Problem with multiple HP printers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ron Martell
  • Start date Start date
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Ron Martell

I have a client who has 3 different HP printers that she wants to have
all connected and usable with her computer.

The computer is a new Pentium 4 3.2 ghz with 1 gb RAM and an AOpen
i915Gm-1 motherboard with 6 USB ports.

The 3 printers she wants to use are:
DeskJet 3550
Photosmart 7350
PSC 2410

I have tried 3 times to get these printers installed. I have
uninstalled all existing HP drivers and software, deleted all residual
HP folders and contents from the hard drive, and used a registry
cleaner to remove all obsolete entries from the registry. Then I have
downloaded the latest drivers for each of these printers and installed
them, following the instructions to leave the printer disconnected
until the install program asks to have it connected.

I have also tried the above cleanup procedure and then used the
original install CDs that came with the printer rather than the
downloaded drivers and software.

My latest attempt, using the downloaded drivers, produced the
following results:

1. The DeskJet 3550, installed first, works perfectly.
2. The PhotoSmart 7350, installed second, says it is okay but will
not print anything. It starts to print then ejects a blank page. No
error message or anything.
3. The PSC 2410 only partially installs and then exits with no error
message. At that point the printer will work properly, but the scan
functions from the PSC do not, and the PC fax software is not
installed.

I am unable to find any way of communicating this situation to HP
without spending hours on the phone, which my client cannot afford to
pay me for.

Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
Ron Martell said:
I have a client who has 3 different HP printers that she wants to have
all connected and usable with her computer.

The computer is a new Pentium 4 3.2 ghz with 1 gb RAM and an AOpen
i915Gm-1 motherboard with 6 USB ports.

The 3 printers she wants to use are:
DeskJet 3550
Photosmart 7350
PSC 2410
Click to expand...

Solved the problem by applying "capital punishment". Reformatted the
hard drive and reinstalled Windows.

The 3 printers installed without a glitch and all are now fully
functional.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
Solved the problem by applying "capital punishment". Reformatted the
hard drive and reinstalled Windows.
The 3 printers installed without a glitch and all are now fully
functional.
Click to expand...

My experence with the OEM drivers issued on disks lately has been piss
poor. In the case of the HP 1312 IIRC (budget laser not currently in
production), the disc errors out somewhere and buggers up the spooler
sub system. What's more sad is even when I took the time to copy the
disc to HD first then install the result was the same even though there
was no obvious error in the copy. I'm not saying the problem is
exclusive to HP discs, in fact many discs i've come across from HP to
Dlink, to maxtor of all things have been unreadable in all of my
drives. This would include

Two lighton 812S dvd burners
One sony 16x cd-burner
one NEC 32x scsi cd reader
Various drives from 2x NEC scsi to 4x NEC IDE, misc liteons, Samsung
DVD drive

What's odd is all of these drives, for the most part, read anything I
toss at them whether burned or professionaly pressed. The NEC 32x scsi
drive is the most glitch free followed by the lighton burners and
lastly the 2x and 4x NEC drives. The few times I have problems I can
almost always read a disc on one of the drives I own... and burn a copy
from it.

Lately for HP hardware i've been downloading the drivers, installing
the drivers before the printer setting the port to file:, then popping
on the printer and using just the driver... then in turn installing
drivers of the network as needed. Seems to help resolve issues with
gitchy install programs and fubar cd-roms. Windows update if i'm
feeling lazy also seems to have less issues than the factory issued CD
lately... again problem not exclusive to HP products.

I'm suspecting that who ever is mass producing these CDs is buggering
it up, but i've not taken the time to track down who so I can yell at
them.
 
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