I have an old plotter. However, due to it's age, I have to print on a computer with an older OS meaning Windows 98. I want to put a modern processor into the plotter so I could run it off an XP or later OS because it's a pain to keep going back and forth between computers. It's an old HP-450C plotter. The parts on the inside are good, with the exception of the drive-belt (I'm assuming that's the part name) so I really don't want to toss it and if I take it to the local recycling yard, it'll just sit in a trailer. I figured if I could upgrade the processor and change out a few components if necessary, I could get further use from it. Would anyone happen to know a few companies that manufacture / distribute the processors and/or controllers? Thanks!

I'm not familiar with this device, so could you better explain why you are limited to using Windows 98. HP's website has drivers for XP and Vista, which to me would seem to be what would be required for operation under these operating systems. Even if the processor could be upgraded (unlikely?), a compatible driver would still be required if the driver that shipped with the plotter originally is not compatible with the newer Windows versions.

A Google for "DesignJet 450C drive belt" yields numerous hits for vendors selling parts. HP's own PartSurfer also has select parts available. Carriage Belt Replacement in the DesignJet 450C discusses drive belt replacement. Fixyourownprinter.com has the service manual.

Thanks for the response and info. I got the plotters mixed up. The HP needs the drive-belt. The one that's limited to Windows 98 is the Canon BJ-W9000 plotter that I have, which plots at a much larger format than the HP and is great for graphics. However, I'm limited to Windows 98 because Canon stopped providing the drivers for the BJ-W9000 after Windows 2000 and the software I have that's near that is Windows 98. I have no clue why Canon stopped providing the drivers after Windows 2000 and I think it's unfair. Their newer product line supports XP which doesn't help me though. I was hoping for a newer processor or something that'd support XP or newer because a new large format plotter costs thousands of bucks. Hopefully, I could do what I do with the computer when I update the processor which is just swap out parts, although I suspect it'll be a bit more involved for the plotter. I would make the determination after seeing the costs. The Canon still works great, prints out at a great speed... it's just having to constantly switch computers and drives to plot which drives me nuts, which is why I was considering a newer processor if it's feasible.

I've never encountered core electronic components in devices like printers that are designed for future upgrades (doesn't mean they don't exist for specific hardware), however in this situation I think all that would be required is a driver for the newer operating system, unfortunately. The processor in the plotter doesn't know a thing about what operating system the computer is running, nor care. The computer merely sends commands to the printer in the printer command language the device supports via electrical signals through the cable interface. The software driver component is what helps translate the Windows GDI calls an application uses to create a print job into information the printer can actually understand. See more information on Window's print subsystem architecture: Ask the Performance Team : Basic Printing Architecture. Even if you were able to upgrade the cpu used in the printer to a faster one, without a driver to provide the print information to the printer in a format the printer understood, the upgrade would be useless.

A processor upgrade for a computer itself differs in that newer operating systems in the most basic sense simply have more instructions for the processor to execute. An old 386 processor will run XP - it is just that its clock speed and internal architecture is too slow to execute all the instructions in a reasonable timeframe for the computer to actually be usable by a human. Processors are both extremely complex and extremely simple devices, however in the end all they ultimately do is shuffle bits around really, really, really fast without any concept of supporting any particular operating system. Operating systems can be written to take advantage of new instructions in a processor line's instruction set, but that is a different topic.

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Originally Posted by hj3

I have no clue why Canon stopped providing the drivers after Windows 2000 and I think it's unfair.

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Forced obsolescence is the backbone of the IT industry's business model, but keep this experience in mind the next time you're shopping for a device.

I'm with Scleros. The only way you will get this machine to work with a newer OS is if you have a driver for it. You might commission someone to write such a driver, but I'm not sure that's even possible.

There are a few reasons companies don't update drivers for new OSes. Planned obsolescence is one reason. Number of sales is another. If the printer is very old, they will assume very few are still in commission so why waste time on it?

Hmm... thanks guys. It's such a shame it'll be getting recycled in the near future then. I understand excatly what you mean... it just sucks.

A driver for XP.

BJ-W9000

OK guys, answer this one. Whenyou share a printer on windows, what driver is used. 1) the one on the shared machine? 2) the one on the machine doing the printing?

I guess this explains it?
http://www.2000trainers.com/windows-...ared-printers/

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Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid

I guess this explains it?
Driver Issues with Shared Printers &middot Tutorial 2000Trainers.com

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Yes, although I usually install the drivers on any clients during imaging for their initial deployment. Windows + automatic tends to = unplanned corrective work.

Hey guys this is great info and incredibly helpful. I'm going to give the XP drivers listed in the response a shot this weekend and I'll keep you informed! Thank you very much!

Hey guys this is great info and incredibly helpful. I'm going to give the XP drivers listed in the response a shot this weekend and I'll keep you informed! Thank you very much!

Interesting post to me,
I'm a copier tech. I remember the canon bj-9oo I don't have a specific answer for you just brings back memories.im certified on the canon 4050,up to 6060 analog copiers the old days.if I was to guesse it would be a license issue for canon.

