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10022
March 4th, 2004 18:00
A960 Not Communicating with Computer - Bad Solution
I bought the first A960 Dec. 03, 2003, for a Christmas present for hubby. Didn't install it of course until after Christmas only to find out it wouldn't communicate with computer (Dell Dimension 2400 with XP Home). Then it was too late to return it as 30 days return had expired. So I called Dell Printer Support and finally got a Tech after 40 minutes waiting on hold but couldn't hardly understand him - but after trying several troubleshooting things the Tech decided it must be a problem with the printer so he sent out a new one.
I received the new printer but the day before I received it I got very ill and ended up in the hospital so I didn't get to install it until this past Monday -- same problem!....wouldn't communicate with the computer. So it was back on the phone to Dell Printer Support and again, after waiting over 1/2 hour I finally got a Tech but I could barely understand her accent. We tried several troubleshooting things AGAIN (mostly the same as the first time) and to no avail...the replacement A960 I got still wouldn't communicate with my computer. She suggested I reinstall XP that the problem MUST be with my computer...I proceeded to tell her that the problem was NOT with my computer as I also have an HP 9300 DeskJet that utilizes a USB Port as well and that printer works just fine and that I had switched cables and ports with that HP printer just to be sure it wasn't either of those and the HP worked fine!
After telling her that, she agreed with me and said I must have received a bad printer as a replacement and told me she was going to send ANOTHER replacement A960 to me. I told her NO that I wanted a refund as this was ridiculous -- she said to give Dell one more chance to let them send me another replacement and that she would mark my file with customer support that I had problems with the A960 since the day I received and installed it. I agreed (as I didn't have much choice) so I'm awaiting the 2nd replacement A960 to arrive.
BUT...last night I thought about it and decided that I would try one thing myself on a hunch -- I decided that this morning I would uninstall and unplug all of the other printers I have attached to my computer which are: HP DeskJet 9300 and HP LaserJet 1200. After doing that I reinstalled the A960 and it works great! -- it communicated with my computer with no problem at all...
So...then I plugged my HP LaserJet back in and reinstalled it -- guess what -- the A960 STOPPED COMMUNICATING WITH MY COMPUTER AGAIN.
Final theory
0 events found
amgdg
5 Posts
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March 4th, 2004 18:00
oops...didn't mean to post before finishing...
Final Theory -- The Dell A960 does NOT like competition and WILL NOT work with any other printers attached...even though my HP LaserJet is using a Parallel connection and not a USB connection...
Dell -- this is bad!!
I need my other printers as well as yours (which I guess is really not yours -- it's a Lexmark) -- anyway I need all of my printers to work not just your A960!!!
Not a happy customer here - I love Dell's computers but not happy with this A960 Printer AT ALL...
swanson435
28 Posts
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March 4th, 2004 21:00
rtyler98
2 Posts
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March 6th, 2004 13:00
Good job! Precisely, how did you install a MS-Office doc as the default printer ... ?
I also have a HP Printer hooked to my network via another PC and print to it over my wireless network modem just fine ... but when I go to install the downloaded software (as I can't find my CD-ROM for the A920 Printer), it won't install ...
So ... I'm thinking ... I should try using a "default" printer such as you have set up .. as the default now is the HP ... and I am going no where!
Thanks for any details on installing this MS-Office document as the default ...
Ron
swanson435
28 Posts
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March 6th, 2004 18:00
RON:
I SIMPLY WENT INTO THE PRINTERS AND FAX ON THE CONTROL PANEL MENU. WENT TO THE MICROSOFT OFFICE IMAGE WRITER AND MADE IT THE DEFAULT. I THINK THAT WHEN WE INSTALLED THE MS OFFICE PACKAGE THE IMAGE WRITER CAME UP AUTOMATICALLY. GOOD LUCK.
BILL
rtyler98
2 Posts
0
March 7th, 2004 06:00
Bill,
Thanks! Nothing had installed "originally" on my Toshiba Laptop, so I choose a Generic Printer Driver for the MS-Publisher in the Printer Driver table ... got it installed and then went back and deleted the Toshiba Scan Software that had installed for the Scanner portion of the Dell-940, and deleted the "?" mark for the Dell-940 Printer which would not install ...
Restarted (with the now Defaulted Printer as "Generic", MS-Publisher) and told it (Install Printer Driver) to go to the Folder that has the downloaded software for the Dell-940 (in a folder marked Dell per the software) ... AND ... it wouldn't take!
Grrrrr ...
So ... I am thinking I need to uninstall all Printers and then start with the Dell-940 ... hmmmmm (sigh). What a pain!
Since the Printer only works with Win-XP and the other 3 PCs we have on our home network are Win-ME ... we primarily only use the Dell 940 (which we feel we were sold a "bill of goods" for as NO mention was made of it only working for XP when the Original TV ads came out and we bought it !!!! :-(( ) ... so we only use the printer for copying papers for our files right now ...
I guess if all the above doesn't work ... I will go and buy the latest Hewlett-Packard All-In-One (which I know will work) and continue using the Dell as a copier ... it does do that fairly well ... just sitting there not hooked to a computer ... Dell REALLY blew it with this printer since the Lexmarks (who makes this Dell for them) work with Win-ME and other Windows OS ...
Thanks, Bill ...
Ron