printer won't print

Question

I have a HP Deskjet6940, only six months old--worked perfectly on my Dell desktop (XP) until a couple weeks ago. Now even though it looks like everything's okay, every time you hit File/Print you get, "An unknown error occurred while printing", or "Windows can't print due to a problem with the current printer setup", and no printing, nothing even in queue. Even though the installation looks normal, no print job ever makes it into the queue. The printer is recognized and works perfectly with my Vista laptop, so I know it's not the printer but something to do with some change in the desktop.

I've tried:

--reinstalling countless times,

--reinstalling with driver from HP site,

--reinstalling with the installation disc,

--reinstalling with Vista installation disc,

--running HP printer diagnostic (it says all is okay),

--and a bunch of other things I can't keep track of.

I read somewhere that maybe XP service Pack 3 was keeping printers from installing so I uninstalled it and tried the printer again. I tried restoring the computer to an earlier time but fro some reason it won't restore. And I tried all the things HP Support said to try. Nothing.

I'm turning to this Dell forum. Can anyone suggest something else I can try?

Thanks,

Braincramp

PudgyOne · Answer

I have a HP Deskjet6940, only six months old--worked perfectly on my Dell desktop (XP) until a couple weeks ago. Now even though it looks like everything's okay, every time you hit File/Print you get, "An unknown error occurred while printing", or "Windows can't print due to a problem with the current printer setup", and no printing, nothing even in queue. Even though the installation looks normal, no print job ever makes it into the queue. The printer is recognized and works perfectly with my Vista laptop, so I know it's not the printer but something to do with some change in the desktop.

Brian,

I may be reading some information wrong but I don't think I know everything. The printer is a HP Deskjet 6940 and you downloaded the proper drivers from HP's Website, correct? You didn't say how you are trying to connect your printer, USB Cable, wireless print server, connected to a host computer or does the printer have wireless capabilities?

Make and model of your computer and operating system helpful.

Rick

Braincramp1 · Answer

It's a Dell Dimension 8100, XP Media Center, connected by USB cable to host computer, and I did try HP drivers. Thanks, Braincramp P.S. Yu don't look that Pudgy to me.

llynster · Answer

I've also seen anecdotal information throughout the "www" of XP-SP3 causing print issues.

The fixes seem to vary on a case by case basis.

Let me see what I can dig up......

But we do need more concise info on PC system, models, revs, etc. The more info you provide, the better.

Not sure if mentioned yet, but has the spooler service been checked to see if it's starting/running?

(Did you read the latest reply to your initial post on HP's forum?)

Braincramp1 · Answer

Sorry, it's a Dell Dimension 5100, not 8100, purchased in 2005. The HP Deskjet 6940 printer was purchased June, 2008. It worked fine 'til a month or so ago; something made it quit. I let Microsoft automatically update the system so I think something they installed caused the problem, but, as I said, at one point I uninstalled a BUNCH of updates, including XP-SP3, and tried reinstalling the printer, to no avail. To reiterate, it works PERFECTLY when I hook it up to my Vista laptop.

What other system info can I provide you? and be specific as I'm getting dumber by the minute.

"ra0001" at HP's forum suggested I try this : http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/board/message?board.id=Install&message.id=2493#M2493

but it didn't work.

Thanks for your help...

Braincramp

llynster · Answer

The details are right on.

It sounds like you've taking this issue around the plate. Especially all the things that "ra0001" posted (Great Post ra0001 !)

Looks like one (or more) of the Microsoft updates did you in. As I mentioned in an earlier reply, the "web" is RIPE with issues (including killing printers) caused by SP3.

You may be at the point (and I HATE making this suggestion) where you need to "whack" the Hard drive and start over. If you do, install the OS and the updates first before you install any other apps.

If your system is new enough, it has a system re-install partition that you can use to re-install the OS and factory installed apps. The directions to do this are here. If you DO decide to do this, again, after finished, let all the updates install 1st before installing anything else.

I'm at this point myself on my own system as IE has become so unreliable (crashes constantly) that I can no longer use it. I now use FireFoX instead.

Good luck to you and please let us know how it goes/went.

Printers

printer won't print

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