XP printer driver woes

[Bill Jillians]

Hello there, thank you for reading this.

I just upgraded to XP after putting it off for a year. I wish I had put
it off for longer. After grappling with the modem for the best part of
a day I finally got it working.

Now I have turned my attention to getting the printer working and that
is proving to be even worse (but at least I can now share my problems on
the Internet). I have two printers, an ancient Fujitsu RX7100 which is
compatible with a HP laserjet plus in Windows 98 and with a laserjet II
on other popular software. I tried the drivers in XP Professional (SP1)
with each of Laserjet, Laserjet Plus and Laserjet II. For each one the
line feed was interpreted as a page feed by the printer and reams of
paper came out with one line printed on each. No joy there.
I tried the HP website for a driver. Nothing beyond ME and no
indication of any problems with the XP driver on the disk noted.

My other printer is an Epson Stylus Photo 830U for which I have the
drivers on a disk. It needs USB and I don't have USB provided on the
computer. What I have is a PCI to USB card (an OPTI 82C861). And guess
what ... XP doesn't have a driver that works it. I have been to Totally
Drivers and they have drivers up to ME which claim to work with XP but
which people have written very unflattering comments about its ability
to work with XP. I haven't tried the driver jet (its an 8 minute
download on my dial up system that there is a good chance won't work
anyway.).

I just thought I would write my problems down in case somebody has a
better idea than "download service pack 2" which I am loath to do at
present. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. I'm going to take
a well earned break from this problem for a while.

Bill

 

[Paul Heslop]

I just thought I would write my problems down in case somebody has a
better idea than "download service pack 2" which I am loath to do at
present. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. I'm going to take
a well earned break from this problem for a while.

Bill

Don't have any answers but you have my sympathies. When i first moved
to XP a couple of years back it was hell. I lost a scanner, my printer
was virtually useless and a couple of bits which came with the new XP
installed computer were basically rubbish, but new rubbish. I guess
the first thing I would consider would be to buy a newer usb card,
should be reasonable priced compared to some of the other stuff, then
you can work your way up slowly.

It does get easier over time but if you're skint or love your old
stuff then it hurts.

 

[Charlie+]

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 20:07:57 GMT, Bill Jillians <"\"Bill
Jillians\""@virgin.SPAM_NO_THANKS.net.SPAM_OFF> wrote as underneath my
scribble :

IMHO SP2 probably wont make any difference to your printer drivers -
HP seem to be the worst offenders not producing full facility updated
drivers for newer OS is their policy - perhaps dont buy HP or
equivalent - we switched to Canon due to perfectly good HP printers
being crippled by generic only drivers available with WXP. At least it
has saved us a fortune in ink so far!
Charlie+

 

[ato_zee]

XP2 doesn't make any difference, the MS$ drivers are still a complete mess,
both for the LaserJet II and Epson printers, you would have thought that with
all the complaints MS$ would have fixed them with SP2. So much for the
fat cats at Redmond.

The galling thing is that the Win98 drivers worked fairly well, well were
useable. Obviously MS don't actually test their drivers on the hardware
they are for, and certainly don't use them, or they would fix them.

 

[me]

XP2 doesn't make any difference, the MS$ drivers are still a complete mess,
both for the LaserJet II and Epson printers, you would have thought that with
all the complaints MS$ would have fixed them with SP2. So much for the
fat cats at Redmond.

The galling thing is that the Win98 drivers worked fairly well, well were
useable. Obviously MS don't actually test their drivers on the hardware
they are for, and certainly don't use them, or they would fix them.

Have you tried NT or Win2K drivers? IIRC I'm using Win2K drivers under
XP, because Canon/EFI didn't update the drivers.

 

[André Coutanche]

Bill Jillians" <"\"Bill Jillians\" wrote:

I just thought I would write my problems down in case somebody has a
better idea than "download service pack 2" which I am loath to do at
present.

*****

Alas, I have no specific insight to offer. But, as a general point,
while installing SP2 may well be no help in solving the problem (and
others have confirmed this), may I ask whether you intend *ever* to
install SP2? Because if you are going to sometime (i.e. you are going
to stick with XP, warts and all), then you might as well do it now, it
seems to me, and then solve the printer problems. Otherwise the SP2
install may break whatever you've managed to fix :-( .

André Coutanche

 

[Arthur Entlich]

I do feel your pain.

