LEXMARK X73 refuses to print :-(

[johnoverall]

My sister-in-law has a problem with her LEXMARK X73 all-in-one scanner, printer, fax, copier. Despite going through the installation process successfully, when she tries to print to it the following error appears:

"LEXMARK X73

Printer not Ready

Cannot Communicate
with Printer
Please Check Printer
or User's Guide"

It scans okay and the other functions attached to it seem fine. It just flatly refuses to print. She talked to Lexmark and they suggested her PC needed more RAM and that it should ideally be using an AMD processor in order to work! Not sure of the actual spec of her PC as I haven't looked too closely at it, I'd say it looks like a late PII perhaps an early PIII but it's certainly new enough to be running Windows 98 and support USB.

Can anyone identify any issues with the X73?

Kind regards,




John

 

[gargouille]

There is one setting that may be in the way...disable bi-directional communication.

 

[gargouille]

Should have added:
"Disable PC to Printer Communications" in the Lexmark control program.

 

[johnoverall]

Thanks for your reply.

I now have my sister-in-law's PC at home and can provide further details of the fault, which are as follows:

The PC itself has an AMD 450MHz K6 processor, with 32Mb of RAM running Windows 98SE. Upon installation of the X73 software (before the X73 is plugged into the USB port for the first time) you are prompted:

'CONNECT USB PORT

Windows will now install hardware device

To begin connect USB

When installation complete click OK'

I plug the USB cable into the connector at the back of the PC and a driver info database is created and the scanner portion of the X73 is detected. The install then hangs and has to be 'end-tasked'.

A dip into Windows Device Manager lists the scanner and follows it with an unknown USB device, which I assume is the printer/fax/copy portion of the install (and the X73 actually scans fine at this point). The USB controllers state that the correct drivers are required and are disabled.

A visit to Microsoft reports issues with USB and AMD processors and an update (240075UP.exe) is provided. Have installed this and it makes no change to the Lexmark installation. A visit to Lexmark's tech support / Knowledge Base reveals nothing that I could see, so I've submitted an e-mail.

The printer can be installed manually using add printer but obviously because the main install has choked Windows only sees the one USB device (the scanner). Installing the printer and attempting to print, align cartridges or check the ink results in a 'The Printer is not ready message' as shown in my opening post. How can I get Windows 98 SE to see all the elements of the X73?

Kind regards,



John

 

[gargouille]

Everything I'm reading on this indicates their reference to
"connect USB port" isn't actually asking you to plug the printer in...apparently they're expecting you to plug in a port...

http://makeashorterlink.com/?I46166652

Hopefully will help.

 

[ANFPS26]

Also, Lexmark is right about the RAM. 32MB is barely enough to run Win98 much less any additional. Your problem doesn't sound like a RAM issue, but if it was me, I'd try more RAM--at least one 128MB stick. "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing....."

 

[ANFPS26]

Here is someone else that had problems with the X63 (is probably similar to the X73) and their solutions:
thread615-396404 "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing....."

 

[johnoverall]

Thanks for the links gargouille and Nobrain, I'll check them out. Might provide more leads.

Spent most of the day calling Lexmark tech support; they were so busy they had people taking messages and running a call-back system. to their credit they called me back twice but I was always too busy doing my own job to get to the phone! Damnit!

gargouille: As for the 'Connect USB port', it really is more about actually plugging in the lead into the back of the PC part-way through s/ware install; the fold-out instructions reveal as much. I think this has more to do with the fact that this is a combi-peripheral. This is backed up by the fact that the scanner works and the install fails when it tries to go to the next stage and install another USB connected hardware item but can't.

Nobrain: Will also follow up on the extra RAM, and ask her to purchase more if other solutions evade us.

Am awaiting more from Lexmark via support e-mail and will call them again tomorrow. Do you know where I can get suitable USB drivers for Win98 SE as the USB.INF file on the original CD I have doesn't seem sufficient; the other USB devices in the hardware list are always tagged as 'unsuitable' when installed.

Kind regards,




John

 

[gargouille]

AFAIK, Win98's USB drivers SHOULD work.
If I were you, I'd delete them in Device Manager and let Win98 find them and install the drivers again on the reboot.

I'd still lean toward suspecting the driver or the install.
And wish that developers made that process a whole lot better (easier to complete) than it is.

FWIW: the M$ patch for AMD processors and USB might actually get in the way...you may have already uninstalled it.

Went to the Lexmark site and it plainly says to plug in everything when you start the install. Clear as mud.

Multi-port installs seem so complex...I had infinite problems trying to install a multiple com card to a machine...then the co. decided to move it to another dept. and had to go thru the same stuff over and over.
What that one did (Win98se) was to install, reboot, install, reboot, install, reboot. That's when things were going right.

 

[CitrixEngineer]

I bought one of these, and needed to stop Windows from automatically installing the driver for me in order to get it to print.

Try de-installing the driver, disconnecting the USB port, then re-install the driver from the CD. Once you've done that, plug the USB cable back in and reboot. Worked fine for me!

Hope this helps CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk

 

[johnoverall]

Have now done as Lexmark suggested and upped the RAM to 64Mb. No change in the installation, which was expected. They also suggested I copy the printer install to the Desktop and run it in Safe Mode (their solution for installation freezes in Normal mode), again this didn't work. Have tried CitrixEngineer's suggestion and again no luck (thanks for chipping in, appreciate it). Have read the other thread suggested by nobrain and, again, am no further forward. I can only ever get as far as the scanner install. Windows detects an Unknown Device and plonks it in the device manager as such beneath the USB Host Controller. My nerves are starting to fray as she wants this back for the weekend, and how am I going to justify paying for the RAM when I haven't fixed the bloody thing?!?