Remove HP Universal Printing PCL 5 Driver

You don't.

Why not just let it install and then change the drive in the printer config?  Same idea as using the generic VGA driver and then installing the ATI or NVidia drivers for a video card....

Some printers want you to insert a CD and follow the instructions.  ONLY plug the printer in when it tells you to which is sometimes after the new driver has been installed.

I thought of that the problem is it just hangs installing the Universal Driver, it never finishes.  See attached.  it just stays like that and never finishes.  I try cancelling but then explorer crashes and the whole thing starts over again.
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Did you already run the HP software?  If so, unplug the printer, reboot your PC, and then remove the HP printing software from add/remove programs so you can start clean.  Go to the HP site and download the latest non-universal drivers for your printer and install those instead of the stuff from the CD - universal drivers are very finicky and annoying, I find.

I've tried that already.  the universal drivers were already installed on the computer.  Not sure who installed it but it wasn't me!!!

I run the installation file but when it prompts me to connect the USB cable, it installs the universal driver.  Their is no way to delete the universal driver somehow?

try installing the printer on another PC - it can be a bad printer, or a PC problem
this will show what is the cause

Here is what HP says:  http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=115&prodSeriesId=503548&prodTypeId=18972&objectID=c01839749 about the universal print driver install/removal.

What Model Printer is it?
You said it's a new HP so it came with Driver Disks
One thing - If you are installing it on XP AND it's a New HP printer - did you check to make sure that it's will work with XP - Some of the newer ones won't - They didn't write drivers for an OS that is going away shortly

The printer is an HP LaserJet P1606dn.  The server is Windows Server 2008R2 64bit and the client is Windows XP SP3 32bit.

Yes HP offers drivers for both the server and client.  Typically, once the drivers are installed on the server and client, RDP printing works flawlessly.  I have searched online and looks like many people are having the same issue we are having.  I contacted HP support but they wouldn't help since the printer is considered a consumer printer and not a business printer.  The tech blamed it on the fact that the printer is a Hosted-Based only printer.  I am leaning towards just returning the printer and buying a business class printer.

"HP LaserJet P1606dn" - This is an ethernet network capable printer, therefore you shouldn't require the USB cable at all.

Unless you have the incorrect model listed?

If it is correct, set up the printer on the network and then configur your printer manually to print via Generic TCP/IP port and select your drivers.  No USB cable required.  You can setup the server as a print server and publish the 32 bit drivers as well (use same type and version number).  You may need to hunt around for a 32bit version of ntprint.inf if it's not in the 32bit driver package, but HP may be able to assist you with that or copy it from another machine.  Provided your authentication is functional between your client/server, you can simply double click to install the printer from the server's UNC path.

If you don't want to user the server as a print server then setup the XP client to print directly to the TCP/IP port.

Using the USB cable to connect to a PC - the plug&Play are going to try to find the most compatible driver.

Connect the Printer to your router using the network connection

Then using the install disk  to add the network printer  - It should use the driver from the CD (or download the drivers from HP.com)

If you have to use the USB for some other reason - Still do the Network Ethernet instal then just change the port to the USB000x  and the driver to the right one under the advanced tab

Megs28 and DTHConsulting, customer plugged in the printer to the USB and installed the software themselves.  They called me to troubleshoot when they couldn't print from the Terminal Server.

They used the USB port since there were no available network jacks close by.  before going and buying a switch or running a new cable, we moved the printer to a desk that had a network jack.  I removed the USB printer from the client pc and configured using TCP/IP.  I can print from the client without issues however still having the same issue printing from the server.  The terminal server is in another state so sharing the printer from the server's UNC path wouldn't work.

If you have set the printer up as a TCP/IP printer then you need to install it to the terminal server as well. If you have it as a local printer on the workstation then you would use the local resources tab of the RDP ICON and place a checkmark next to printers.

The drivers are installed on the terminal server and printers is selected in the local resources tab.  There are about 15 client computers and everyone printer works fine, just not this HP P1606dn.

