Help - can't install HP g85xi with new vista notebook

[John Gee]

HP says drivers are bundled with Vista. Vista does not have g series in
windows update as I tried adding a printer manually.

Any idea?

 

[huwyngr]

HP says drivers are bundled with Vista.  Vista does not have g series in 
windows update as I tried adding a printer manually.

Any idea?

----------------------------------------------------------------

So what is your problem? Doesn't the bundled driver work as needed?

If not try using the XP software:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&p
roduct=58305&lang=en

and installing the downloaded exe file using compatibility mode and run as
administrator.

If you need help on the latter just say so!

 

[John Gee]

Thank you - no there is no bundled driver with the os. When I go to add a
printer and select windows update - there is a long list of hp printers. The
g series is not on the list and everything I read on Hp and MS site says is
should be there. It is gateway m-6750 laptop which was just released 1/08

 

[huwyngr]

I'm not in VISTA at the moment but will be later and will have a look
to see what I can find that might relate although I don't have that
printer.

How are you connecting the printer to the PC? USB or Parallel?

 

[John Gee]

I am using a usb connection. I know the usb is good - unplugged it from my
xp laptop which is working fine. It is just that the driver, which should be
bundled in the os, is not. If HP had it on their site I could download and
be fine.

 

[huwyngr]

I'm in VISTA now -- Ultimate version -- and going through Add Printer
and a USB port (already in use since I ignored the instruction not to
use the wizard if I was connecting a USB printer) I get HP and in the
right pane after much scrolling down I get Officejet and there is
Officejet 85xi.

So that driver is there. And it is there is I say it's not USB but on
LPT1 as a parallel printer.

Perhaps you did not scroll far enough down.

But do read the documents on the HP website about using your printer
under VISTA since the facilities may be limited and in particular Home
Versions of VISTA do not include the Fax & Scan utility that is in the
Business and higher versions.

With the home edition you are dependent on what HP supplies or on
finding a third party utility -- which you'll see referred to here if
you look through messages.

 

[John Gee]

Also I had previusly tried installing the driver for xp but it wont install
becuase it says I need XP SP2 installed for it to install.

 

[huwyngr]

See my latest message. It is listed.

But with USB and a bundled driver you don't use Add Printer -- you
power up the PC to VISTA, power up the printer and only then plug the
USB cable into the PC -- VISTA should do the rest.

If you are going to try again, delete any icons for the G85 in your
Printer folder and reboot the PC before starting as above.

 

[huwyngr]

Also I had previusly tried installing the driver for xp but it wont install 
becuase it says I need XP SP2 installed for it to install.

Did you use Compatibility mode set to XP with SP2 and Run as Administrator?

But see my message about finding the driver in VISTA.

 

[John Gee]

Thank you. Initially I just plugged it in and Vista attempted to install it
- but could not find a driver for it. Gateway says they use an image to
install laptops so my guess is they either did not have a complete list of
drivers on the image used or Vista Home Premier does not include it. I will
have research how to do the install in compatible mode - not sure and did not
try it that way. I definately looked in the windows update section and it
does not have the G85. It goes from 7400 series to H470 - skips G series.

I can't speak with Microsoft because it is an OEM version of the os and does
not reconize the serial number - at least that is what gateway told me when I
asked why the os license id was not recognized by microsoft.

 

[huwyngr]

I think you should ask Gateway why they do not include the driver that
others find in their copy of VISTA and which HP says is there.

But first of all I suggest you have a good look yourself, as I did, and
verify that the driver is not actually there.

FWIW I've just checked the hard drive that VISTA is on, found the "File
Repository" and checked out the hp labeled files in it. These two files
are containers for a group of files used in installing devices and in
both there are .inf files that contain references to the OJ G85xi

\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\hpoa1sd.inf_f38b0040

\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\hpojscan.inf_c876c5d8

so you might see if you can locate them on your hard drive. If you can
then my guess is that HP are right and the drivers are on your version
of VISTA -- all you need to know is how to find them.

For this you would do better to get help from someone who is much more
experienced than I am on the innards of Windows in general and VISTA in
particular.

But one solution that might be the correct one is to go to Add a
printer and work through that until you reach the screen that says Have
Disk as one of the places that VISTA should look for printer files and
then point it to the location on your printer of those "containers".
I'm assuming that the first one is for the printing part of your AIO
and the second is for the scanning -- read what HP says about using the
scanner from within certain applications.

Try this approach and if it doesn't work then I can give you the
instructions for compatibility mode and run as administrator -- they
are in the same place.

