Dell 966 Photo All-In-One Printer owners thread (W7)

 fscipion,

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware update it and do a quick scan. If you have malware, the Please Read This Before Posting For Malware Removal Help

Rick

I had the same error with the Dell AIO 966 Printer running on Windows 7 64 bit OS.  A windows troubleshooter told me to enable bidirectional support.  I've read through your posts and saw that this option was greyed out for you.  I had trouble finding out where the "enable bidirectional printing" dialog box was.  Here how I found it.  In printers and devices right click on the AIO 966.  Click on printer properties.  On the tabbed panel on the top, click on ports. On the bottom check "enable bidirectional support."  This worked for me.  The strange thing about this error was that it happened out of the blue, after many months, years of working fine.  Most annoying, took days to figure out.  Hope this helps others.  

sorry but there are hundreds of discussions online of poor guys like me who have all tried to set up this Vista 64 bits driver in compatibility mode and run as administrator and IT DOES NOT WORK.

I rever read a single guy saying he managed to do it.

I'm having the same problem. I have a new Dell Studio laptop with Windows 7 that I'm trying to install my 966 printer on. It installs it to the point where it attempts to print the TEST PAGE and then it says that Communication Not Available message (Please turn on "Enable Bidirectional Communication." I find the setting in Devices and the 966 Printer - go to Ports and click on Enable Bidirectional Support - Click on Apply and OK, but then I close it and open it again and the checkbox becomes unchecked and won't stay checked. The printer and cable are working fine b/c it's attached to my other Dell inspiron, but I want to be able to print from my laptop. Already tried manually uninstalling and reinstalling (manually and even from the Printer software) and nothing. Any other suggestions???

Thanks

No other suggestions, sorry : you have tried all that was possible. So did I. So did an IT expert I asked to check. So did the hundreds of people who have been speaking online about this problem since a few years.

Do what I did : stop wasting your time, discard your 966 and buy another printer, from a manufacturer who gives drivers that work with Windows7. 

(the most amazing in your problem, is that it is a DELL laptop not working with a DELL printer. You must really be angry !)

ns-dell,

Make and model of your computer and operating system. 32-bit or 64-bit? If Windows 7, did the computer come with Windows 7 or was it upgraded?

Virus program and firewall you're using?

Is the printer using the wireless adapter or a usb cable?

Rick

I spent about 5 hours yesterday installing, uninstalling, manually removing, updating software (W7) dowloading, etc. I do have W7 64-bit - I saw that in your posts and made sure that I selected that one. I was able to load and activate the All-in-one Center and use the scanning capabilities from but could not Print. Somehow after all of that and after updating Windows 7 I got it to work. So I don't know if it was the W7 update that made it work. But it's okay now and I was not even prompted to "Enable Bidirectional Communication." So thanks for everything.

Hi Pudgyone,

You have helped me before, but my wireless connection stopped working again.

I have followed all your instructions, but nothing works.

the more recent thing I tried was this.

Used the patch to uninstall everything

also used control panel/uninstall program

then i downloaded the vista 32bit, and ran it as administrator (i'm on WIndows 7, 32bit)

The wireless configuration menu comes up with nothing...it can't detect the wireless adpater in my printer.

So i tried to use the ad-hoc installation mode to assign my SSID to my printer.

That worked, but although the wireless showed a good signal (over 80%), it lost all signal within about a minute, so by the time I ran the installation prgoram again, the wireless signal was no longer existant on my printer.

I really don't know what to do next. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

riskaa,

If you could create a new thread in the Dell Printers Forum and explain the problem you're having, I'd be glad to help you.

Make and model of your computer and operating system. 32-bit or 64-bit?

How are you trying to connect the printer to your computer.

If using a wireless router, make and model and type of security, What channel?

If you recently had a power flicker our outage, power off the ISP modem/router and your wireless router(if any) for 30 seconds. Power on the ISP modem/router. Wait 15 seconds, the power on the wireless router(if any)

Unplug the printer from the wall for 30 seconds, then plug it back in and power it on.

Is the printer connected?

Restart your computer.

Rick

Thanks for the information. It will help especially those who are having trouble installing their printer. Keep posting such kind of threads.

Regards,

Hanzen

DRROTR,

Windows 7 or Windows 8 operating system?

In the last batch of Windows Updates, Microsoft installed Internet Explorer 11. IE11 had been causing printer problems.

Open Internet Explorer, click on Help, then click on About Internet Explorer. It should show the version there. If you have IE11, then go to control panel, Windows Update, Installed Updates, look for Internet Explorer 11. Click on Internet Explorer 11, uninstall.

Restart the computer, when prompted. Then see if your fax works.

Rick

Rick- I uninstalled IE 11, and attempted to fax again, and it still says there is an error.  Any other ideas of what I can try?

Debbie

Debbie,

I would uninstall the printer, then install it, using the procedure below.

First run Delete Print Jobs to remove any stuck print job in the queue.

Disconnect the printer.

Download and run the patch(printer cleanup utility) until it prompts you to restart your computer.

Restart your computer. Make sure the printer is removed. Manual Printer Driver Removal

Download the Vista 32-bit drivers for Windows 7 32-bit or the Vista 64-bit drivers for Windows 7 64-bit. Install the Vista drivers in the Vista Compatibility mode You'll get a message, the printer is not connected. Connect the printer at this time(powered on).

Links to the patch/drivers can be found at...

Dell 966 Photo All-In-One Printer owners thread (W7)

Remember virus programs and firewalls will block communications.

Rick

New computer.  W7 Pro.  Fully updated including java.

USB install
I have followed the tutorial but I can't print.

NOTE: at first I could print in Word but nowhere else.  I tried your tutorial again, nuking every instance of the printer and rebooting and reinstalled.  I used Vista SP2 and ran it as Admin.

Now i can't print in Word, or anywhere else.  I get the 'enable bidirectional' but print fails and when i go back to the printer in devices 'enable' is unchecked.