Bad print drivers from Microsoft update?

[curiosity]

I am living a nightmare trying to keep a printer working on a 2 computer
network.I am working on it and making progress.The printer does work on the
machine it is connected to now.Anyway,down to the gist of things.The cd with
the drivers and picture software must be getting old or something.I have
problems everytime I use it for the pic program.Now the drivers don't even
work.I cleaned out the drivers and the software .On my monthly visit to
Microsoft update,drivers for the printer showed up for download.When I tried
to load the drivers,windows pops up and says the drivers are not digitally
signed and will damage the machine.They came from Microsoft-I ran them
anyway.Windows was right.I had to get them off the machine.The only drivers I
found that work come from Dell and it is the original version not the newest.
Question: is it my machines? Can Microsoft,an installation CD,and Dells
newest version of the drivers be bad?
Both machines were just reformatted and one upgraded to XP Pro.The other is
XP Pro.

 

[Lem]

I am living a nightmare trying to keep a printer working on a 2 computer
network.I am working on it and making progress.The printer does work on the
machine it is connected to now.Anyway,down to the gist of things.The cd with
the drivers and picture software must be getting old or something.I have
problems everytime I use it for the pic program.Now the drivers don't even
work.I cleaned out the drivers and the software .On my monthly visit to
Microsoft update,drivers for the printer showed up for download.When I tried
to load the drivers,windows pops up and says the drivers are not digitally
signed and will damage the machine.They came from Microsoft-I ran them
anyway.Windows was right.I had to get them off the machine.The only drivers I
found that work come from Dell and it is the original version not the newest.
Question: is it my machines? Can Microsoft,an installation CD,and Dells
newest version of the drivers be bad?
Both machines were just reformatted and one upgraded to XP Pro.The other is
XP Pro.

In general, obtaining drivers from Windows Update is *not* a good idea.
For proprietary machines such as Dell, you should get drivers from the
computer manufacturer. Otherwise, get them from the manufacturer of the
particular hardware.

Dell, in particular, may have arranged with a hardware manufacturer to
have special "Dell-only" hardware which will only work with the Dell
drivers -- and thus newer drivers from the hardware mfr. might or might
not work. I know that Dell has done that with ink cartridges for
Dell-badged Lexmark printers.

A good rule of thumb is to *not* update a driver unless you have a
specific reason for doing so, such as a new capability or some
information you've received that there is a bug in the driver version
you have.

To really clean out your printer drivers and start over, follow the
directions here: http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm


--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[curiosity]

Thank you for the reply and the insight.I would never had dreamed that you
could get an unsigned driver from Microsoft.And,I am always reading that you
should use the 'latest driver'.Thanks again.
As for the installation CD that came with the printer,I suppose it is
destined for the trash can.
I have read the threads under the search"spooler subsysem".I saw the link
you provided posted there.I also saw a reference to Microsoft article
324757.I chose to try the procedure in the article because it is done in safe
mode.I have a symantec program installed that loves to make any changes
difficult.
I am not getting any messages regarding the spooler service having to
stop.So,I think I have it licked.Tonight,I will start the network back up and
let drivers transfer from 1 machine to the other.That should finish it.
The machine would report an error with the spooler service at start up and I
didn't even have a printer connected to it.
Thanks again,for responding and being helpful.

 

[Lem]

Thank you for the reply and the insight.I would never had dreamed that you
could get an unsigned driver from Microsoft.And,I am always reading that you
should use the 'latest driver'.Thanks again.
As for the installation CD that came with the printer,I suppose it is
destined for the trash can.
I have read the threads under the search"spooler subsysem".I saw the link
you provided posted there.I also saw a reference to Microsoft article
324757.I chose to try the procedure in the article because it is done in safe
mode.I have a symantec program installed that loves to make any changes
difficult.
I am not getting any messages regarding the spooler service having to
stop.So,I think I have it licked.Tonight,I will start the network back up and
let drivers transfer from 1 machine to the other.That should finish it.
The machine would report an error with the spooler service at start up and I
didn't even have a printer connected to it.
Thanks again,for responding and being helpful.

Thanks for posting back. Good luck.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Tom Ferguson]

As I understand the process, the drivers provided by Windows Update or
Microsoft Update are supplied by the manufacturer or distributer of the
particular printer. They are tested and made available for download. The
advantage of obtaining the driver from the web site of the source of the
first instance is that the driver is usually available there first. So, it
sometimes happens that a driver available through the Microsoft system
proves to not work well with some systems but the slightly later version
from the maker's web site has been fixed. Microsoft does not usually write
device drivers for particular hardware. That is the responsibility of the
maker.

The desirable sourcing is: Maker or distributer's source; Microsoft
Download; Compliant driver download (PS and PCL printers, in particular);
Sister-printer maker or distributer's web site (some printers are
multi-badged but the same printer under the shell), Compatible printer
driver (the driver for a similar printer might support the basic printer
functions and be usable at least until a printer-specific driver is out).

Just my view based on my experience.

Good luck.

Tom
MSMVP 1998-2007