printer is hidden device

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I keep getting shutdown and restarts when I access "add hardware" or if I
turn off or disconnect my printer. I've tried to troubleshoot this by going
into device manager and checking my printer driver. I can only find the
printer by viewing hidden devices and when I try to check the driver, no
driver tab is shown. Is this normal? Appreciate any direction.
 
Have you checked the printer manufacturer's tech support, have you checked
their website for information and possibly updated drivers that might
resolve the issue, have you checked the manufacturer's website to see if
your model is compatible with XP and/or any updated version such as SP1 or
SP2 that you might be using?
 
Thanks for the quick reply, Michael. Yes, I checked the HP website and they
do have an update for my driver but I have my printer connected when HP
searches for the new driver and then prior to download they tell me to make
sure the printer is not connected. When I disconnect the plug the computer
shuts down and restarts.
 
Perhaps you should disconnect the printer before you boot the system. If
the crash itself is being caused by a corrupted or outdated printer driver,
this should allow you to update the driver.

Below are typical things to do to try to source a crash. NOTE: it's
possible the disconnection, while a triggering event is symptomatic of
something else, hence the steps below might help source the issue:

First, be sure your antivirus software has the latest definitions and run a
virus scan.

If your system is clear of viruses, open Control Panel, open System, go to
the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery, remove the
check from "Automatically Restart" under System Failure. This will cause
the system to blue screen instead of restarting on errors and the
information on the blue screen may give a clue as to the source of the
issue.

Open Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, open Event Viewer, look for
errors corresponding to the crash, double click the error, the information
contained within may give a clue as to the
source of the problem.

Assuming you have an XP CD and not a recovery CD, place the XP CD in the
drive, when the setup screen appears, select "Check System Compatibility,"
the report it generates may point to problem hardware or software on your
system. If you do not have an XP CD, you can download this application
known as the Upgrade Advisor from the following site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp
Note: If you have access to a broadband connection it might be best to
download using that as this is a rather large download.

Check for the latest drivers for your hardware, especially your graphics
card and soundcard and all peripherals connected to your system. No not use
Windows Update for this, go to the device manufacturer's web sites and if
you install updated drivers, ignore the message about drivers being unsigned
by Microsoft.


Beyond the above, I can only suggest contacting your printer manufacturer's
tech support.
 
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