Charlie Weston
asked on
Network printer driver XP/Win7
I have recently replaced an old 32-bit computer running Windows XP with a 'new' one running 64-bit Windows 7 SP1.
The old workhorse MFP is an HP Laserjet 3030. All functions ran perfectly under XP, but I've discovered the scanner functions don't seem to be available anymore with Win7. I was able to get a print-only driver for the print function, so it prints from the new computer.
My problem is getting it to print from a network printer running XP. I tried use the 'add a printer' feature while sitting at the XP computer. I can see the printer, but Windows tells me there is no suitable driver. I went to the HP web site and downloaded what they said was the XP driver for that printer. When I told 'add-a-printer' to look there for the driver, it told me there was no suitable driver there.
I wonder if I have got the wrong driver, or if I have to copy it to some special place for it to be recognized.
Question: where does the XP driver have to reside in order for the XP computer to drive the printer over the network? I thought I should put it on the XP machine, but maybe also on the Windows 7 machine as well? Where?
Question: which is the 'right' driver to download? The HP website has a ton of stuff: http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/swdHome/?sp4ts.oid=378058&spf_p.tpst=swdMain&spf_p.prp_swdMain=wsrp-navigationalState%3DswEnvOID%253D228%257CswLang%253D%257Caction%253DlistDriver&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken#Driver
Any advice would be welcome.
CW++
The old workhorse MFP is an HP Laserjet 3030. All functions ran perfectly under XP, but I've discovered the scanner functions don't seem to be available anymore with Win7. I was able to get a print-only driver for the print function, so it prints from the new computer.
My problem is getting it to print from a network printer running XP. I tried use the 'add a printer' feature while sitting at the XP computer. I can see the printer, but Windows tells me there is no suitable driver. I went to the HP web site and downloaded what they said was the XP driver for that printer. When I told 'add-a-printer' to look there for the driver, it told me there was no suitable driver there.
I wonder if I have got the wrong driver, or if I have to copy it to some special place for it to be recognized.
Question: where does the XP driver have to reside in order for the XP computer to drive the printer over the network? I thought I should put it on the XP machine, but maybe also on the Windows 7 machine as well? Where?
Question: which is the 'right' driver to download? The HP website has a ton of stuff: http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/swdHome/?sp4ts.oid=378058&spf_p.tpst=swdMain&spf_p.prp_swdMain=wsrp-navigationalState%3DswEnvOID%253D228%257CswLang%253D%257Caction%253DlistDriver&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken#Driver
Any advice would be welcome.
CW++
Let me clarify, you have the MPF printer on a new Win7 machine, but there is an XP machine that needs to print to it as well on the network?
This brings up more questions:
-Is the MFP connected to the new Win7 box? USB cable?
-Did you extract the printer driver files to a particular folder?
When installing the printer drivers, I usually extract them to a common folder on my c: drive. Often, it's just c:\temp, or c:\drivers. Then, when you go to add the printer, you point to the folder you extracted to. If it's saying that a suitable driver cannot be found, I'm thinking the files may not have been extracted. Often, these driver files have a self-installing EXE file.
-Is the MFP connected to the new Win7 box? USB cable?
-Did you extract the printer driver files to a particular folder?
When installing the printer drivers, I usually extract them to a common folder on my c: drive. Often, it's just c:\temp, or c:\drivers. Then, when you go to add the printer, you point to the folder you extracted to. If it's saying that a suitable driver cannot be found, I'm thinking the files may not have been extracted. Often, these driver files have a self-installing EXE file.
As I understand your setup:
- there is an HP LaserJet 3030 connected via Ethernet to the network
- you want at least a couple of printers to be able to print to it; one Windows 7 and one Windows XP
Is that right? Or, is the printer connected via USB to one of those computers?
It looks like there's quite a bit of information here:
http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/setupInstallResults/?sp4ts.oid=378056&spf_p.tpst=psiContentResults&spf_p.prp_psiContentResults=wsrp-navigationalState%3Daction%253Ddoclist%257Cviewall%253Dtrue&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken
Hmmmm.. very similar to your link. I'm still looking.....
It appears that this printer does not have an Ethernet port / networking. So, my assumptions were wrong. I also found this:
- there is an HP LaserJet 3030 connected via Ethernet to the network
- you want at least a couple of printers to be able to print to it; one Windows 7 and one Windows XP
Is that right? Or, is the printer connected via USB to one of those computers?
It looks like there's quite a bit of information here:
http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/setupInstallResults/?sp4ts.oid=378056&spf_p.tpst=psiContentResults&spf_p.prp_psiContentResults=wsrp-navigationalState%3Daction%253Ddoclist%257Cviewall%253Dtrue&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken
Hmmmm.. very similar to your link. I'm still looking.....
It appears that this printer does not have an Ethernet port / networking. So, my assumptions were wrong. I also found this:
Now, whether a shared printer on a network has the same limitation is a question. But I get the idea that you have been doing it up to now, yes? (please answer this).
Scan from hp LaserJet Scan software (Windows): Press START SCAN on the device
control panel to start the HP LaserJet Scan software. Pressing START SCAN to start the HP
LaserJet Scan software is not supported when the device is connected to a network.
(Direct-connect only.) You can also start the HP LaserJet Scan software directly from the
computer. See Scanning by using hp LaserJet Scan software (Windows).
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Another thing:
I've had terrible trouble with older HP All-in-One printer installs. HP tried to help but after hours of back and forth and an inch thick stack of messages, no success. This has happened at two customers when they upgraded the printer to a newer model. In one case they switched to a different brand.
I now believe that the solution may have been to do a *complete* removal of the printer drivers from the computer. This includes removing the devices, stopping the Print Spooler service, removing contents of the Windows\system32\drivers\s pool contents, restarting the service. etc. etc. You can Google for real instructions. This is just to give you an idea.
Yet, this doesn't seem to be your issue exactly. I only mention it in case it leads you in a productive direction.
I have not had good luck running HP AIO scan over a network - as sort of a general comment.
I've had terrible trouble with older HP All-in-One printer installs. HP tried to help but after hours of back and forth and an inch thick stack of messages, no success. This has happened at two customers when they upgraded the printer to a newer model. In one case they switched to a different brand.
I now believe that the solution may have been to do a *complete* removal of the printer drivers from the computer. This includes removing the devices, stopping the Print Spooler service, removing contents of the Windows\system32\drivers\s
Yet, this doesn't seem to be your issue exactly. I only mention it in case it leads you in a productive direction.
I have not had good luck running HP AIO scan over a network - as sort of a general comment.
ASKER
Seeing the deluge of answers to my problem made me realize that I was in for hours of fiddling around trying to get this printer to work!
I decided to buy a new printer rather than futz around.
I decided to buy a new printer rather than futz around.
get a network "able" printer....then you will never have issues of what type of computer OR what OS will work. Easy as pie that way.