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23532
December 6th, 2010 11:00
Studio XPS USB Port Problem
I just got my new Studio XPS 8100 with Windows 7. When I plugged my HP Photosmart C3180 printer into the usb port on back( which the document said was intended for devices such as a printer), the system could not recognize what kind of device it was. It showed that there was an Unknown device on the port. I downloaded the driver from HPs site that is for 64-bit Win 7 and rebooted, but nothing changed. Then I unplugged it and replugged it into the usb port on top of the unit. Immediately it recognized the printer and I can print normally to it. The strange thing is I have another printer that I attached to the back usb port and it recognizes it and I can print to it. When I got the Dell tech who accessed my system remotely he tried various drivers and finally said the problem was HPs not Dell's. I don't see how this can be a driver problem. Anyone have an idea what I can do next?
fireberd
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December 6th, 2010 12:00
The "normal" way of installing peripherals, such as a printer, is to (1) Run the printers installation program and (2) ONLY physically connect the device when the install program tells you. If you connect it first either it will fail or Windows may install incorrect drivers. In this case with the HP, you connected it and it wasn't recognized and marked as an unknown device. Then you downloaded and installed the drivers and when you connected it to a different USB port it was recognized since the drivers were installed and Windows installed the device and it works.
There are a few printers that drivers are built into Windows and on these specific devices, which usually are older devices and only "minimum operation" drivers are installed by Windows (from drivers that the printer vendor has supplied).
Thus your 8100 is working properly and if you had installed the drivers for the HP C3180 first it would have worked on the rear port when you plugged it in.
Redbird405
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December 6th, 2010 13:00
According to the tech once the correct driver is installed it should recognize the printer whenever it is plugged in and turned on. Since I can print to it plugged into the top usb port and it is recognized there, it would make sense that if I power the system down, replug it into the back usb port and boot it up again, it should recognize the printer(since the correct driver is installed.) This does not happen.I shouldn't have to run an install program each time I move it to a different port. That negates the concept of plug and play. It still does not recognize the printer on the back port but does on the top port. I do no see how it is an issue of the driver or installation.
Redbird405
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December 7th, 2010 06:00
I went several times to the HP website and followed their installation process for the Photosmart series to no avail.The system still said UNKNOWN Device on port. But the problem appears to be solved now but I don't know why. I borrowed an HP usb cable from a friend and swapped my cable with it. He attached my old cable to his printer and I attached his to mine. Both printers are working fine right now. I know that the old cable was plugged in fully and correctly, but what the problem was with it I don't know.