disc, but I think the .INF file you want is NTPRINT.INF, but there are several other files required to make a standalone driver package.

By: Vince

Vince — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:26:34 +0000

Jimmy,

I’m still using mine on Vista32 and Vista64 (yes, at 600dpi). See my above posts for Vista32 installs. For Vista64, (when you get to the “Have Disc” part) you have to use an original WinXP 64BIT disc instead, and go to the \AMD64\ directory to find the XP64 870 driver. Works just fine.

By: Bridget

Bridget — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:38:27 +0000

Jimmy,

Don’t bother. Have two SS 870 in this office. One died a couple of years ago. The other is hooked to a machine with Vista. 64bit.
Not worth the headache. Take your $50 and buy a new one.

By: jimmy

jimmy — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:03:29 +0000

trying to make ss 870 and vista x64 be friends…
so what if I don’t have my windows xp install cd? I tried to install with the old computer’s C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3 file but I can’t find a *.inf to use. which one can I use?
can I print in 600 dpi on vista x64? or is this a lost cause?

By: Nils Brubaker

Nils Brubaker — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:54:13 +0000

I used the SS 870 printer on Windows 98 happily for years. I recently acquired a new computer with Windows Vista Home Premium. On the new machine, I installed the SS 870 printer driver from the XP install CD. It works well, except that I can no longer do double-sided printing like I could do in Win 98. The XP driver thinks that 2-sided printing is not enabled. I can’t find any way to tell it that the printer can do double-sided printing. Anyone know how to fix this?

By: skennd

skennd — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:56:49 +0000

It works after installing the HP LaserJet IIP like everyone else. I couldn’t have been more happier, I was about really to trash it before I thought to give a try on google. I am glad I did.

By: nicole

nicole — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:06:33 +0000

Vince,
I gave up trying, but maybe you could get me going again. You give me hope. It is a great printer and I wish I could use it. I am trying to start working for home and wanted to use it. I will try again tomorrow. Hook it up and do a test page. It is hooked up via serial cable. It’s so old, I didn’t even check to see if there is a usb cable insert.

By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:05:41 +0000

Nicole,
How far do you get? What error message to you get? Are you running one of the 32-bit versions of Vista? How is the printer physically connected to the computer? While disconnected, have you tried making the printer print a self test page? Leave more details here or click my name, drop by my website, and use the Contact Us form.
I’m still using my NEC SuperScript 870 laser (circa 1999) on my network (mix of XP and Vista PCs). I’m on my 3rd toner cartridge. Good luck.

By: nicole

nicole — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:58:00 +0000

this is not working for me. anyone that could help i would really appreciate it.

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:11:36 +0000

Nec 870 on Vista “Insert your old WinXP install CDROM, and browse to the \i386 directory and click Open. You will get a new list of digitally signed XP drivers. Select the NEC SuperScript 870 and you are back in business.”

This worked well for me.

By: Vince

Vince — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 03:25:43 +0000

Bill B.,

The Microsoft supplied WinXP NEC 870 driver always worked fine for me. The recent problem was getting that same functionality under Vista. When I Googled the Vista problem I found messages about people throwing away the working printer just because they couldn’t get it to work on Vista, and others were using work-arounds that either didn’t work or were left with limited functionality. The 870 is an economy laser printer so it’s engine is not built for speed. Also the parallel interface (even when used in conjunction with an ethernet print server box) is slower than USB2 that users in recent years have become accustomed to. Complicated or large print jobs will always take longer on an economy laser (any laser really unless you spend the big bucks for a business class laser). But it’s still much faster than my inkjet, quality is perfect, and cost per page is so much lower there is no comparison. I hate to spend money to replace perfectly good peripherals just because of software/driver problems (I’d rather put that money toward new computers).

By: billl brockmeier

billl brockmeier — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:21:39 +0000

Vince,

This is just the same old molasses-slow driver that has been around forever, is it not? And yet you say that you get 600dpi support and “N-up” printing. I don’t understand. I thought that forever, folks have been complaining about XP driver support for the SS870 being nearly absent…only incredibly slow, very basic 300dpi printing. Hmmmmm…

By: Vince

Vince — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:46:13 +0000

Bill,

When installing the NEC 870 on XP, the Microsoft bundled driver should already be present for selection (under NEC or maybe something like NEC Technology). But, yes, you can load it from the CDROM’s /i386 directory if you need to. There is no “Run as Administrator” on XP, but I do think you need Admin privleges to install a printer (most people run XP as admin or power user most of the time anyway).

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:17:46 +0000

Vince,

since this works by using the “XP install CD,” will the same technique work for an XP OS as well as Vista?

By: Vince

Vince — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 22:38:43 +0000

I got the NEC SuperScript 870 working perfectly in Windows Vista with good features (600×600 DPI res. and N-up page printing). In Vista, right click on the Add Printer window and select “Run as Administrator”, THEN “Add a Printer”. I’m running mine off a D-Link DP-300u ethernet print server (that part of the setup is basically the same as in WinXP).

When you get to the part when you actually pick the driver, insert your old WinXP install CDROM, and Browse to the \i386 directory and click Open. You will get a new list of digitally signed XP drivers. Select the NEC SuperScript 870 and you are back in business.

By: Bridget

Bridget — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:08:59 +0000

I have the NEC SS870 at the office. I’m told it was purchased about 3 years ago. Hard to believe. It was working just fine until recently. Never good, but at least it worked. I walked in one morning and found all of the paper from the tray had fed through the machine like it thought it had a document. Every time I put paper in now this happens. I have cleared all documents, power cycled, looked for updated drivers, reinstalled the old drivers, and followed trouble shooting guide. It just won’t work.

