B
Bill Evans
On a Dell 2400 (2.8 GHz P4, 1 GB RAM) running Windows XP SP2, I used an
Epson R300 until the other day. After heavy use for some months, the R300
reached a point where it would print bitmaps far too dark. I could compare
old print-outs to new prints of the same image, and the newer prints were
clearly darker and lacked the contrast of the old prints. This was much
more of a difference than could be attributed to the age of the older
prints.
Since I had a good experience with the first R300, I went out and bought
another R300.
I hooked it up to the USB port and then ran the setup program off of the
included CD. Of course it recognized the R300 immediately upon my
connecting it to the USB port because I had neglected to uninstall and
completely remove the original R300 driver.
Also I kicked myself in the tail when the install program reached the point
where it says "Plug in printer now", but the software installation continued
on past that point with no errors.
When it was done, and the printer was correctly recognized by Windows and
installed correctly pointing to port USB001 (or whatever the USB port is
called), I could try to print from any Windows app, or try to print the test
page, and the print job would enter the queue but never leave!
It would quickly go past the "Spooling" stage and hang at the "Printing"
stage.
After that, I uninstalled all the Epson software under "Add/Remove
Programs", I removed the original Epson printer and the new Epson printer
listed under "Control Panel/Printers", and I manually deleted the folders
under "Program Files" containing the Epson software.
Second time through doing the install I did it in the right sequence, I
didn't plug in the printer until asked to do so by the setup program. SAME
RESULTS.
I deleted and uninstalled everything again, and tried to get the new
software drivers to work with the OLD printer. SAME RESULTS. Print job
enters queue, never leaves.
I deleted and uninstalled everything again, and tried to get the OLD
software drivers off of the CD that came with the first R300 to work with
the OLD printer. SAME RESULTS. Print job enters queue, never leaves. That
combo of the old drivers and the old printer had worked earlier that same
day.
I downloaded the newest driver off of the web site, which is listed as this:
---
Printer Driver v5.5bAs
Windows XP, Windows 2000
epson11315.exe - 7.7MB - posted on 01/19/05
---
Tried that driver with both the old and the new printer. Same results.
I downloaded the latest BIOS and motherboard chipset drivers for the Dell
2400 from Dell.com. SAME RESULTS.
Any suggestions? I eventually carried the new R300 over to another computer
to test it, and it works just fine. Of course I remembered to not plug it
in until asked to do so, but it boggles my mind that that would make that
big a difference when replacing a printer with an identical model Epson
R300.
--
bill evans
(e-mail address removed)
Hartselle, AL
Freeman Dyson: "It's best not to limit our thinking. We can always
air-condition the Earth."
Epson R300 until the other day. After heavy use for some months, the R300
reached a point where it would print bitmaps far too dark. I could compare
old print-outs to new prints of the same image, and the newer prints were
clearly darker and lacked the contrast of the old prints. This was much
more of a difference than could be attributed to the age of the older
prints.
Since I had a good experience with the first R300, I went out and bought
another R300.
I hooked it up to the USB port and then ran the setup program off of the
included CD. Of course it recognized the R300 immediately upon my
connecting it to the USB port because I had neglected to uninstall and
completely remove the original R300 driver.
Also I kicked myself in the tail when the install program reached the point
where it says "Plug in printer now", but the software installation continued
on past that point with no errors.
When it was done, and the printer was correctly recognized by Windows and
installed correctly pointing to port USB001 (or whatever the USB port is
called), I could try to print from any Windows app, or try to print the test
page, and the print job would enter the queue but never leave!
It would quickly go past the "Spooling" stage and hang at the "Printing"
stage.
After that, I uninstalled all the Epson software under "Add/Remove
Programs", I removed the original Epson printer and the new Epson printer
listed under "Control Panel/Printers", and I manually deleted the folders
under "Program Files" containing the Epson software.
Second time through doing the install I did it in the right sequence, I
didn't plug in the printer until asked to do so by the setup program. SAME
RESULTS.
I deleted and uninstalled everything again, and tried to get the new
software drivers to work with the OLD printer. SAME RESULTS. Print job
enters queue, never leaves.
I deleted and uninstalled everything again, and tried to get the OLD
software drivers off of the CD that came with the first R300 to work with
the OLD printer. SAME RESULTS. Print job enters queue, never leaves. That
combo of the old drivers and the old printer had worked earlier that same
day.
I downloaded the newest driver off of the web site, which is listed as this:
---
Printer Driver v5.5bAs
Windows XP, Windows 2000
epson11315.exe - 7.7MB - posted on 01/19/05
---
Tried that driver with both the old and the new printer. Same results.
I downloaded the latest BIOS and motherboard chipset drivers for the Dell
2400 from Dell.com. SAME RESULTS.
Any suggestions? I eventually carried the new R300 over to another computer
to test it, and it works just fine. Of course I remembered to not plug it
in until asked to do so, but it boggles my mind that that would make that
big a difference when replacing a printer with an identical model Epson
R300.
--
bill evans
(e-mail address removed)
Hartselle, AL
Freeman Dyson: "It's best not to limit our thinking. We can always
air-condition the Earth."