Old Pc To New Printer (Cable Solution)

[Amilcar]

I have bought a new Canon i-Sensys MF 3010 printer (a little domestic one) and want to use it with my trusty old PC. The PC has a scart type plug with 24 pins but the Canon printer takes a square (not flat) male USB plug. Could someone suggest a solution, please? Is there an affordable cable that would do the job or an adaptor which could be added at either the PC/ or printer end? I am an absolute novice at this stuff, so apologies to all you techies!

[Buenchico]

That sounds as if you were using the parallel port on your PC (which should have 25 pins, not 24):
http://computingforpsychologists.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cbscon_pc_parallelport.jpg

While it's possible to get cables to connect a PC's USB port to a parallel one on a printer, I've never come across one that works the other way round. Unless your PC is very, very old (over about 15 years) it should have some USB ports. All you need to do is to plug the (supplied?) printer cable into one of those and attach the square end to the printer. If you've not got sufficient USB ports you simply need a hub (to split one port into 4); they're not exactly expensive!
http://www.poundland.co.uk/product-range/a-z/4-port-usb-hub/

Chris

[Amilcar]

Thank you. I have spare USB ports on the PC. Does that mean I can use one as long as I can find a cable with a square ended USB plug for the printer end of the cable? (In my ignorance, I assumed I would have to use the existing 24 pin socket on the PC).

[Buenchico]

Yes.

USB printer cables are widely available. Even PC World (which is ridiculously expensive for many things) sells them for £2.99:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/essentials-pusb18m12-usb-a-to-usb-b-cable-1-8-m-12848008-pdt.html
or Play.com has them for £1.79:
http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/33919920/usb-2-0-High-Speed-Cable-Printer-Lead-A-To-B-Black-1-8m/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518|cat:33919920|prd:33919920

[Amilcar]

Thank you. Seems like I have made a mountain of a molehill (and not for the first time). Appreciate your patience and support including the helpful links.