boyd1212,

Please follow the instructions below and then tell me what happens.

I recommend that you use these Recommended Wireless Router Settings to get the best communications between the printer and all the computers.(This printer can be used wirelessly if the printer has the wireless card)

Disconnect your printer.

Download and run this patch to completely remove the printer from your computer. Run the patch(a MUST on Vista machines) untiul it prompts you to restart yopur computer.

Restart your computer.

Download the proper drivers.

XP Drivers

Vista 32-bit Drivers

64-bit Drivers

All other drivers

Install the proper drivers. You'll be prompted when to connect your printer(powered on)  ***To install drivers, sometimes they just open and do nothing. You have to look for the setup.exe file, right click on it, then left click run as administrator***

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

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

Thanks for replying back to my message.  Ok here are the very steps I took:

1.  First of all I do not have wireless I use USB (hopefully this is not a problem since I was able to use it at one time)

2.  Ran the patch you recommended r166249.zip extracted it, etc.

3.  rebooted PC

4.  Selected the VISTA 32-bit drivers per your selection.

5.  Finished the install and printed a TEST PAGE fine, opened a word document received the same Communications error message.

My wife is really on me about this your help is greatly appreciated.  Whatever else I could try or whatever information I can give just let me know.  Right now I'm stumped.

boyd1212,

Open the Word Document. Make sure when you click file, print and select the right printer. Since the is the first time after installing the printer, it still might be set on the previous setting.

Rick

It is set to the correct default printer. 

Dell AIO Printer 948

Do we know what exactly is causing the problem?  Is it Microsoft, Dell, the crash of my pc.  Like I mentioned when I received my pc less than a year ago all I had to do is install the printer drivers that came with the printer.  We bought all this at one time from Dell.  Let me ask something......The patch I installed and the drivers I installed for the printer, does this take presidence over the printer drivers I received from Dell with the printer.  When I follow your instructions I under the impression you have a link for everything that is to make my printer work.  The reason I say this is because I have not been using the cd drivers that came with the printer.  Just let me know.  And thanks again.

boyd1212,

I'm trying the simple things first. Let's try an experiment. Download Open Office and install it, it's FREE. It's just like Microsoft Office. Right clcik on the Word document and then left click open with Open Office (swriter). Now try to print the document and see if it prints. If it prints, might have a problem with something on the computer from the virus.

You could put the Vista disk in the computer. If it try to run cancel or stop it from running. Start, run accessories, right click on command prompt, left click run as administrator. type

sfc / scannow          (space between the c and /)

Hit enter Windows will check and compare the Windows files and make sure they're intact. If not, then it will get the correct ones from the disk. Take out disk and restart when finished.

I do these tweaks on all my own computers.

Go to device manager(right click my computer, left click properties, left click hardware, left click device manager)

Go to the USB Controller section and click the + sign.

Go to each USB Root Hub and right click on it, left click properties, left click power management. Uncheck the box, allow computer to turn off this device to save power.

Restart your computer.

--------------------------------------

Go to device manager(right click my computer, left click properties, left click hardware, left click device manager). Click on Network and then right click on your wireless adapter, left click properties, power management. Uncheck the box, allow computer to turn off this device to save power.

Long day at work and might not be on until Tuesday. I get email notifications from this thread, so if you reply, I'll get an email and will respond as soon as I can.

Rick

Not sure where to start except the beginning:

1. Downloaded and installed OPEN OFFICE tried to print from it same error message.
2. Put the VISTA disk in (not sure what disk to put in so put in DELL PRINTER DISK) canceled the run, brought up a DOS prompt typed in the command it ran for about 5 to 6 minutes said there were some corrupt files, took disk out, restarted, tried to print through OPEN OFFICE and MS WORD same error.
3. Went to device manager, drilled through each USB ROOT HUB unchecked each box to "turn off this device to save power".
4. Restarted computer, tried to print through both Apps. same error.
5. Was going to go to the Device Manager to uncheck the box to "allow computer to turn off this device to save power" but I do not have Wireless Adapter only Network Adapter.

As of right now still receiving same error message.  If you want the .log file for the sfc /scannow just let me know.  I appreciate all the help you bring. 

boyd1212,

You could put the Vista Operating System disk in the computer. If it try to run cancel or stop it from running. Start, run accessories, right click on command prompt, left click run as administrator. type

sfc / scannow          (space between the c and /)

Rick

Put VISTA OPERATING SYSTEM DISK in computer tried to print from both Apps. same error code.

I replyed back in previous post.  I did this tried to print and still received the same error message.

boyd1212,

Put Vista Operating System Disk in CR Rom. Stop it from running.

Start, all programs, accessories, right click on command prompt, left click run as administrator. Type

sfc /scannow          (space between the c and)

Hit enter. The program will look at your system and the disk and replace any files that were comprimised with the virus you had.

Rick