Dell Photo 944 all-in-one printer

Lucky09,

 

Please follow my instructions carefully and the Dell All-In-One Center should install for you correctly, it's in the drivers package.

 

First, let's make sure your computer has the latest Windows Updates, especially .net framework, needed to run many applications and the latest Java.

 

Disconnect your printer. Download and run this patch to completely remove the printer from your computer. Rin the patch until it prompts you to restart your computer. The patch MUST be run on Vista machines.

 

Restart your computer.

 

Download the proper drivers.

 

XP Drivers

 

 

Vista 32-bit Drivers

 

Vista 64-bit Drivers

 

 

All other drivers

Install the proper drivers. You'll be prompted when to connect your printer(powered on)

 

 

As for scanning, if you have the disk that came with the printer, then insert the Printer disk and stop it from running. Go to My Computer and double click on it. Look for the drive with the Dell disk in it. Right click on it, left click explore. Look for the OCR Folder. In the OCR Folder, there is an Abbyy Folder. right click on setup.exe, that's in the Abbyy Folder and left click run as administrator. This will install the OCR program.

 

Scanning

 

Scanning using USB connection, open the Dell All-In-One Center, click on scanning and copying and scan from there.

 

Scanning wirelessly, use the scan buttons on the printer.

 

 

Rick

PudgyOne,

 

Thanks for the help! Followed your instructions and everything working again. After using the patch, I had to install the printer disk, everything loaded just fine and all is well.

 

Thanks again,

 

Lucky09

Lucky09,

 

GREAT JOB! :emotion-21: Thanks for posting back. Could you mark the verify answer(s) that helped you solve your problem, so if someone else searches the forums, they can see what you did to fix your problem(s).

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

Hi Rick,

 

I too followed your instructions and our printer now works properly.  Thank you for your help!  However, I have now lost the shortcuts to "internet", "email", "recycle bin" etc. which used to come up at the top of my desktop.  I'm wondering if the patch which removed the printer software also got rid of these short cuts?  Is there a fix for this?  I am running Vista 64.

 

Hope this makes sense.

 

Any help you can provide will be much appreciated.

 

Best regards.

Buck,

 

If you mean the Dell Dock at the top of the Desktop, it can be downloaded from here. I had this issue with the 964 patch. Please check to make sure you have QuickSet, if NOT, then go to Drivers & Downloads enter your service tag(Do NOT enter it here or your post will be deleted)and under applications, you'll find Quickset. These are the drivers for your computer and if you need them, they can be found there. :emotion-55: Hint :emotion-55: When downloading the drivers, make a folder for each drivers and name it with the device it belongs with to make it easier to install them

 

 

Rick

Hi Rick,

 

Thank you very much for your help.  Yes, Dell Dock is what I was asking about.  How do I check to see if we have QuickSet and where would I find our service tag?  Your help is very much appreciated.

 

Best regards.

*EDIT*  Just found out how to find service tag...sorry!

Buck,

 

After you install Dell Dock, you should see a Blue Qand an Orange S next to the recycle bin, unless you removed it.

 

Start, control panel, Windows Mobility and make sure your hotkeys work. Dell Quickset control the hotkeys on Laptops.

 

 

Rick

Hi Rick,

 

Because of your help everything works a treat now!  Thanks so much for taking the time to help.

 

All the very best to you and yours.

Buck,

 

Glad you got everything working, again. Have any more problems, please come back to the DELL Community Forums

 

 

Rick

Hello Rick,

I, too, have an issue just like the original poster. I have the Dell AIO Photo 944 that I lost the install cd for. I've downloaded the drivers for this printer onto my Dell Dimension 3000 (XP) and my HP Pavillion Dv6436nr (VISTA 32bit), but my problem is that after opening all the possible downloads and looking at the appropriate PDF's I couldn't find anything that resembled the utilities for this printer. The All-in-One Center and Photo Studio weren't there. I've contacted Dell about this and about getting a replacement install CD, but so far I've had no results. If you know of anything I've not tried or haven't understood about your solutions, be free to enlighten me. I need these programs because it's important for my home management and to have a printer for my network. In today's economy, I can't afford to buy a replacement AIO from anyone, so this is my only answer. Please help if you can, or at worse, point me in the direction of an aftermarket source that may have a program to substitute. Thank you for your time, Robert

Robert,

 

Since you're networking the printer, you may want to read this, first.  Sharing a printer through a wireless network

 

I usually recomment using these Recommended Wireless Router Settings in your wireless router to make everything work better.(I use channel 11)

 

For printer and file sharing, I think you need to have an identical account and username on each computer(Example you need a rdbcatcher account on both computers with identical passwords.