Look for Win 2000 drivers, they often will work, if available, with XP.

Some printers and other peripherals do indeed become obsolete due to
lack of drivers for newer operating systems.

Art

 

[Arthur Entlich]

MS doesn't write the drivers they provide in box with their operating
systems. They do test them to certain specifications, but they are
provided by the manufacturers, or from the suppliers to those manufacturers.

Art

 

[ato_zee]

MS doesn't write the drivers they provide in box with their operating
systems. They do test them to certain specifications, but they are
provided by the manufacturers, or from the suppliers to those manufacturers.

That only explains why the Linux drivers work and the MS$ ones don't.

 

[Jim]

That only explains why the Linux drivers work and the MS$ ones don't.

The drivers for my Epson 1280 worked quite well under Windows 98SE. The
equivalent one for Windows XP also work well. MS does not provide drivers
for printers because every printer has its own little quirks.
Jim

 

[Bill Jillians]

Quietly we read <[email protected]>,
unable to contain our credulity we realized that André Coutanche

Bill Jillians" <"\"Bill Jillians\" wrote:



*****

Alas, I have no specific insight to offer. But, as a general point,
while installing SP2 may well be no help in solving the problem (and
others have confirmed this), may I ask whether you intend *ever* to
install SP2? Because if you are going to sometime (i.e. you are going
to stick with XP, warts and all), then you might as well do it now, it
seems to me, and then solve the printer problems. Otherwise the SP2
install may break whatever you've managed to fix :-( .

André Coutanche

The problem is XP in its infinite wisdom decided to install itself on a
2Gb partition when I had 5Gb available on the drive I assumed it would
install on. Bad, bad XP, it never even asked me. Now I have only 200Mb
left in space on that drive so I rather doubt I can install SP2 without
a complete reinstall of XP on another drive.

I think this systems life span now can be measured in days anyway, if I
can't get the printer drivers. I'm quite keen on upgrading to something
from this century the more I think about it. Provided it all works and
I loose no functionality.

 

[Roger Hamlett]

MS doesn't write the drivers they provide in box with their operating
systems. They do test them to certain specifications, but they are
provided by the manufacturers, or from the suppliers to those
manufacturers.

Art

Actually MS, write a lot more drivers than you would think. A major part
of their business is writing drivers for other companies. Many have now
got rid of their own development teams, and farm this work back to MS. HP
started doing this a few years ago, and the drivers for newer printers are
MS written, while the code base, and development team who wrote the
drivers for their older kit, have long gone. Unfortunately, these drivers
are only tested on the 'current' kit, not on older models.
First, try SP2. I has a lot of extra USB drivers, and might make your USB
card work. You might then try drivers for other printers like some of the
Panasonic laser units, which themselves 'talk' a HPGL subset, and will
often work with other printers.

Best Wishes

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Well, this is news to me. Where did you get this information from?
What types of drivers are you referring to?

I do know that numerous manufacturers of peripherals farm out their
driver work, but I don't believe MS is doing it for them.

Art

 

[Bill Jillians]

Quietly we read <[email protected]>, unable to contain
our credulity we realized that Paul Heslop

Don't have any answers but you have my sympathies. When i first moved
to XP a couple of years back it was hell. I lost a scanner, my printer
was virtually useless and a couple of bits which came with the new XP
installed computer were basically rubbish, but new rubbish. I guess
the first thing I would consider would be to buy a newer usb card,
should be reasonable priced compared to some of the other stuff, then
you can work your way up slowly.

Oh joy ... just tried the scanner ... that doesn't work properly now.
Looks like I need to find some more nonexistent drivers for something
else.

 

[Paul Heslop]

Quietly we read <[email protected]>, unable to contain
our credulity we realized that Paul Heslop


Oh joy ... just tried the scanner ... that doesn't work properly now.
Looks like I need to find some more nonexistent drivers for something
else.

Apparently the scanner I chucked out did get drivers eventually, but I
mean EVENTUALLY. You may be luckier as I got in their almost
immediately when people were crying into their open tower systems.

 

[Roger Hamlett]

Well, this is news to me. Where did you get this information from?
What types of drivers are you referring to?