In order to print from terminal server there are several requirements

1. The proper driver must be installed on the server (exact  match ie. PLC5 on one and  PLC6 on the other - Install the Drivers on the Term Server - but not the device

2. The options for RDP at client end must say map printer

3. Options on Term Serv must allow mapping of Term Server

4. The Remote Printer SHOULD be the default before the connection is made

5 The user should see the Printer "(in Session)  - That's what they have to print to

If they can't see the printer and all the other items have been done then see this article

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302361

The answer is yes/done to all 5 line items above.  The Terminal Server sees the printer but when trying to print from the Terminal Server, print fails.

The knowledgebase article state the fix is for "local printers are not redirected" but in fact it is being redirected, just gets an error when printing.

I am actually following this thread more for personal reasons since we just placed an order for 11 of this exact printer (P1606dn).  

Since the printer is actually set up on the network as a TCP/IP printer it would be easier to install the printer on the terminal server (not just the drivers) than to use it as a local resource.

As a workstation local resource you would send any print job to your workstation and then back out the line. Plus when if you disconnect your session before the print job completes it will fail.

pony10us, the Terminal Server is hosted in Virginia and my customer is located in Orlando, FL.

The Terminal Server is not on the same network as Orlando and would be difficult to configure the printer on the server itself.

I see that many techs are having the same issue I am and the solution is to just replace the printer with a business class printer vs. this consumer class unit.

I have many customers running Terminal Services and have been successful printing to HP, Brother, Dell, Konica, etc printers.  Just having problems with this one model in particular.  Something is up with this model.

ptsolutionsinc, this is disturbing news since I just placed an order Monday for 11 of these printers to be placed in our 11 locations around the state.

Since they will only be used to print 1-15 pages per month at each location we didn't want to go with a "business class" printer expense. These will be used for a very specific purpose and will need to work through terminal servers.  

We considered a different printer however it was USB only and since multiple people at each location need to have access to the printer we could not tie it to one workstation. The cost of a USB Jetdirect was more than the cost of the printer.

I have had not trouble with any other HP, Lexmark, Cannon, etc. printers that were network capable as long as we installed them on the terminal server. We have had some Dell USB printers connected to workstations however since we went to a print server we don't permit local resources any longer. This is a security/audit issue.

If you can somehow  connect the Printer using the IP rather than the USB - It would most likely work fine. Just give it a static IP on the remote network and open the port (either 9100 or 515 if it's LPR) on your Router - Then Direct the Port on the server to the IP of your remote network where the printer is located -

pony10us, I truly hope you don't run into the issue we are having but it just doesn't make sense that all other printers on this server are working fine, just not this particular model.  Take a look at the links below.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-All-in-One-Install-Setup/Remote-desktop-easy-print-with-hp-pro-P1606dn-doesn-t-work/td-p/742371

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Networking-and-Wireless/Remote-Desktop-Printing-to-HP-P1606DN/td-p/1164049/page/2

http://boardreader.com/thread/Remote_desktop_easy_print_with_hp_pro_P1_1bp7mXfwtf.html

Interesting threads. The common thread seemed to be the HP Easy Print is what didn't work. Have you tried using the generic HP driver?

I really am not looking forward to going back to management with another issue with this printer. I already had to go back and beg for almost twice as much money to move from the first printer (the USB only) to get to this one.  :(

Update:

I just recieved a couple of ours today.  I connected one of them and once it got it's IP address from DHCP I simply added it to my terminal session without using the CD at all. I did use the LaserJet III driver and it prints fine.

We will be adding it to the print server and may be looking at using the right driver. I did use the ethernet connection and not the USB as the server is located about 35 miles away.

We don't want it installed to a workstation and shared. because of the other issues that go with that.

We have returned the HP P1606 printer and installed a Brother printer and everything works as it should.  Looks like there is an issue with the P1606 working in our environment.