problem with driver for Sharp AR5220 printer on win7 64bit

Why do you download the driver from such an obscure site, rather than from the official source, directly from the manufacturer, for example this:?

http://www.sharp-cee.com/cps/rde/xchg/scee/hs.xsl/-/html/service__downloads.htm

I agree with rindi: Download the driver directly from the vendor site and try this one. Before installing the original driver uninstall the currently installed driver and reboot.

According to the manufacturer's link I posted, there are 64 bit drivers for that printer.

Well.........They don't work!

"There is no working driver at the vendor site."
Just to clarify what you mean: Have you tried the x64 driver for Windows 7 from the Sharp download center or didn't you find a x64 driver for the AR-5220?

At http://www.sharp-cee.com/cps/rde/xchg/scee/hs.xsl/-/html/service__downloads.htm (the Sharp download center) there is this driver available when looking for AR5220: PCL6/Postscript Printer-Driver for ... Windows 7 x64 for ... AR-5220 ..., English language

Have you tried this driver and it did not work?

How "don't they work"? What happens? Besides the link from the manufacturer I posted, you can also get drivers via Windows updates for that printer. When you add a printer via the control panel, Devices and printers, when you get to the selection of the printer driver, you'll also have the option "Windows Update". After a while you should be able to select the printer  via manufacturer, Sharp, and Printers, Sharp AR-5220 PCL 6...

Either drivers, from m$ updates, and via the sharp site, must work.

"Either drivers, from m$ updates, and via the sharp site, must work. "

I agree... If none of these drivers works I would assume a damaged usb cable, a printer failure or maybe an corrupted Windows installation. If you think about going back to a 32-bit Windows you could also try a fresh 64-bit Windows and then try one of the official drivers first.

hi, yes, all that doesn't work, I have tried it all, windows update absolutely doesn't work for this printer.
what I mean when I say "they don't work" the printer will show up on printers and devices, but i will not print, whenever I send a print job, I get an error message, that just said "there was an error", I check the ports configuration and its good, I have tried different cables, doesn't work, I have struggled for weeks with this problem, I have tried all the drivers you suggest, also I have tried them on several computers and also on several OS from 7 to 10 including all version in between, and "IT DOESN'T WORK" sorry if I seem to be ranting, but it is extremely frustrating. anyway reverting back was the think that worked for me.

Then as has been mentioned, your printer is bad and I doubt it will work under the 32 bit version of the OS, or you installed a virus or Malware along with the driver you originally tried, which is one reason I don't understand why you tried that driver from this strange website to start with.

The above comment of reinstalling Windows 64 bit I think is a good idea. But make sure that you delete all partitions on your disk so you don't carry any malware/Virus along to the new installation.

Hi,
Even if the first driver I used had malware/virus, how did this translate to other devices and operating systems? how is it It does work with the win7 32 bit? all I know is its a very old device before vista even came out. I imagine you guys are running windows 7 or above AND using the same model of printer, and it works perfectly for you? if so did you just plug it in and let windows update do its magic? o just double clicked on the setup for the drivers and then just plug and play?
I would like to know if you have that same device up and running, if you do I will try everything again, if you don't, ill stay with my solution.
Thanks in advanced

No, I don't own that printer, but I have never had any problems if I downloaded a printer driver from the manufacturer directly, or via Windows updates. That has ALWAYS worked if the printer was OK.

What do you mean it translates to other OS's?

I suggest just do a clean installation of Windows 7 64 bit on a PC, connect the printer, then use Windows updates to get the driver, then try again.

"What do you mean it translates to other OS's?"

I assume, Diego_Jaen means spreading of malware to other computers. For the case that the first driver from the untrusted source should have been infected. He mentioned to have tried the original drivers on several computers with all operating systems from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

If the computers are not connected to the same network then the malware could have been spreaded via an usb stick that was used on the first computer. But it's verey unlikely that malware will affect only one single printer driver. Just to check this because you've tried the original drivers on several commputers with 64-bit Windows: Did other usb printers work on these computers?