HP.
About 18 months ago, we wanted to 'embed' a HP driver, into a system. It
needed some custom modifications, so we contacted HP (we were talking a
serious number of total sales, and a lot of money). After a few weeks of
batting backwards and forwards, we got agreement, that the unit could be
used the way we wanted, and that a custom driver would be sourced. We then
said 'what would you charge to modify your existing driver this way'.
There was a pause, then they came back "can't be done". "Why not". Answer
was "we don't write the drivers anymore, MS do it for us, and you will
have to talk to them". We did, and following some more negotiations, they
generated the custom driver. It was sourced via 'HP', with HP logos, but
we paid MS, and dealt with their development team. Talking to them, it was
suprising how many companies were doing the same...

I do know that numerous manufacturers of peripherals farm out their
driver work, but I don't believe MS is doing it for them.

Art

Best Wishes

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Very interesting.

Thanks for the info.

Art

HP.
About 18 months ago, we wanted to 'embed' a HP driver, into a system. It
needed some custom modifications, so we contacted HP (we were talking a
serious number of total sales, and a lot of money). After a few weeks of
batting backwards and forwards, we got agreement, that the unit could be
used the way we wanted, and that a custom driver would be sourced. We then
said 'what would you charge to modify your existing driver this way'.
There was a pause, then they came back "can't be done". "Why not". Answer
was "we don't write the drivers anymore, MS do it for us, and you will
have to talk to them". We did, and following some more negotiations, they
generated the custom driver. It was sourced via 'HP', with HP logos, but
we paid MS, and dealt with their development team. Talking to them, it was
suprising how many companies were doing the same...




Best Wishes

 

[Bill Jillians]

Quietly we read <[email protected]>, unable to contain
our credulity we realized that Paul Heslop

Apparently the scanner I chucked out did get drivers eventually, but I
mean EVENTUALLY. You may be luckier as I got in their almost
immediately when people were crying into their open tower systems.

I may be able to limp through for the time being. Bought a cheap Epson
colour printer in a boot sale for 4 quid. Installed the drivers and it
works albeit that I need a new cartridge so that should get me though
the next few weeks.

I have a combines printer scanner that I was selling that I had
forgotten about so when the new system gets set up I will probably use
that. Seeing as the old stuff works with Win98SE and I have the drivers
I'll probably sell it off cheap when I sell a second hand system.

On a different note ... if I may pick your brains, if a recent Celeron
computer doesn't display ANYTHING on the screen is the likelihood the
motherboard is gone. There are 3 possibilities it seems, memory,
processor or motherboard. I tried swapping the memory and that didn't
change anything. I haven't got a replacement Celeron processor so I
just wondered if the processor was broken would there be absolutely
nothing from the motherboard during book up process. If I can get this
system working it is sufficiently powerful for me to use it for my
upgrade.

 

[Paul Heslop]

Quietly we read <[email protected]>, unable to contain
our credulity we realized that Paul Heslop


I may be able to limp through for the time being. Bought a cheap Epson
colour printer in a boot sale for 4 quid. Installed the drivers and it
works albeit that I need a new cartridge so that should get me though
the next few weeks.

I have a combines printer scanner that I was selling that I had
forgotten about so when the new system gets set up I will probably use
that. Seeing as the old stuff works with Win98SE and I have the drivers
I'll probably sell it off cheap when I sell a second hand system.

Good luck :O)

On a different note ... if I may pick your brains, if a recent Celeron
computer doesn't display ANYTHING on the screen is the likelihood the
motherboard is gone. There are 3 possibilities it seems, memory,
processor or motherboard. I tried swapping the memory and that didn't
change anything. I haven't got a replacement Celeron processor so I
just wondered if the processor was broken would there be absolutely
nothing from the motherboard during book up process. If I can get this
system working it is sufficiently powerful for me to use it for my
upgrade.

Well, as far as I know you would get beeps if something was happening
and that can help experts tell you what the problem is. If there are
no beeps and a dead screen then there's obviously a pretty big
problem. It sounds like the motherboard to be honest, but can you hear
the power coming on at all?

When my machines have died on me they've all gone in pretty
spectacular ways (loud rattles, pinging noises from inside and once an
explosion!) so it's been pretty easy to tell what was going on.

I'm no expert though so I hope someone can give you a nudge in the
right direction.

 

[Simon Elliott]

Bill Jillians wrote:

On a different note ... if I may pick your brains, if a recent Celeron
computer doesn't display ANYTHING on the screen is the likelihood the
motherboard is gone. There are 3 possibilities it seems, memory,
processor or motherboard.

.... Power Supply?