Printer not "sticking around" after unplugging.

Greenlizard0

Greenlizard0

Greenlizard0

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Joined
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Usually my printer is permanently attached to my computer, but since that broke this week I've had to print stuff off from my Laptop.

When I connected the printer for the first time I let Vista Home Premium find it and install it. That was fine and after everything was printed I unplugged the printer from the laptop's USB port.

I then went to print something else out and found that the printer status didn't change from "Offline" to "Online" when I plugged it in again. Instead I had to install the printer drivers again.

This happened a third time and since I'm not sure when my computer will be up and running, the fact that I've a lot of things to print off at any time means that the process is going to get annoyingly repetitive if I have to install my printer everytime. I can't leave the printer attached to the laptop either.

Is there anyway for Vista to recognise that the printer I'm re-plugging in is the same equipment as before hand?
 
Is it going in the same USB port? For some reason Windows likes to think the same device plugged into a different port is in fact a different device.
 
It could either be the different USB Port issue, or you could try installing anysoftware that came with the printer, I had a very similar issue with an HP USB Printer and had to install the drivers from disk and that sorted out the issue but that was with XP.
 
Hmmm...the trouble is the software is on a very old CD which I have kind of lost. I had planned on not installing any of HP's **** on my system and letting windows install it by itself.

The printer goes into the same USB port as well.
 
Just MS ones.

The thing is (if memory serves me correctly), this kind of thing happened on my main machine as well (XP32 SP2). It might be just be a funny model or something.

edit - I've just browsed HP's website looking for software - and they're not offering any..the instructions just stipulate to use the plug and play method..
 
Last edited:
La Marseillaise said:
Perhaps you need to ask if anyone has the CD for your printer so that they can email you the drivers on it?
Click to expand...

It's looking like that -if my main rig wasn't poo poo'd (see my other tread in GH) I'd probably be tempted to update the printer. It's been a faithful servent for 10 years now I've almost bonded with it lol.

Why have you changed your nickname btw?
 
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