new hardware found, AGAIN

[bryan 31588513]

I'm running xp sp1 home ed. every time i boot up i get
told FOUND NEW HARDARE - for a printer. that i dont
have!!!! i've checked the "dont ask me to install again"
box b ut it still insists on trying to install. I cannot
find the connection in device mgr or anywhere else. Is
there somewhere in the registry or boot files that i can
stop it "FINDING" this imaginary printer.
I do have a printer installed but all the software is
present and correct, even with this one unplugged from my
pc it still finds a printer and starts the install
hardware wizard again. I try to complete the wizard when
it does ask but I cant find what printer it wants to
install as there is only one in my printers folder, and
this is MY one.
PLEASE HELP
thanks

 

[Ray Lewis]

Startup tab at msconfig is the first place I'd look.
..ini and/or .inf files? See if you can see any related to the name of the
printer?

 

[Guest]

I have tried looking everywhere, .ini's inc. the problem
is it's not being specific, it just says "new hardware
found - PRINTER" not what type or anything.
i've stopped it by disabling ALL services but thats the
only way which obviously you cant do.
Thanks

 

[Alex Nichol]

I'm running xp sp1 home ed. every time i boot up i get
told FOUND NEW HARDARE - for a printer. that i dont
have!!!! i've checked the "dont ask me to install again"
box b ut it still insists on trying to install. I cannot
find the connection in device mgr or anywhere else. Is
there somewhere in the registry or boot files that i can
stop it "FINDING" this imaginary printer.

I would get round this by following through the install, taking say a
Generic Text printer if it does not suggest anything specific. Then go
to
Control Panel - System - Hardware - Device Manager
and in View click 'Show Hidden devices'. Look for the spurious one in
Printers, and double click, at the bottom select 'Do not use this device
(Disable)' and it will not show up

 

[Guest]

alex,
thanks very much! problem sorted. if you have time, why is it finding
something which isnt there and has never been there?
thanks again
bryan

 

[Alex Nichol]

thanks very much! problem sorted. if you have time, why is it finding
something which isnt there and has never been there?

I suspect is is a mis-formatted message being sent from a device when
PnP interrogates it; so it does not seem to match entries that are
around, and hence comes around again. Possibly appearing to be
something quite unrelated to what it really is