Keep losing HP printers

[Guest]

I have Laserjet 1010 USB and Deskjet 895cxi parallel printers connected to a
Windows XP SP2 system.

The system has just 'lost' both printers for about the 4th time.

Each time, following advice from the XP Knowledge Base I have removed the
printers from the Registry and reinstalled them and they work for a while,
then go missing again.

Has anyone an idea why the system should keep on losing the printers please?

Thanks

Jackie

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

Press winkey-break(or start/run 'sysdm.cpl') ,/Hardware tab Open the Device manager and click the + sign next to Ports(COM & LPT).
select the printer port, e.g. ECP Printer Port (LPT1). Port Settings tab check the 'Enable legacy Plug and Play detection'

 

[frodo]

how exactly are they "lost"?

I know that HP USB printers often install a shortcut in the Startup folder
that launches their "manager" into the taskbar [I think it's called HP
Director]. This shortcut contains a long, cryptic parameter that
identifies the USB port the printer is connected to. If you move the
printer to another port then the tray icon stops working. Or, if you
accidentaly delete the shortcut you just can't get it back, w/o doing a
complete remove and reinstall - PITA! [The XP SP2 Update screws w/ all
the shortcuts in the startup folder, rebuilding them, and it strips this
one of its very important parameter - arg@!].

So, I always make a backup copy of that shortcut, just in case. It's
saved me a couple of times.

For a smart company, HP does some pretty dumb things. Aren't they the
ones who originally coined the K.I.S.S. slogan anyway?? They have
wandered far from their garage roots; their CEO severance package is sweet
tho, Carly's grinnin' all the way to the bank...

kiss - keep it simple, stupid

 

[Guest]

....blame hp for this. Their lousy interface software for the 'home' printer &
aio series apparently works only for a limited time after a cold boot (hp
emailed me that many of them, like ours, are intended for home use, hence the
name 'officejet'). Sorry, this is the state of the world, not a solution.

Helge.