I’m ready to give up. Any ideas?

By: Will

Will — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 11:33:28 +0000

My old NEC silentwriter S102P laser printer seemed so simple to use under Win98 and 2000 but having upgraded to a laptop running Win XP Pro and only having USB ports it’s proved to be little more than useless. Some great thoughts and advice given in preceeding threads and thought I was nearly there with using HP LJ11P printer driver but the test page would only print out once before it spewed lots of gash out on lots of paper. Tried LJIID (again from installed drivers on XP) and better prinit page and can now print Winword docs but this is far from satisfactory. Guess a print server solution would be useful but the idea was to get rid of the old stuff and not have a small room cluttered with antiquated kit. I’d love to make a contribution to saving resources by using old stuff that works OK and not fill the landfill sites unnecessarily; looks like I’ll be out of luck. Keep the threads going someone will (and does) find these comments very very useful.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:29:11 +0000

had same problem, some suggestions that may help. No excuse for NEC not updating driver.

FYI: October 5, 2002. A reader of this web site wrote to say that under Windows XP he has used the Minolta QMS PageWorks/Pro 8L printer driver with the NEC 870 printer for over a year without problems. He says the Status Monitor doesn’t work, but the printer is faster and the envelope feature works. XP recognizes the NEC 870 and has a printer definition for it. However, it can also have printer definition for a Minolta printer that controls the same NEC 870 printer. I have not tried this.
FYI: October 16, 2002. Another reader wrote to say that after having problems printing from Windows 2000 Professional, he was advised by NEC technical support to use the HP LaserJet IIP driver 300 DPI included in Windows. I have not tried this.

By: DanB

DanB — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 13:40:30 +0000

I echo Brenda’s frustration. The new desktop has only USB output, no parallel port. The SuperScript 870 has no USB input. I, too, bought a cable with USB input on one end and parallel output on the other end. I had no idea that there were different types of parallel ports or that a USB port could be set to emulate a particular type of parallel port. When I insert the CD that came with the cable, the self-starting instructions say that Win 95/98 and Millennium Edition users should install the driver and XP users should not. I cannot believe that XP is slick enough to configure the port and translate the signal for a parallel port. Much less do I believe that XP would actually accomplish said configuration and translation without user intervention.

Frankly, I my level of tech savvy and commitment to this project are way to low to justify finding a separate PC to act as a print server. The cable’s minimal packaging offers no clues as to what type of parallel port it emulates and I do not know how to find this out. The toner cartridge still has plenty of life to it and I’ve fixed several smaller issues with the printer, but I have to wonder if this is just more trouble than a printer is worth.

By: Brenda

Brenda — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 06:37:38 +0000

Thomas – thank you, thank you, thank you! Have been checking back in hopes of some input – and resigned to buying new printer this weekend. Will check out “gripes” and take your 4 suggestions. Thanks again for taking such time to help out with advice – VERY cool of you.
Have a great holiday, Brenda

By: Thomas

Thomas — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 16:42:40 +0000

Brenda:

The problem is most likely the USB-to-parallel cable itself. Check to see what its requirements are and what type of parallel port it emulates. USB anything is inherently “flaky” (not just USB-to-parallel).

Four suggestions:

1) Switch the printer back to the old Win9x/ME PC and enable network printer sharing. You need a LAN for this idea to work.

2) Buy a PCMCIA to parallel convertor. This only works if the laptop has a PCMCIA slot. However, it will be far more likely to work than a USB to parallel cable.

3) Buy a different _brand_ of USB to parallel cable. Make sure _everything_ matches. USB 2.x and USB 1.x don’t mix well (most new hardware is USB 2.0). Also make sure the output emulation is EPP.

4) Buy a new printer. Avoid the hassles of this one under NT/2000/XP. See this entire thread of “gripes” for all the troubles with the printer.

By: Brenda

Brenda — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 02:46:29 +0000

USB to PARALLEL PORT ISSUES on NEC 870: I hope someone out there knows how to fix this issue! My NEC 870 was working fine until i had to get a new laptop. My new laptop only has USB ports, so I bought a USB to Parallel converter cable so I could use my NEC 870 with my new laptop. Documents “fail to print” again and again and i’ve tried EVERYTHING – troubleshooting, updated driver, called Toshiba support, called converter cable support, switched to HP LazerJet II and Minolta drivers – the green light starts to blink as though it’s going to print, then it fails. Both customer supports have told me “sounds like a printer configuration issue,” “need to configure to USB” – but that’s what the cable converter is for, right? I have XP Home OS. Has anyone else had this problem? Have spent hours for the past 3 weekends trying to fix this problem – print for work constantly and have been lost without my printer. At my wits’ end and about to give up – just hate to have to buy another printer when this one’s perfectly fine. Does anyone have any suggestions please?

By: Gerald page

Gerald page — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 13:48:07 +0000

I have NEC 860. Never have had a problem. Can’t even remember when I bought it. Back in ’80s before 870 came out.
Now haveing problem with paper tray not recognizing paper. Keeps giving ‘paper’ light. Have taken everything out. There is no blockage. I am afraid there is a part missing or bent that tells it that there is paper in tray.
Have been to NEC site and read troubleshooting. No help.
Anyone got any ideas? Pictures of tray connections?

Jerry

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 19:14:18 +0000

I have been using the HP Laser Jet IID driver to print documents with Windows XP, but the formatting and quality isn’t the same as the NEC 870 driver.

What I have found to work with Windows XP is to print a short text document with Word Pad if the NEC870 printing slows down (or after I reboot the computer) using the HP IID driver. This seems to clear up spooling problems. I can then switch to printing documents using the NEC 870 driver (change the selection under “properties” when the print window opens) without any problems.