Ok... here's where I stand. I downloaded the drivers without a problem, but am having a problem installing them. At startup, my computer identifies the Canon BJ-W9000 as SCSI device 0, so at least to me, I know the computer senses the printer, yet, probably due to the printers age, it's not automatically detecting the printer and installing the drivers like it would for newer printers, thus I have to manually install, which was expected. There's only one SCSI card in my computer and the Canon is attached to it. When I go to install the drivers through the add printer wizard, I can't locate what port the SCSI card is on. There's options for LPT1 AND TCP/IP Ports etc. but I don't see anything for the SCSI port. Under which label is SCSI usually classified under? I tried creating a port to no avail because I couldn't locate my SCSI port. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by hj3

I don't see anything for the SCSI port.

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If memory serves, SCSI printers typically used a FILE port or their own print monitor port to virtualize the SCSI interface. I couldn't find a manual for the printer so I dig some digging in the driver files...

I wasn't able to fully test the following since I have neither the printer nor a SCSI card handy in my machine, but try this:

1. Manually expand the driver file you downloaded to a folder named, let's say, Canon (should have already done).
2. In Canon\Driver\XP, you will find a MONITOR.INF file. This will be used shortly.
3. Next, using an Administrative account, do Start Menu > Printers & Faxes.
4. Select File Menu > Server Properties and select Ports tab.
5. Click Add Port... button.
6. Click New Port Type... button.
7. Select Browse... button and navigate to the MONITOR.INF file from step 2.
8. Click Open button and then OK button.
9. Continue past any logo warnings.
10. Canon BJ-W9000 SCSI Port should be installed.

Finally install driver as you had been doing but select the newly installed port during installation.

*crosses fingers*

Incredible. Thank you very much. However, let's keep our fingers crossed just a bit tighter. I can see exactly how this creates the port now and I think this would've been the thing needed to send data to the plotter. However, something went wrong - I got to the point where it had the logo warnings. After I clicked continue, it wanted a "dll" file. When I specified a location for that file, an error message came up stating that the scsi port couldn't be installed and to contact the manufacturer for assistance. I sent an email to Canon to see if there were any coding/programming errors in that file. Thanks!

I received the same error. I thought perhaps it was because I don't have a SCSI adapter in my machine. Guess not. Is the printer using a SCSI adapter that came with it? If not and you still have the original adapter, might give it a try. Perhaps the monitor only supports Canon's hardware.

Well, the plotter originally connects to an Imagepass W-20 unit, which, to my knowledge, behaves as some sort of printer server. With the Imagepass W-20, you send the print from your computer to the Imagepass W-20 and the W-20 then sends the print to the plotter. The Imagepass has the SCSI connector which connects directly to the plotter. There's another connector on the back of the Imagepass, which looks like some sort of parallel cable that connects to the computer. However, my computer didn't have any slots for the parallel cable, but I did have some SCSI cards, so I connected the SCSI card and connected the plotter directly to the SCSI card. In that sense, I cut the middleman out (the Imagepass unit) and had a direct connection from my computer to the plotter. Maybe the plotter wasn't made for direct connection? I don't know. Perhaps, maybe I should look for a parallel adapter or card to put into my computer and a parallel cable alongwith that? That way I could connect the computer to the Imagepass and the Imagepass to the plotter as intended. I figure that'll be a more cost efficient fix than spending thousands more on a plotter, especially considering that the plotter still has some life in it. Does that sound reasonable? Thanks!

Curious if CANON answered back?
I will stay with the post I have a old troubleshoot number/password
It would take some digging

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Originally Posted by hj3

Does that sound reasonable?

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Yes, I'd try to get the original Canon configuration working to determine how it was intended to function and then, once working, eliminate any unnecessary middleware gadgets. Parallel add-in cards abound, but I'm partial to SIIG since they have cards in multiple interface and port configurations.

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Originally Posted by zippit

i will stay with the post

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Zippit, do you have access to an installation manual or any technical literature on this plotter?

Hey guys this info. Is great and very helpful. I'm letting you know where I'm at now.

I went to the computer store and got the parallel card. I had a parallel cable (25 pin) lying around. I turned on the plotter, let it set up, then connected it to the Imagepass W-20 via the SCSI as intended, and then connected my computer to the Imagepass via the parallel as intended. I installed my drivers for the parallel card, resetted my computer, then saw that the card was located on port LPT3. When I installed the plotter drivers, I tried using the drivers as supplied in a previous post. Nothing printed - it actually stated an error in printing after waiting a few minutes. Rather than run print troubleshooting, I tried the Imagepass driver from the Canon USA site. Still no luck. I tried typing a few words in notepad and sending to the printer, but no luck. One time, I sent the print from wordpad, turned off the Imagepass and immediately an error message came up stating that the document couldn't print. So I'm guessing, somehow someway, there is communication between the computer and the Imagepass. Both of the drivers installed flawlessly - there were no hang-ups or errors. When the first didn't work, I uninstalled the driver and tried the second. When the second didn't work, I started thinking... I looked on the back of the Imagepass and saw slots for a monitor and usb slots, as well as serial slots, which I'm guessing was for a keyboard and mouse in either form. Maybe the plot has to be approved at the Imagepass before going to the plotter. Sort of like, when sending a plot to Kinkos, the person behind the counter has to send it from their computer before it reaches the printer. How does that sound? If that's the case, I have to get an adapter for my monitor so I could plug it into the slot on the Imagepass then see what happens. Thanks!