Printer partially ejects on cold boot

Windows XP Pro SP-1
HP DeskJet 970Cse (parallel port)

When my computer system is turned on (cold boot), the printer starts up.
Its head starts moving back and forth (that's typical) but it also feeds in
a sheet of paper (not typical). However, the paper feed stops with the edge
of the paper just after the exit rollers so it is stuck partially inserted.
On occasion, and after a couple minutes, it will fully eject the paper, but
it should never have injected the paper in the first place.

This is not a Windows driver problem. This occurs immediately on bootup and
is probably before the POST even completes. I know a reset gets sent to all
devices to put them into a known state. The printer is connected to the
parallel port. No operating system is even loaded at the point when the
printer starts going through its power-on throes. If the printer is off
when the computer is powered on and I later turn on the printer, no problem.
If I power on the printer with the parallel cable detached, no problem. So
it is the initialization of the parallel port that causes the problem (and
when the printer is on during that initialization).

Other than having to remember to power off the printer before powering up
the computer, got any suggestions as to a fix? What could the parallel port
be sending to the printer that would make it partially inject (and not fully
eject) a sheet of paper? Why would powering up the parallel port even send
a paper feed to the printer?

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"*Vanguard*" wrote in message
...
Windows XP Pro SP-1
HP DeskJet 970Cse (parallel port)

When my computer system is turned on (cold boot), the printer starts up.
Its head starts moving back and forth (that's typical) but it also feeds
in
a sheet of paper (not typical). However, the paper feed stops with the
edge
of the paper just after the exit rollers so it is stuck partially
inserted.
On occasion, and after a couple minutes, it will fully eject the paper,
but
it should never have injected the paper in the first place.

- BIOS setting for LPT port mode. EPP, ECP, Bi-Directional? Does changing
this make a difference?
- Faulty/non-compliant printer cable. Got another cable to try?
- Power spike causing printer to detect data? (Does same thing happen if you
disable the LPT port in BIOS?)
- PC and printer on the different electrial circuits with different ground
potential, again causing some interference when PC is powered up.