Windows XP: Process access of system ports

[annodomini2]

Wondering if an IT expert can help me, currently running XP on a laptop connected to a docking station.

Currently when I try to undock I receive an error message stating that you cannot undock as it cannot stop LPT1 (Parrallel port).

So therefore there is a process which is constantly accessing LPT1, now 1st guess would be a printer, but as there isn't one it shouldn't(!) be that.

What I am trying to find either in windows itself or via another application a method of identifying which processes are accessing which ports on the system? Does anyone know of something like this? (preferably free! :))

As this is interfering with some other software I am running, although I know for a fact this is not causing the problem.

[__Lee__]

You could download port explorer from www.dowloads.com but I suspect this will not give you any answers.

I'm not really sure what this will be but I think it will something to do with the docking station being plugged into LPT1 on the laptop.

What make and model are the laptop and docking station?.

Has this problem just started to occur or has it always exsisted?.

Have you tried to google the make and model of the laptop and docking station to see if anyone else out there is having the same problem?.

[annodomini2]

Its a Dell D600, with dell docking station (couldn't tell you the model), its a software problem, I know from the way its behaving, i'm just trying to track down whats causing it.

Thank you for the link, will try it.

[Plotloss]

Its difficult to find out what windows processes are doing by design unfortunately, Windows is not how you would design an operating system if you wanted the best operating system. If you wanted to protect your market position, Windows is perfect...

In your printers is there anything mapped to LPT1 like some sort of network device?

[annodomini2]

There are several network printers, but they are all assigned to the server by which we print through (uses a program called iPrint?

Only other thing I can think of is that windows spooler automatically polls the LPT port even though there is no printer connected.

[aldi]

There could have been a printer installed in the past on lpt1 and not properly uninstalled, e.g. there could still be a small proggy running in startup to monitor ink levels etc.You could check in add/remove programs, or use start/run/msconfig to do a clean startup and see if the problem persists. Failing that, just disable the port permenantly in device manager if you're not using it

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

LPT ports like this are not PnP devices. The USB LPT ports do some clever trickery to allow the port to come and go. If the docking station makes it look like a standard I/O device (I bet it does) you're a bit stuffed unless Dell have some patch floating around.

Sorry.

[annodomini2]

Would be nice to turn it off, but other software/hardware I'm running requires it. (I still got the error when the software wasn't installed.)

The laptop does have its own printer port so I would assume (assumption being the mother of all F*** ups! ) its just a connection feed, but of course I could be wrong.