Printers and Win XP. Anyone got a hammer?

[Gouabafla]

I run a small network at home/office. One desktop with two printers installed on USB leads and shared on the network. Then a couple of laptops and another machine in Number one son's bedroom. Normally printing is not a problem, but today I got 'printer not responding' messages when I tried to print either on the network or from the local machine.

I did the usual thing of installing, uninstalling, switching off and unistalling again. Sometimes this sort of thing fixes the problem, but not today. To add to the confusion, when I tried printing to any of the printers from the properties dialogue (test page), the control panel applet crashed and I was left with the desktop. It sounds like there is a fairly fundamental Windows problem, but I can't work out what it is. Any ideas?


Edited to add that a Windows repair/reinstall didn't fix the problem, nor did moving one of the printers to the paralell port.

[G-CPTN]

And the answer is . . . . .

Windows - it's only temporary Gromit . . . :E

[frostbite]

There's a report that a windoze update is causing big problems - especially with HP printers.

Does that apply?

[Gouabafla]

Neither of my printers are HP, but I'd believe anything of Microsoft. When activating by phone (yet again), I told the lady that I wanted to switch to Linux. "Oh, you'll need to speak to our technical support people about that, sir." Yeah, I bet!

[green granite]

Have you tried going to the control panel opening the printers & faxes
dialouge then right click on one of your printers and doing a print test?
also in that area there is a share printer option is that checked?

[DBTL]

Here's how:
1. get a dedicated printer server box that communicates using TCP/IP, and dumps MS's own peripheral sharing scheme. Thus:
http://www.dlink.com/products/support.asp?pid=166&sec=0#quickInstallGuides

The installation guide is also downloadable in a zipped form at the above address, and is an excellent step-by-step representation that will illustrate the changes you need to do infrastructure-wise, which are probably very minor. Other similar products do exist, this one I showed for the purpose of illustration only.

Hope this helps and de-agonizes.:p

[Sh3113y]

The control panel applet usually crashes when it is not able to correctly access/read the printer drivers.

The easiest solution but make sure you are logged on as an administrator is:

Delete both printers from Printers and Faxes. Remove one of the printer USB cables, as it best to get one printer working again first.

Reboot PC, windows should now detect USB device/Printer and either:
prompt for install cd or ask if you wish to use existing drivers. If possible use install cd.

Once install is complete, reboot pc.

View printer in Printers and Faxes, share printer again and check defaults etc. Once complete click apply then close printer dialog box. Reopen and then select Test page.

Finally, plug-in second usb printer cable and repeat install as above.

[Gouabafla]

Thanks folks, I've tried all of these ideas in various combinations, but none of them seem to work. I'll report back if I find the fault.

Amazon will be sending a network print server by first post in the morning!

[Irish Steve]

There's a report that a windoze update is causing big problems - especially with HP printers.

Does that apply?

VERY probably, yes, see post I've added about this major fcuk up

[BOAC]

In case these threads get separated, this is the thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=222263) IS refers to and this is the link (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165) to the MS 'sort it out page.

[Gouabafla]

Thanks for the link. I'm working through it. Just to add to the fun, my print server died completely yesterday so I'm now installing a belkin wireless print server so the laptops can print. But, I'm getting the same effect on with the laptops as with the dead print server - as long as the laptops don't die too.