Add Printer Wizard will not start 1

[NEFJ]

Alright, came across something new to me today, I just installed windows XP pro on a IBM 600x laptop.

I went to add a printer and absolutly nothing happens when I click the "add a printer". No wizard pops up, no error message, nor anything in event viewer that would hint as to why nothing is happening. I tried to add the printer by browsing to the network server and connecting from there. Clicking on the printer does nothing, right clicking and trying, connect or open or properties nothing happens.

Tried logging in with differnt users with admin rights to the machine still nothing happens. Printer permissions on the server are all correct.

I tried rebooting, manually restarting services, I even tried percussive maintanace.

Anyone ever come across anything like this before. Have any solutions other than reloading the machine (I hate loading machines).

Thanks much - NJS

 

[linney]

No ideas but did come across these.

HOW TO: Find a Printer in Active Directory and Set Up a Connection in Windows XP
NOTE : If you are connected to a workgroup rather than a domain, the Find Printers feature is not available.

http://support.microsoft.com/view/tn.asp?kb=305609

HOW TO: Connect to a Printer by Using a Web Browser in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/view/tn.asp?kb=307847

From this......

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...t%20start%22%2Bwindows%2Bxp&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wg

"I also am having a like problem I did a windows update
which included( windows messenger audio update, resuming
from stby update, keyboard layout update, and system
recovered error message update) Since this update all my
printers were deleted and my add a printer wizard will
not start--Help someone."

 

[NEFJ]

Thanks for the reply, I have gone through most of the google posts. Tried connecting through a web browser and that doesnt work either, I cannot connect to any of the printers. Nothing at all happens.

The computer is a member of the domain and we are not running Active Directory at all. I did do the windows updates though so that might be the problem. - Thanks again NJS

 

[capricornholio]

Hope this helps, but my friend just bought a laptop and something similar was occurring. I went in and manually started the "Print Spooler" service. After that the Add Printer Wizard started normally.

 

[prescot9]

NefariousJeebus,

The above post from capricornholio might work just fine. There are also some other things to consider:

When a printer is shared in AD, the connection would be automatic in XP, that is, if there was a printer in AD, it would be on your XP before you knew it!

When you attempt to run the Add Printer Wizard, are you logged on to XP with a Domain account?

Is that Domain account a member of a local group that has the rights to add printers, such as the Administrators group, Power user, etc?

If all else fails, and you have the rights to add printers, you can also use DOS...What? DOS you say, I say: Uh Huh!:

net use lpt1 \\server_name\printer_name

This command will map a printer, and it will also capture lpt1 for that printer.



Let Me Know! Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[NEFJ]

Well it wouldnt start at all. No printers were connected and the print spooler was started. I just did a 30 machine roll out and had noticed that on a few machines the print spooler had failed to start. In that instance when you clicked the add printer link a error would pop up.

I also tried using DOS to map the printer when I first discovered the problem and nothing would happen the command would just sit there until I hit Ctrl-C to kill it.

I fixed the problem by running the repair install off of the CD. I had tried to run chkdisk before I did that and it didnt help(I was really grasping at straws trying to avoid having to reload it).

I think something got honked up in he registry during the windows upgrades but not so bad that I had to do a completly fresh install.

Thanks for all of your help its always appreciated
NJS

 

[rcurrier]

I had the exact same problem and I am not sure when it started. But I had a local printer (HP LaserJet 4050) installed previously and I could print to it from any windows application, but if I went to the printers and Faxes applet it was not displayed at all!
I could not add a printer with the wizard or from a network share. I re-installed XP SP1 but that did not work.
Last resort was a repair re-install and finally it worked, my original printer was back and I could now install a new printer.

 

[ibesso]

rcurier,
can u please tell me what exactly did solve your problem ?
Could u be more specific in your details ?

 

[linney]

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQPrinting.htm#_Toc88804920

 

[ibesso]

I saw your link on the other post, linney. Still nothing fits my case, though I tried what is recommended there.

 

[WEGMANCGB]

I had this same problem so I proceeded to reinstall Service Pack 2 and this fixed everything!

 

[WEGMANCGB]

I would like to add this information for reference:

If you ever run into a situation in which the following is true:
1.) you are trying to add a local or network printer to a Windows XP PC
2.) for local printers the add printer wizard doesn’t run when you click it
3.) for network printers your browse to a print server and try connecting to the network printer and nothing happens
4.) You have also checked the SERVICES MMC and observed that the print spooler is running
5.) And you have rebooted and tried again

Try running Service Pack 2 again. This problem appears to be somewhat common. For some reason the Print Spooler becomes corrupted and a reapply of SP2 resolves the issue.

This also helps if the user had printers installed but they suddenly and mysteriously vanished from the Printer applet. Make sure to reboot the PC before you try to reinstall SP2, it is also possible that spooler just crashed and a reboot will resolve the issue.

 

[ibesso]

Thank you for your comments and information.
Reinstalling SP2 is not an option using the repair process of the installation, because that did not solve the problem.
However, reinstalling without a repair did install SP2 from scratch and left me without all the programs I have installed. This is definitely not a good option next time I encounter this type of a problem.