HP 712C and XP problem

[HistoryFan]

Hello. Just got a new computer (Dell 2400) running Windows XP Home
Edition. Instead of buying a new printer, I thought I'd try and use my
trusty old HP 712C.

Windows XP recognized the printer right away when I plugged it in, and
installed the correct driver. Well, I assume its the correct driver, as
712C is listed in the Printers and Faxes folder.

The printer works fine with B&W jobs, but color printouts look
terrible. Everything is smeared and blurry. I didn't have this trouble
with Windows 98, so it must be an XP setting. Any ideas how to fix this?

 

[Quaoar]

Hello. Just got a new computer (Dell 2400) running Windows XP
Home Edition. Instead of buying a new printer, I thought I'd try and
use my trusty old HP 712C.

Windows XP recognized the printer right away when I plugged it
in, and installed the correct driver. Well, I assume its the correct
driver, as 712C is listed in the Printers and Faxes folder.

The printer works fine with B&W jobs, but color printouts look
terrible. Everything is smeared and blurry. I didn't have this
trouble with Windows 98, so it must be an XP setting. Any ideas how
to fix this?

There are two options: find an XP compatible driver from HP. Otherwise,
open the printer from the Printers control panel, select both Properties
and Printing Preferences from the Printer menu and look around. You
might get lucky with a paper quality setting.

 

[HistoryFan]

Let me add something. I went to HP's website, and ran a diagnostic
test that scanned my computer to make sure I had the latest driver for my
printer. The test said I did.

 

[HistoryFan]

Sigh. I just printed out a B&W document, and it is all smeared up.

 

[Smith]

Sigh. I just printed out a B&W document, and it is all smeared up.

 

[Trev]

Hello. Just got a new computer (Dell 2400) running Windows XP Home
Edition. Instead of buying a new printer, I thought I'd try and use my
trusty old HP 712C.

Windows XP recognized the printer right away when I plugged it in, and
installed the correct driver. Well, I assume its the correct driver, as
712C is listed in the Printers and Faxes folder.

The printer works fine with B&W jobs, but color printouts look
terrible. Everything is smeared and blurry. I didn't have this trouble
with Windows 98, so it must be an XP setting. Any ideas how to fix this?

The drivers for older printers are built into XP and Hp do not supply
updated ones. What you need to do is Right click on the printer in control
panel select properties and adjust the default settings as it may be on
draft

 

[HistoryFan]

What you need to do is Right click on the printer in control panel select
properties and adjust the default settings as it may be on draft>>

What do you mean by 'draft'?

As far as I can tell, all the settings are correct.

 

[Andrew Rossmann]

properties and adjust the default settings as it may be on draft>>

What do you mean by 'draft'?

As far as I can tell, all the settings are correct.

Right-click the printer in the Printer folder. Pick Printing
Preferences. Make any changes there. Make certain it isn't set to 'Draft'
or 'Fast' or whatever it's called. You probably want Normal or even Best.
There should also be a Services tab, which you can use to run a
cleanining, which could be a possible problem.

Also, you need to be clearer what you mean by 'blurry'. Do you mean it
appears to be lower resolution, or is the actual printing looking smeared?
Maybe you coincidentally got some dust or something on the printheads? Did
you change paper type or brand? Are all the cables fully seated after
moving and changing things around?

Basically, you are stuck with those drivers. The HP 7xx series are host-
based, meaning your computer's CPU does most of the work. The printer only
understands a special, low-level graphics mode. You cannot try alternate
drivers. HP does not have Win2K or XP drivers. I don't think even WinME is
officially supported by the 9x drivers, although I guess it would work.

 

[HistoryFan]

Right-click the printer in the Printer folder. Pick Printing
Preferences. Make any changes there. Make certain it isn't set to 'Draft'
or 'Fast' or whatever it's called. You probably want Normal or even Best.

It is set to 'normal'.

There should also be a Services tab, which you can use to run a
cleanining, which could be a possible problem.

I've done that 4 times now. Didn't help.

Also, you need to be clearer what you mean by 'blurry'. Do you mean it
appears to be lower resolution, or is the actual printing looking smeared?

Text and images print out looking as though they were placed on top
of each other. They aren't sorted correctly. The actual printing is
smeared.

Maybe you coincidentally got some dust or something on the printheads? Did
you change paper type or brand?

No

Are all the cables fully seated after

moving and changing things around?
Yes

Basically, you are stuck with those drivers. The HP 7xx series are host-
based, meaning your computer's CPU does most of the work. The printer only
understands a special, low-level graphics mode. You cannot try alternate
drivers. HP does not have Win2K or XP drivers. I don't think even WinME is
officially supported by the 9x drivers, although I guess it would work.

Looks as though I may have to get a new printer

 

[HistoryFan]

I solved the problem.

I forgot to mention this in previous posts, but my printer was
sharing a parallel port with an old flatbed scanner. This scanner's
software/and or driver was causing the trouble with the poor print quality.
I unplugged the scanner, and plugged the printer directly into the computer.
Print jobs look normal. Now I need to get a new scanner, the USB version.
Oh well. At least they're cheaper than printers.

 

[Charlie+]

If its anything like my W2000 setup - try printing in greyscale,
choose black and white only in the printer options and see if you get
a reasonable print out, with W2000 you get the same sort of cut down
drivers for these printers as XP and most of the options you had under
W98 etc are greyed out and unselectable. The problem is that the
colour cartridge with these drivers cannot be turned off by printing
black text or black anything when the printer 'colour' option is
selected as was the case in the old drivers where if you were printing
a black subject even in a colour document this was done automatically
with the black cart which has a much higher resolution anyway .
If you have your colour/black carts unaligned then this might be
giving you the smearing. ie. You think you are printing just black
but the colour cartridge is adding its bit ( mainly blue) out of
alignment, with the black. Trying like suggested at least will tell
you which cartridge is not performing properly. You have run an
alignment under the services tab with your new setup I hope??
Bloody HP not providing proper updated drivers. I dont think they
have any idea how much damage they are doing to their reputation.
If you are going to go for another printer dont go for HP - it will
only encourage them to treat their customers like sh*t - AGAIN!
Charlie+

 

[HistoryFan]

Thanks for the responses, but please see my earlier post titled
"Problem Solved."

This issue was fixed by unplugging the printer from my scanner, and
plugging it directly into the computer. You see, the scanner and printer
were sharing the same parallel port. This setup worked fine on my old
Gateway PC running Windows 98, but it is apparently incompatible on my Dell
computer running XP Home. Now, print jobs look fine.

 

[Andrew Rossmann]

I solved the problem.

I forgot to mention this in previous posts, but my printer was
sharing a parallel port with an old flatbed scanner. This scanner's
software/and or driver was causing the trouble with the poor print quality.
I unplugged the scanner, and plugged the printer directly into the computer.
Print jobs look normal. Now I need to get a new scanner, the USB version.
Oh well. At least they're cheaper than printers.

You could buy an add-on parallel port card. They are quite cheap. But
then, so are today's scanners...