Cannot print from Vista

[John Byrne]

I have a printer server (Linksys WPS54GU2) attached to my network with a
Canon MP150 and HP Laserjet 5P/5MP installed. This worked fine with a Vista
Ultimate upgrade install fron Windows XP Pro. After having other problems
with with Vista, I decided on advice to do a clean install. This worked OK
and I installed the printer drivers directly from Vista. The test print
worked. After a shutdown and reboot, the printers dissappeared completely
from the system. Anything I attempt to fix this problem always runs into
the print spooler stopping. I think that any software that queries the
spooler service causes it to stop.
Catch 22 - If it is a driver problem, I cannot reinstall a newer driver -
the software needs the print spooler running.
The printer server cannot uninstall or reinstall for the same reason. It
cannot install another driver (AddPort fail error).
The Vista add printer fails as it also needs to check that the spooler is
running. After a number of spooler restarts the error code 0x000006be
comes up.
Removal of all references to the installed printers in the registry and
Windows\spool deletions have no effect, the print spooler service still
stops when reinstalling.
I have tried numerous other suggestions to no avail - the spooler keeps
stopping. All other machines on my home network can print (XP Pro).

One step forward - three steps back. Any suggestions?

 

[Alan Morris [MSFT]]

Make sure you delete the driver registry entries and the print processor
entries. If not the drivers will be loaded and can kill the spooler.

Bruce has some tips
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[John Byrne]

I have now found out the source of my problem. I installed Office 2000
using its default settings and the installation kills the printing system on
vista. It's the Symantec fax printer driver, installed by default, that
causes the problem, but there is no sign of it on my machine in the
registry under Print or in the windows spool directory. The removal of all
other printer drivers has no effect on curing the problem. The corruption
of the spooler service causes further problems with other software and you
end up with a very sick machine. For anyone installing old Office 2000 on a
vista machine, do a custom installation, and exclude the Symantec Fax
driver.

Make sure you delete the driver registry entries and the print processor
entries. If not the drivers will be loaded and can kill the spooler.

Bruce has some tips
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.

I have a printer server (Linksys WPS54GU2) attached to my network with a
Canon MP150 and HP Laserjet 5P/5MP installed. This worked fine with a
Vista Ultimate upgrade install fron Windows XP Pro. After having other
problems with with Vista, I decided on advice to do a clean install. This
worked OK and I installed the printer drivers directly from Vista. The
test print worked. After a shutdown and reboot, the printers
dissappeared completely from the system. Anything I attempt to fix this
problem always runs into the print spooler stopping. I think that any
software that queries the spooler service causes it to stop.
Catch 22 - If it is a driver problem, I cannot reinstall a newer driver -
the software needs the print spooler running.
The printer server cannot uninstall or reinstall for the same reason. It
cannot install another driver (AddPort fail error).
The Vista add printer fails as it also needs to check that the spooler is
running. After a number of spooler restarts the error code 0x000006be
comes up.
Removal of all references to the installed printers in the registry and
Windows\spool deletions have no effect, the print spooler service still
stops when reinstalling.
I have tried numerous other suggestions to no avail - the spooler keeps
stopping. All other machines on my home network can print (XP Pro).

One step forward - three steps back. Any suggestions?