 

You need to disconnect the printer, right click on the patch and run as administrator. Run the patch, a MUST on Vista machines, until it prompts you to restart your computer. Then restart the computer. Run the patch on both machines as it's a cleanup utility.

 

Install the drivers on the host machine, choose network, then you should be asked, the computer is the host computer. The follow the instructions.

 

After the host computer and printer work and you have setup it for printer sharing, then install the above drivers on the other computer, choose network , then choose the printer is connected to a host computer. And follow the instructions.

 

Firewalls need to have exceptions to allow them to communicate throught the network.

 

When all else fails, then try the FREE features in Network Magic

 

 

Rick

rdbcatcher,

 

WOW, do you get around. You can first request a backup set of 944 Printer disks by clicking below my signature and requesting a set. The link is good if you live in the United States and are the origional owner.

 

Are you trying to install the 944 and the A920 at the same time?

 

Disconnect all printers.

 

Run the patch for the A920, right click run as administrator and let it run until you're prompted to restart your computer, the restart your computer. Now run the other patch, (***PLEASE NOTE*** The patches are Cleanup Utilities for just the make and model printer specified, so yes you should have two different patches to run.) Restart when it's done.

 

Try installing the proper drivers for the A920 printer, first install the printer and you'll get prompted when to connect the printer(powered on) This printer should work, correct. If it does NOT work, then stop there and post back what happened.

 

 

Rick

Hey there Rick,

Yeah, my wife says I get around a bit, too:emotion-14: . Unfortunately, when there's trouble to be found I'll be there:emotion-2: . Yes, I do have both the printers and I ran the patch for both of them (it took eight times for the A920 to cean up and six times for the 944 to clear). I did place a request for this printer's Install CD also, but same story as the A920....it's out of warranty and if you want help, call the Help Center and pay for it. Never once, has Dell been courteous enough to offer me the OEM disc, must have something to do with licensing issues and the printer been older than 2 years old. Enough soapboxing....:emotion-12: The A920 driver and AIOC you recommended went into the Vista laptop okay, then found the printer on the network after I re-installed it (using the software and drivers you linked to) on the host computer:emotion-21: . Incidentally, that's where all the problems began anyway (big HDD crash!! :emotion-9: on the host). Now it's on both computers. The weird thing was that after it (my laptop) found it  on the host computer, it tried to access the printer on the network to print a target sheet, but said the printer wasn't responding and might be be busy or disconnected :emotion-18: . I tried printing from the host, and had no problems and the AIOC worked like it supposed to for faxing and scanning. By the way, the A920 is connected via USB to the host computer. I never was able to get the printer AIOC to scan or fax on my Vista laptop (but I CAN print), but it is a wifi connection that I used to try and access the scan/fax function with.Who knows, maybe that's why. I'm now going to try and do the same process with the software/drivers for the Dell AIO Photo 944 printer, since I'm theoretically done (I think) with the A920 install. I know it may be weird to have multiple printers on all my computers, but if one goes down I will have back-up. Another thought to ponder, I use one for photos and occational printing and the other for my default print jobs and faxing. That's why the A920 and its AIOC was so important (for the scanning and faxing), plus the ink is less than the 944. I need the 944 to be fully functional because it prints my pictures better and the ink isn't as expensive as my laserjet (Brother HL 2040). What can I say...when I got married, I got more than a wife:emotion-24::emotion-48:, but who's complaining.:emotion-4:

Robert,

 

You're looking at Sharing a printer through a wireless network you may have been able to install the drivers on the host computer, choose network and select that this computer is the host computer. You need to allow the printer for sharing and also need to allow communications past your firewall.

 

On the Laptop, then install the drivers, choose network, then choose the printer is connected to a host computer.

 

I alway hated doing it this way because doing all the configurations and then you have to leave the host computer on to print.

 

My setup is that I use these Recommended Wireless Router Settings in my wireless router, I use channel 11, and I have a Dell 964 AIO Photo Printer connected to a Dell Wireless Printer Adapter 3300. I have had up to five different Laptops, Dell/Compaq/HP  with Vista 32-bit, 64-bit, XP Home and never had a issue. I could print and scan wirelessly. Printer had a stand alone fax, so that wasn't an issue since I try not to fax but email whenever possible. The nice thing is I can print from the back patio to the printer in the house.

 

Some advice is that to print regular documents on the printer, Excel, Homework, etc... and an occasional picture. If I need many pictures printed, I have found that it's cheaper to take then to a store Kiosk or go online and upload the pictures to a store and have them print the pictures. Quality much better and much cheaper. Ink and paper costs verses prints from $0.09 to say even $0.20 is still cheaper than you can print them. I mostly keep my printer running for homework assignments and coupons and some documents from time to time.

 

Something for you to think about.

 

 

Rick