Can't access my printer

ozchick · Post by **ozchick** » Mon, 15 Oct 2007 8:48 pm

Have installed my HP printer with manufacturer's accompanying disc. to my new Acer lap-top. The printer is installed cos I can see it in the start menu under printers and faxes. The printer is on and has new ink cartridges loaded and I've plugged the cable from it to a correct port in lap-top.
When I go to the 'print' menu it looks as if it's going to print, but then doesn't . It also doesn't say that it's not printing or why it's not. I'm hopeless with computers but this is really getting to me.
At first I was using my lap-top in wireless mode but when I tried 'wired' mode this didn't help either.
Have a feeling it's to do with the cords from router to lap-top or mode or ??? I could contact the HP people but ithere's no phone number and this si SO difficult to do via email. Any help appreciated.
Thanks Oz.

Asian_Geekette · Post by **Asian_Geekette** » Mon, 15 Oct 2007 8:56 pm

Can you check if the printer you installed is the "default" printer? Like it has a check mark besides it under "Printers and Faxes" from Start Menu.

And have you also done a test print page after you installed the printer?

ozchick · Post by **ozchick** » Mon, 15 Oct 2007 9:17 pm

Couldn't do the 'print test' page when that option came up after installing. Went through all the trouble-shooting gear on xp windows and this didn't help eithe. Kept going around in circles.
I understand what you mean by default printer. I have this option on my PC at work. But that option is not on drop-down menu under 'printers and faxes' on my lap-top. When I go to print I see "Select Printer". In the box below that are 3 icons -1.Add Printer/2.HP Deskjet D24OO SER..... /3. HP Deskjet DS4OO series
This is because when the whole thing didn't work I decided to onstall it again ! So now I have 2 of them looking at me ...oh dear...
Should I be able to access the printer in wirelss mode- this info would help......

Asian_Geekette · Post by **Asian_Geekette** » Mon, 15 Oct 2007 9:37 pm

That means you have two instances of your printer installed on your laptop. You need to make one of them as your default printer.

Try this:
1. First go to Start>Printers and Faxes
OR
Start>Control Panel>Printers and Faxes.

2. Then make sure your view is set to "Details" (Click View from Menu Bar and select Details).

3. Check if the two instances of your HP Deskjet DS4OO series has the "Ready" status.

4. Rename one instance of your HP Deskjet DS4OO series to "HP Deskjet DS4OO series Printer 1" (Highlight the name and right-click & select "Rename").

5. Now select this printer 1 and set it as your default printer (Highlight the name and right-click & select "Set as Default Printer").

6. Open the document you want to print and then you should see your printer 1 as your default printer now.

Hope this helps. I'll be monitoring this thread for the next 30 minutes if you still need help.

Cheers

bigfilsing · Post by **bigfilsing** » Tue, 16 Oct 2007 8:11 am

Sounds to me like you have installed the print drivers as a direct printer when you actually need a network printer!!

Do you have a cable from your printer directly to your laptop ?

bigfilsing · Post by **bigfilsing** » Tue, 16 Oct 2007 9:35 am

Lets try to isolate the problem.
Disconnect your network cable ( and switch off wireless). This shouldn;t be neccesary but i want to make sure.
Disconnect your printer.
Un install the drivers ( windows control panel > add/remove software then remove the HP software)
restart your lap top.
Power on the printer. Now plug in your printer.
Windows should recognise your printer and a pop up will appear in the bottom righthand side of you screen saying "new device found " or similar. It will then look for drivers and give you options. Now put in the CD that came with the printer and let windows install from the CD.

That should work.
I'll monitor this forum all today so if you need help shout...
Good luck

ksl · Post by **ksl** » Tue, 16 Oct 2007 1:45 pm

I'll monitor this forum all today so if you need help shout...
Good luck

Help!!! Just kidding, you got no work to do today?

Asian_Geekette · Post by **Asian_Geekette** » Tue, 16 Oct 2007 2:30 pm

bigfilsing wrote:Sounds to me like you have installed the print drivers as a direct printer when you actually need a network printer!!

Do you have a cable from your printer directly to your laptop ?

I wrote the instructions above with the assumption that the print device was installed as a network printer.

So ozchick now has two tech people helping her out.

Hey ozchick, are you still there?

bigfilsing · Post by **bigfilsing** » Tue, 16 Oct 2007 3:16 pm

ozchick wrote: The printer is on and has new ink cartridges loaded and I've plugged the cable from it to a correct port in lap-top.
.

This bit of the post would suggest a USB cable ! but then again reference to the wireless etc would suggest a network!

bigfilsing · Post by **bigfilsing** » Tue, 16 Oct 2007 3:18 pm

ksl wrote:
I'll monitor this forum all today so if you need help shout...
Good luck
Help!!! Just kidding, you got no work to do today?

.

Nope .....doing a lot of test rendering so have a bit off time in between each run.

As always people come here for help then disappear

ksl · Post by **ksl** » Wed, 17 Oct 2007 2:59 am

bigfilsing wrote:
ksl wrote:
I'll monitor this forum all today so if you need help shout...
Good luck
Help!!! Just kidding, you got no work to do today?
.

Nope .....doing a lot of test rendering so have a bit off time in between each run.

As always people come here for help then disappear

yep that's normal! I think she is using her printer at home, installed a new printer, and the old printer is still loaded too, so it is on default which is the old one, i guess! No doubt she is not connected to the printer by wireless, just the internet!

bigfilsing · Post by **bigfilsing** » Wed, 17 Oct 2007 1:23 pm

Yep reckon thats the deal. Her default is some network printer ( default) and she doesn't look at the choice of printer option when printing.

Would be nice if she came back and told us how it went.
She must be too busy watching rugby!! Oh hang on a min!! Cant be

ozchick · Post by **ozchick** » Wed, 17 Oct 2007 9:45 pm

So sorry guys- love yas all ! Checking the first few replies first and will get back to you. You guys could save me 65 big ones so I'm not givin' up here ! Oz

ozchick · Post by **ozchick** » Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:01 pm

OK Asia_Geekette- have followed your instructions and now have a highlighted printer(1) but still can't print.

ozchick · Post by **ozchick** » Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:13 pm

Sorry bigfilsing- I've disconnected the printer but having never used a wirelss computer before I don't know how to switch off wireless. As I understand it, if I switch off my computer I've swithched off wireless !

And if I do that I can't read your instructions or the others on this post....mm... Here I am with a computer that came with no instructions- just using it at all has taken me a few weeks and lots of trial and error. I have all sorts of wierdly-named networks deciding if they'll join me whenever I switch on- then popping in and out claiming to have disconnected me when they haven't etc and giving me some grief but nothing like this printer problem.....

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