 

[John Gee]

Thank you. I tried running in comp mode using xp sp2 - it did not work said
it was unable to install. In terms of Gateway - I asked but they said they
could not help me because it is not part of the PC ie printer is seperate. I
explained the drivers should be but got nowhere. They say HP should give it
to me = HP does not have on their website and wants to charge $59 dollars get
me them. Microsoft won't help because they say gateway should help me.
THis is ridiulous - tempted to call Gateway's CEO office.
I found the directories you suggest - they are there but no files under
them. I don't really care about the scanning and realize it may only be in
the upgraded vista (ult). I just want to be able to print.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

[huwyngr]

THis is ridiulous - tempted to call Gateway's CEO office.

I agree -- I doubt phoning would do much good but a letter, with a copy
to, for example, the department in the PCWorld magazine that deals with
user problems of this kind might produce some results.

Also perhaps a copy to Microsoft asking not so much for their help in
supplying the driver but whether it is legitimate under their OEM
arrangements for an OEM not to include vital files for installing
software that is stated to be included in VISTA.

I've never liked All-in-Ones so if you don't need the faxing and
copying why not bite the bullet and buy a printer that does come with
full software for VISTA. I have a HP Photosmart 8250 which is the 6
color individual tank printer using Vivery 02 inks. It prints fast and
has built-in manual duplexing. That particular model is no longer in
production but there are similar HP printers available.

One last stab -- I'll ask a contact of mine who is in the retail trade
and who does the technical support especially on printers if he has run
into this problem with Gateway Notebooks and printers -- can you give
me the exact model of your Notebook.

 

[John Gee]

Thanks for all your help - I appreciate it. I got feed up and since it had
another problem with built in WebCam Gateway told me to bring it back. I
could have gotten a replacement - but while I was at the store waiting for
the tech to process the return I walked over to the demo model they had of
the same pc. Look under printer - add printer and sure enought the g85xi
printer was list and driver was installed. Once I saw that and given the
lack of ownership with GW support over the phone I decided against the
replacement and got my money back. I am sure the replacement would have had
the same problem if it was imaged from the same source.
Also I was very unhappy with HP when I called asking just to get a copy of
the driver. They wanted to charge my $59 to help me. I did not need help -
just the driver but they refused to provide it. In fact the first reaction
the HP person had was it was not supported - I told him to look at his
website!


Thanks again.

 

[huwyngr]

I'm glad you have resolved it -- did you decide to buy a different
make/model of laptop or what?

If you saw that on their demo (did it have the same version of VISTA?)
that the G85cxi was listed why do you think it would not install?

I repeat my suggestion that you look for a newer VISTA compatible
printer since the G85 is fairly old from the impression I get at
looking at earlier driver software for it. I think you would be pleased
with quality and speed.

I don't think you should take the line that HP "owe" you a driver since
they say (apparently correctly) that it should be in VISTA. That it is
not is not their fault but Gateway's it would seem. It's not as if
VISTA was out when that printer was first launched.

If you do decide to keep the printer and try a different laptop with
VISTA then I suggest you follow the instructions carefully with regard
to installing the printer under VISTA.

If that does not work then DOWNLOAD the exe file here:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=o
j-6106-3&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=58305&os=228&lang=en

and follow the instructions very carefully.

where it says:

6 Run the downloaded .exe file.....

is where you should right mouse click on the exe file, select
Properties and then the Compatibility TAB and on that TAB set the
compatibility and the Run as Administrator and OK your way out.

This has always worked for me and for others although in my case I have
only done it on straight printers and not AiO's.

Good luck -- I'd like to hear what you end up doing and I hope that
will include writing to Gateway and telling them why you returned their
laptop for a refund!

 

[John Gee]

Thanks - For now I am going to stick with my XP machine and what for
president day weekend for the next sale. I was frustrated with HP in that
they don't make the driver available on their website like they had for other
o.s. ie xp.

I think that another vendor won't be an issue and possibly gateway
replacement would have had the driver on it - just was put off by the lack of
customer support. I will write to gateway.

Thanks again for you assistance. In the end I may spring for a new printer
- it is just the officejet works fine and gives me the fax capability built
into it. I new equivilent printer with fax, copier, scanning was just not in
my budget now.

 

[huwyngr]

For now I am going to stick with my XP machine

Good idea -- and if you get a new VISTA machine you could always keep
the XP machine and network it to the laptop -- perhaps using a wireless
router -- so that you could print from the laptop via the XP machine
feeding the printer. However you may still have to install a printer
driver on the laptop ....

And as I may have mentioned, most scanners will not work over a
network.