Dumbass Computer Question

[kitesurf_phil]

I have a new machine with Windows XP.
1) I am trying to use my old printer with it. The drivers for my printer are included in XP but it still wont work. I have used the set up wizard and my old software to load it. I have gone round in circles with the help feature.

2) My scanner won't work either. I downloaded the drivers XP compatable drivers for it from the Mustek site. How do I install them? I saved them to disk and tried that way. I also tried to download them directly but still no joy.

[da SLUG man]

i see the word dumbass but i don't have a clue!... mine just plug in and start working!.... mind you, the mouse stopped working!

[Assasin-uk]

Mustek can be a nightmare, i have just thrown 3 of there scanners away here at work.. support from them is useless..

Does the printer pass through the scanner via a cable then into the computer by any chance.. parallel cable..

This can often be a real pain if it is the case. The solution if you cannot get one to work that i often tell people is to buy another parallel card and use one for the scanner and one for the printer.. and the card should only cost about a tenner..

Get one of the items working 1st then the other..

[Esamed]

Don't hold me to it ( running ME from home) XP pro at work. Therefore do most playing at home.

Most stuff is plug and play but you might be able to do the following:

Right click start icon (bot left of tool bar)
Look for settings or XP I think gives you the option of Printers & Fax, click on them.

you should have the option of adding a new printer. then follow the wizards. for the drivers you have downloaded when prompted you can browse to where ever you saved them.

Or very surprised XP isn't detecting both the scannner and printer on boot up. You can go to the contol panel and select the ADD NEW HARDWARE icon and it should detect them.

Best off luck

Steve

[Guest]

First off is it a parallel or USB connected printer.

If it is a USB printer try deleting the printer from the system, unplugging the printer and plugging it back in. XP should see it and ask for the software or if it is aware of the printer type it should auto install the correct driver.

If it is a parallel printer I would check in the BIOS setup that the Parallel port is not disabled (LPT1 should be enabled).

Hopefully it and the scanner are USB connected and just need the drivers reinstalled.

The USB ports may also be disabled - you can check the status by right clicking on My Computer, selecting properties then the hardware tab in properties and the device manager.

Check under ports for the LPT1 port and check there is no question mark or red cross, if there is then there is a problem with the port.

Under Universal Serial Bus controllers, again check for question marks or red crosses.

If all this is OK then I'll have to think again.

Cheers

[kitesurf_phil]

Cheers all. If you look in the Luton direction and the air is blue, you will know why.

It's a parallel port job and yes the cable goes to the scanner first, then the printer.

[kitesurf_phil]

I'm going round in ever decreasing circles here. The HP website says I dont need to download a driver from there and that the required driver is already in the installation list for XP. I find the driver in the installation list and the printer still doesn't work. I go back to HP and they say if it doesn't work it's not meant to. So why list the driver in XP aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh hhhhh


Why don't they just state that the HP610C doesn't work with XP and be done with it??? Then I could get another printer but definitely not one from Hewlett F***in Packard. They were just as useless when I had one of their USB mouses.

[kitesurf_phil]

Right (deep breath) I have calmed down and had a look in the systems file in Control Panel. Under "other devices ----------parallel device there are two question marks.

The next file down is "Ports (Com & LPT. The next branch off that is Comms Port (Com1). Which is the one referred to a Lpt1?

Any help gratefully recieved before I attack the bottle of rum I have stashed for New Years Eve.

[RobD]

Right (deep breath) I have calmed down and had a look in the systems file in Control Panel. Under "other devices ----------parallel device there are two question marks.

The next file down is "Ports (Com & LPT. The next branch off that is Comms Port (Com1). Which is the one referred to a Lpt1?

Any help gratefully recieved before I attack the bottle of rum I have stashed for New Years Eve.

Maybe Windows XP only supports USB connected printers(?)In which case Phil m8, start writing your letter to Santa.

[Fieldsy]

May be a silly (obvious) question, but does the printer show in printers/scanners etc...,and is it highlighted as the default printer?

Always had trouble with parallel links (piggyback), right pain in the arse.

have you tried connecting just the printer to the port without the scanner for the time being?

xp should find it no probs, unless its not compatible, in which case direct to the drivers you have downloaded to install it.

[Guest]

Right (deep breath) I have calmed down and had a look in the systems file in Control Panel. Under "other devices ----------parallel device there are two question marks.

The next file down is "Ports (Com & LPT. The next branch off that is Comms Port (Com1). Which is the one referred to a Lpt1?

Any help gratefully recieved before I attack the bottle of rum I have stashed for New Years Eve.

You should see one listed as LPT1. Com 1 is your first serial port and has nothing to do with the printer, it is for connection to an external modem generally or some old serial printers.

XP does support Parallel printers as I am running one fine no problem (HP Officejet T65).

