HP 722C Can't install driver via Add/Remove Dialog??!!

[jsteph]

Hi all,
What's up with HP and not allowing me to install the printer via the normal add/remove hardware dialog?

The driver seems to get corrupted every now and then, and when I reinstall, I have to Uninstall (and REBOOT!!!) then reinstall (and REBOOT A-FRIGGIN-GAIN!!!!). I've never installed any other printer in my life that requires even one reboot, let alone two. Is there some easier way that anyone knows about, some back-door way to get around this slap-in-the-face from hp?
Thanks,
--jsteph

 

[Jomama46]

I have installed printers aplenty and W95 almost always requires a reboot. W98 does sometimes depending on the build version and the driver. The easist way to do this is to forget the CD that came with the printer unless you especially want the SW. Go to HPs site DL the driver to your system. Extract or unzip the file to a new folder you can find. From add printer wizard, choose Have Disk and browse to the folder and point to the .inf file. This is all the printer needs to operate.
You know, you get the same junk with a sound card (in 99% of the cases, Win has the driver)or a vid card. It is advertismentor lite versions of something that doesnt work anyway. Not unlike some music albums Ive purchased because of one or two songs.
In some cases you can use the CD and just install the drivers, not always. But in all cases, if its a halfway decent company, they will have the drivers for DL on their site.
The main thing is not to get excited. We are carbon based and they are just silicon.
GL

Jomama

 

[jsteph]

jomama,
Thanks...but...I had already gone that route and HP specifically torpedoes that very method. Here is the message:

"You_must_use_the_supplied_setup_program_to_install_this_printer!"

That message is in the .inf file under "DriverFile="

I've installed dozens of printers (btw, I'm using win98se) and never needed to reboot--even other HP models. The 720 series purposefully denies the standard Windows 'Have Disk' method for some reason that hp refuses to disclose, I've been on the phone with their support on this very issue several times, I have their latest drivers, etc, and they all contain that same slap-in-the-face message in the .inf file.

I've tried hacking the .inf file and pointing to different hp files, with no success. When the setup.exe--which is what I ultimately have to use--runs, it installs, without exaggeration, about 40 files with names like hp****.dll.

And, to make matters worse, in the setup.exe, there is no 'reinstall' or 'repair' option--it just brings up a message saying that this driver is already installed (though corrupt) and must be un-installed using the uninstall wizard and then rebooted (why???!!!).

The problem is that I have several machines with these printers, and I just don't want to replace them. Oh well, I'm stuck I guess.
--jsteph