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[HELP] broke a (HP) Printer by pulling USB Plug -when it was trying to print (?)

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tomos:
I had a similar thing happen a while back with an audio device.  Reloaded software, drivers, reboots and still nothing.
What finally did work was a suggestion I found on a forum somewhere.  Can't remember which it was.
The person said to go into Device Manager and delete the USB port the device was operating through. Sometimes they get bumfuzzled.
After I did that and plugged the device back in it was re-recognized and worked fine.

Not sure if the same thing can apply with the printer but might work.
-bob99 (January 28, 2011, 06:25 PM)
--- End quote ---
thanks for the tip -
checking the usb ports properly would be a logical step ... although I know they can work for one device and not for another (there was a thread about that here lately**). I'll try Stoic's suggestions first anyways before messing with ports


** https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=25359.0

Carol Haynes:
Printers are by far the buggiest most crappy appliances known to man,
-worstje (January 28, 2011, 05:14 PM)
--- End quote ---

Especially HP printers - their software is truly awful. Lost count of the number of homes I have visited to remove and reinstall HP software.

DON'T EVER TRY TO INSTALL HP SOFTWARE OVER EXISTING DRIVERS UNLESS YOU WANT TO REINSTALL WINDOWS- you have been warned.

Using a different USB port is likely to cause offence.

Having said that using the printer seems to cause offence to HP!

If you can't get it working do the following:

In Add/Remove programs remove ALL HP software and drivers (and be prepared to spend a good hour doing so).

On the installation disk there is a folder called CCC - find it (sorry can't remember where it is). Inside are 4 files UninstallL1..4* - execute them in sequence (they remove all remaining traces of the HP software - since HP's uninstallers don't work).

Make sure you restart your computer and unplug the printer.

Reinstall the software but don't plug in the printer until it tells you to.

*If you used the original CD supplied with the printer that is fine. If you have since upgraded make sure you use the uninstallL1...L4 from the actual version for drivers you have installed. If you use the wrong ones they don't work (brilliant bit of design).

I will give the same advice I give all my customers - next time buy a Canon printer. They are the only printer company I know that seem to write good drivers and software that work. I have had endless problems to sort out with HP but Brother and Epson aren't much better.

While I am in rant mode - can someone explain to me why HP All-in-one drivers are often around 300Mb to download - and why is their automatic update likely to cause issues almost every time. Finally why is there always an error in the system logs about HP Cue? It doens't seem to matter which printer or which version of windows there is always a service that won't start!

Stoic Joker:
Good point about the cleanup utility. I keep forgetting about that option because I don't deal with the home users/inkjets much. It's mainly business/network/lasers I get involved in. But the tip does apply to the smaller SOHO lasers as well.

Also, when installing the driver resist the urge to zip through the (next, next, next) install. Because the option to install only the driver and not the rest of the HP CrapWare is frequently hidden or easy to miss.

Anything that (is not just the basic driver) qualifies as Hand Holding software, and is garbage that should be avoided like a plague.

worstje:
I will give the same advice I give all my customers - next time buy a Canon printer. They are the only printer company I know that seem to write good drivers and software that work. I have had endless problems to sort out with HP but Brother and Epson aren't much better.
hat won't start!
-Carol Haynes (January 29, 2011, 04:08 AM)
--- End quote ---

I fully approve. :up: I've got a Canon Home-copier. Sadly it has no scanning functionality, but you'd be surprised to learn that I bought it around 2002 and that I managed to get it to work in Seven. While there's no drivers for it the Vista drivers work fine, save for a few minor issues the drivers have always had... but compared to the HP drivers of my previous printers, those minor issues are fully of the ignorable kind.

To be honest, I quite fear the day I upgrade to my next OS - somehow I expect that my Vista driver will finally cease working then, and that I have to get a new printer. Which sucks, since my current one has treated me so well. :(

JavaJones:
Fortunately newer Canon printers and MFCs are still very good IMO so when the time comes you can just get one of those. ;)

- Oshyan

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