If you are not showing the LPT 1 port on the list then you have a hardware issue (Parallel board disconnected or missing) or more likely it is disabled in Bios. Reboot the machine, while it is booting you should see something that show you haow to go into setup mode. Do this and have a look around.

Cheers

[Fieldsy]

Assume you've done all this m8, but worth a post anyway......ya never know


Read this first

You reached this page by selecting a printer. This document appeared because this is the best solution for that printer in Microsoft(R) Windows XP. Click here for installation instructions for another printer. The instructions may or may not be the same.

There is no need to download a printer driver from the Web. The drivers for HP Deskjet printers are included in Windows XP.

The following instructions are for installing the basic driver that is preloaded on Windows XP. This document describes how to load the appropriate printer driver that is pre-installed in your Windows XP operating system. The preinstalled Windows XP driver supports basic printing features.

This document only addresses the Windows XP operating system.
Step one: Check to see if the printer driver is already installed

To find out if printer is already installed, do the following:

1.

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2.

Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Printers andFaxes.
3.

Check to see if the name of your printer shows next to a printer icon.
*

If the printer is there, you are done. The best printer driver is already installed. Proceed to Step four: Set the HP Deskjet driver as the default driver.
*

If the printer is not there, proceed to Step two: Connect the cables.

Step two: Connect the cables

With the computer and printer on, connect the USB or parallel cable to the printer and the computer. One of two things could happen:

*

The driver automatically installs when the printer is connected to the computer. Several small dialogue boxes will appear showing the progress of the driver installation. When the installation is finished, a message displays stating that the printer is installed and ready to use. You are done. The best printer driver available for your printer is installed. Proceed to Step four: Set the HP Deskjet driver as the default driver.

*

If the Found New Hardware Wizard displays, click Cancel and proceed to Step three.

Step three: Manually install the printer driver

1.

Click Start, then Control Panel.
2.

Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Printers and Faxes.
3.

In Printer Tasks, click Add a printer.
4.

Click Next.
5.

Select Local, then remove the check mark from Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer.
6.

Click Next.
7.

Select Port
8.

Parallel connection is usually LPT1
9.

USB connection is usually USB001
10.

Click Next.
11.

Select HP from the Manufacturer list.
12.

Select the printer model from the printer list, and then click Next.
13.

Select Yes if this printer is the default printer, or select No if it is not.
14.

Click Next to continue.
15.

Select No to skip the test page, and then click Next.
16.

Click Finish to complete the installation.

NOTE: If prompted for a Windows disk in Step 12, do not use the disk that came with the printer, use the Windows XP disk or the recovery disk that came with the computer.
17.

If prompted for a Windows disk, insert the appropriate Windows or PC Recovery disk (not the disk that came with the printer) and follow the instructions on the screen. Once the driver has been installed, it will be listed in the Printers window (Start, then Printers and Faxes).

Step four: Set the HP Deskjet driver as the default driver

Once you’ve installed the new HP driver, set it as the default printer.

1.

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2.

Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Printers and Faxes.
3.

Right-click the HP Deskjet driver then select Set as Default Printer.

[Gizmo]

As already stated try booting into your BIOS (F10, F2 or Del key on Keypad depending upon the machine manufacturer)

Find your Parallel Port and check for ECP EPP setting etc..as this could create a problem (eg Ehanced Parallel Port for things like Bi-Directional printing using Status Software to detect things like ink etc..) may need to play about with these.

I run a Dysan DY3600 to the parallel port and a HP 5552 Parallel Port printer of that...both are running fine through XP Pro. Try removing the software for the printer and scanner and start afresh by adding your drivers for the scanner

(Under the Device Properties within Device Manager remove the two icons shown as exclamation marks and try clicking on the Add New Hardware under the control Panel) before adding scanner/printer

XP should sort this out. if not you have conflicting issues with drivers more than likely......try the printer directly connected to the parallel port and if this is not raised as an issue then you know its something to do with the drivers/pass -thru from the scanner.

Just got stick with it and perform elimination by going back to basics.

[kitesurf_phil]

Cheers Guys. I gave up in the end and went to watch the one eyed monster. While walking the dog I bumped into the guy that built the machine for me. He says he will pop round tomorrow and sort it out as he is running the same printer with XP- no trouble.

Fieldsy. I have tried all the suggestions from the microsoft support page and still no joy. It shows under printers as the default printer on lpt1. The scanner comes up with a "scanner not ready" box.

[Rob]

If i was nearby I'd pop round seeing as this sort of thing earns me a living! For the record, and in my experience, HP have the best printer drivers I've ever come across and I've never failed yet to get one working. However, I won't offer any support here as there's far too many variables to consider. And I'm drunk!
If you still haven't got it working by the time I get to Bedford (hmm, 27th I think), let me know - I'll probably be able to come around and sort it for you (disclaiimer!!! - assumming all the hardware is compatible in the first place )