HP 2300 Printer installation problem

Hi,

What you will first want to do is use Add/Remove programs and uninstall all your HP printer stuff.  I am assuming you have already done that though.

Next, open Printers and Faxes.

Now right-click and select "Server-Properties"

Click on the drivers tab and select each printer you want to remove the drivers for and click on Remove.

You can also click on the ports tab and click on "Delete Port" if you want to clean up any USB or Network ports that were installed.  Leave all the LPT, COM, and Serial, and Print to File ports.  Also leave any ports you use.  Delete things like USB001...

You can also right click on MyComputer and go to properties and click the "Hardware Tab"  then the "Device Manager" button and possibly delete printers there.

Another thing you can do is cleanup the device manager previous device history.

Start Run and type CMD

AT the command prompt

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
devmgmt.msc

That will open the device manager in special mode to show all devices ever attached to the computer.

Now, view "Show Hidden Devices"

You will really see all the hidden devices after doing this.  YOu will see every memory stick, usb hard drive, keyboard, cdrom drive, et cetera.  You can delete any remnents of your printer if you wish.


If the printer has documents that haven't printed, open the printer in Printers and Faxes and delete the documents.  Sometimes they hang up.

If this hangs up or you cannot uninstall the printer becuase it has jobs remaining in the queue, click on start then Run and put in C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\PRINTERS

Now open the command prompt via start run cmd

type the following

net stop spooler

Now go to the open folder C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\PRINTERS and higlight all the wierd file names and delete them.

Now go back to the prompt and type

net start spooler


Essentially, this process takes down the print spooler, deletes everything the spooler is supposed to spool to all your printers, then it brings the spooler back up.  Sometimes if deleting won't work and you delete a job hanging the printer object on deleteing, a restart will be enough to get the jobs deleted.


Anyway, at this point, you should be able to install your printer no problem just following the manufacturers instructions.  If it gets to a point where it is supposed to detect the printer and it doesn't, you can just continue anyway or you can sometimes go into device manager and scan for hardware, delete any unknown devices, et cetera.

Sometimes it just needs a little bit or coercing.   I think you will get you printer installed.


Justin

Hi Justin,
Thanks for an extensive instruction. To be sure, I've tried everything you suggested, again. I say 'again', because it's not the first time I went through all of these (except the command 'set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
devmgmt.msc', which I ran, but found nothing unusual.).
It's interesting, that when I plug in the USB Cable to the computer (without installing the software or the drivers), nothing happens (usually I got this "New hardware found"). I tried all USB ports which I'm sure work fine, since I've been using them for other devices.
Any more thoughts?
Thanks!

Have you tried the other devices since the printer problem started? You could have a defective USB port. Try re installing the USB ports.