Win2k/XP Printer probs

  • Thread starter Thread starter EJS
  • Start date Start date
E

EJS

I have started having a very strange problem this week
and would like to run it past you guys. Hopefully,
you've not experienced it but you know of it.

This week I lost all communication with my networked
printers (Win2k Server - printers installed locally using
IP address to JetDirect cards). When I tried to look at
the properties of these printers an error message told me
that the print driver for each of these printers was not
installed on my computer and asked if I would like to
install it then. This was the case with the workstations
and the servers sharing the printers. When trying to
print to one of them an error said "Printer was not
available" or "You do not have access to use this
printer." I am the Admin.

When I tried reinstalling the print drivers, another
error message said it was "Unable to install the printer.
Some of the files may be missing or incorrect. Try using
the latest version." I downloaded the latest version
and tried re-installing with the same results. With the
workstations this even prevents me from installing a
LOCALLY connected printer.

What in the world is going on? I spent 1.5 hours on
phone with Hewlett Packard going through everything that
could possibly be wrong with printers, drivers, etc. but
nothing worked. They finally suggested a problem with
the OS. Sounds more like a virus to me.

I have checked all of the virus places I know and none of
them mention anything like this. I have also run the
virus scans on the computers, finding nothing.

Have you guys seen anything like this? I am at a loss.
 
This is what I have encountered recently and the following is the text of my
messages to HP about HP5550

I have XP Professional installed (MUI). Printer driver installs and works
perfectly. After a while I still can access printer through its driver and
even print a test page. But printing out of applications (any!) stops.
Messages range from none to no printer or driver is bad. Nothing helps
except clean XP installation. (Hint!- printer stops working after windows
updates, but maybe I am just paranoyed)
..
However I hit something I can not understand with my almost 20 years of
experience with computers. The message from applications says - there is no
printer installed, though the the printer is installed and is a default
printer. If I go to the printer driver and try to print from there is fails
and the message says - the test page failed to print. After that I have to
uninstall and install the driver again - it prints (during installation) a
perfect test page and the whole thing starts again. Remember - the first
time I installed the printer was with clean Windows and printer was working
fine. Than, I went to Windows update site and sometime after that I lost
the printers ability to print... :-(. I installed the printer on my other
computer (P4, 512RAM,scaner and Wi-Fi card) - the same thing happened!
So, my uneducated guess is that there is some incompatability between one of
the windows updates and the driver, unless your test page is part of the
printer's hardware. Than it is something else... BTW - i installed 550c -
same result!
Mark
 
You're right Mark. It is a windows update issue. I spent
3 1/2 hours on the phone today with Microsoft for the
support "professional" to tell me sometimes the installed
drivers are not compatible with the new windows updates.
I had to totally remove the drivers from my server,
(Server Properties from printer folder) and add the newly
downloaded drivers. This is the only thing that worked
for me.
 
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