Why wouldn't Windows XP have a default driver for the HP OJd145 printer?

[Bob Headrick]

QUESTION 1 (about the corporate download):
Did I interpret the data correctly to assume corporate users are
allowed to
download a much smaller printer driver (kilobytes rather than hundreds
of
megabytes) than the consumer users (for the HP OJ D145)?

Actually anyone can download and use the smaller driver from
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...product=64992&lang=en&softwareitem=oj-11520-2.
It does not provide all the features. HP considers it more suitable for
a corp. environment but it would probably meet your needs. The download
is about 8 Mbytes. I just downloaded it and installed it, it has some
additional features that the 855 driver would not provide: double sided
printing, paper tray selection and automatic paper type selection are
some features I noticed.

QUESTION 2 (about the alternative printer driver):
Did I interpret the table correctly to say that an alternative HP
printer
driver for the HP OJ D145 on Windows XP SP2 is the HP Deskjet 855c BUT
if I
want to find the printer driver native on Windows XP SP2 (see note 1
in the
suggested URL) I cant' use the DeskJet 855c. I have to use the HP
Deskjet
500c instead???

No, note 1 says you could *also* use the Deskjet 500c driver, not that
you have to. The 855 driver may provide somewhat better print quality
and is built into XP / SP2 as well. You could use the "Add printer"
wizard, select "HP" as the manufacturer (not "Hewlett-Packard").

In summary, my two questions are:
Q1: Should I use the corporate download for a home user to install my
HP OJ
D145 printer on WinXP?

Yes, this is probably the best choice. It will allow scanning as well
as printing and more features than the 855 driver.

Q2: Or should I use the default WinXP SP2 "HP Deskjet 500c" printer
driver?
(or, did I interpret the URLs incorrectly in that it seems to me the
recommended HP DeskJet 855c is NOT part of Windows but will work if
downloaded from HP)?

If for some reason you do not want to use the corporate driver I would
suggest the built-in 855c driver. There is no 855c driver download from
HP, the driver is included with XP. See
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lang=en&docname=bpd09005&lang=en&cc=us

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[Sharon B.]

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=64992&lang=en&os=228
Notice the item at the top of the driver-listing section is
an approximately 38 MB download; however, the bottom item is, in
comparison, a scant 7.3 MB.
some functions will be through the font panel controls only.

Hi Tom Ferguson,

That was a wonderful synopsys of the situation.
You explained both HP's point of view, and that of the corporate & consumer
(along with the caveats).

In my case, I never use the scan or copy or fax or maintenance or paper
size or enlargement, etc. features of the HP OfficeJet D145 outside of the
control panel on the HP all-in-one printer. When I am on the computer, I
just print to the printer. Boring, but true.

I will download the large and small(er) drivers you suggested at:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=64992&lang=en&os=228
to see which ones fit our needs best.

Thank you so very much for the insight and for the URL!
Sharon B.

 

[Sharon B.]

Anyone can download and use the smaller driver from
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...product=64992&lang=en&softwareitem=oj-11520-2.
It does not provide all the features.
It has some features that the 855 driver would not provide:
double sided printing, paper tray selection and automatic paper type

The 855 driver may provide somewhat better print quality
and is built into XP / SP2 as well. You could use the "Add printer"
wizard, select "HP" as the manufacturer (not "Hewlett-Packard").
Yes, this is probably the best choice.
It will allow scanning as well as printing
and more features than the 855 driver.
If for some reason you do not want to use the corporate driver
I would suggest the built-in 855c driver.
There is no 855c driver download from HP,
the 855c driver is included with XP.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lang=en&docname=bpd09005&lang=en&cc=us

Hi Bob Headrick,

Your answer shows why you need to be nominated for the Nobel prize for
printing! You answered it all for me and for everyone who wishes to install
just a smaller printer driver instead of the huge inefficient HP
scanner/fax/copier/editor/share-to-web-upload/etc software that I've
installed a hundred times over the years but have never used once.

I never scan to my computer (I just use the buttons on the printer to copy)
and I never fax to/from my computer, nor do I control the printer from the
computer (that's why the printer has a front panel on it) ... so I think
the smaller corporate download is just the right thing for me.

Instead of yet again installing all the HPOJD145 drivers and software (in
addition to yet another HP software registration request for the umpteeenth
time) - I'll just load the corporate driver (which is four times smaller,
in comparison) ... which apparently (based on your research) still gives us
reasonable functionality (printing + scanning).

Thank you again, Bob Headrick, for your wonderful advice.
You are a honor to HP and I hope they serve you well!

Sharon B. E.