Some other questions to get more technical information:
Does the printer appear as 'online' with the 64-bit drivers?
Does printing the test page from within the driver properties fail in the same way as from an application?
Which messages are shown (ID, source, exact text of message) in the Windows event log when a print job fails?
Are there Windows event log messages when the printer is powered on, when Windows starts or during/after driver installation?

Please understand that we want to help you, even if we don't have the same setup. Getting problems with older hardware solved is often more difficult and needs more detailed information. And yes, sometimes it's not possible to get old hardware work with newer operating systems. But I fully agree with rindi, it's at least very unlikely that original Windows drivers shouldn't work.

Apart from that as a final 'solution' I would suggest that you go back to the 32-bit Windows 7 and reinstall the Sharp printer. If it's working then we were not able to find out the problem with the information provided here. If the printer still doesn't work,  then one of the points mentioned above may be the case.

Good luck!

Just another thought: How did you 'upgrade' from Windows 7 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit? Did you delete the old 32-bit system partition before installing the 64-bit OS?

Hi Ghana,
Thanks for your reply, finally some one who seems to know a bit more about printers than just plug and play and done.
The problem here is that this is a very old piece of hardware, I have ran into this kinds of problems before with Sharp devices, the drivers don't really work on newer operating systems. that is why I was using that obscure website to get the drivers, this has worked in the past on similar cases when the manufacturers drivers don't work or are unavailable, mind you this printer is about 15 years old. I did not upgrade the computer to Win7 x64, the case is that the printer was transferred to another site, so the original computer where it was working didn't come with it. all the computers on the new site use windos 8.1 or higher, except one that has win7 x64. so I used that one to install the printer, and there the problems began. the printer seems to be online and working, but when a print job is sent either from an application or its own test page, I get an "error printing" message on the print queue. then the printer goes offline and will only show as online if I restart the print spooler or restart the computer, but never prints. then I tried the drivers from the link provided here, same result. then I tried the drivers in my own computer, Win10. same problem even using compatibility. then I used one of the sites computer(drivers downloaded from Sharp website) with win 8.1, same problem even with compatibility. so then I took another computer with windows 7x64 to the site and try again, same problem as in the beginning. so finally they sent the original computer where the printer was installed and we just used that one.
unfortunately I don't have access to that printer and workstations to keep troubleshooting, as I said this happened on an off site location, and will only be able to trouble shoot again when they move the printer back to its original location or another one.
Also as I said before I have had to deal with very similar old models of sharp printers in the past, at one time I actually called Sharp support and the best they could do was send me a CD with updated drivers for $100, so that's why sometimes I have to dig deep on obscure websites to find drivers for sharp devices.

Do a clean 64 bit installation, run all m$ updates, install an AV utility, install the m$ printer dribver from windows updates, and I'm sure it will work. If not the printer probably won't work in any OS.

First, thanks for your explanation. That makes it easier to understand the circumstances. If the printer is in a remote site and you have no remote access then we have no chance with troubleshooting. Two last thoughts:

1) The printer was moved to another site, might there be a different security software running? In some rare cases I found the behavioral analysis of antivirus software blocking access to usb. Is it possible to stop the security software to test print jobs again? If yes, then make a reboot and if the printer shows 'online' disable the security software temporarily and try to print a test page.

2) I know you already said that you have tried ALL drivers from the Sharp download center. Have you tried this one too:

GDI/SPLC Printer and Twain Driver for Windows XP x64, Windows Vista x64, Windows 7 x64 for AR-M160, AR-M205, AR-5220, AR-5316E, AR-5320D, AR-5320E, version 1002a, production run date 25/02/2010, English language

With GDI it's using a different technique than PCL/PS for print jobs. So even if the other drivers should be faulty this one might work. By the way: The readme recommends to uninstall old drivers before installing the new one.

no good solution was found.

OK, I'm going to be onsite where this printer is tomorrow, ill go ahead and try out your solution ghana, I really hope it works. ill keep  posting.
Thanks in advanced.