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No printers listed in Printers & Faxes and cannot add printer

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ibesso

ibesso

Programmer
Jan 9, 2005
26
IL
Hi.

I've noticed a very strange problem lately.
I have a printer connected directly to my brother's computer (Windows XP Pro). We both have no problem printing using this printer (HP Deskjet 940c).
When I try to browse the printers on my brother's computer (through Start -> Settings -> Printers & Faxes). I get the Printer & Faxes page, but no printer is displayed there. Also, when I try to click on "Add Printer", I get no response.
However, if I open notepad, for example, and then press CTRL+P (to print), I get a list where I see the printer and other old printers we had. There I can set the default printer or the printer I would like to use in this print job. I can even add a new computer and the wizard is open. Still, I cannot "see" the printers on Printers & Faxes. It's WinXP + SP2, but I do not remember if this was the original state even on SP1 or when installing the OS.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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Thanks for the reply.
If u meant the Print Spooler service, it's already running, and as I mentioned, I can print from this computer as well as other computers inside the LAN.
 
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Add Printer Wizard will not start
Thread779-243234

 
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10x, linney, but I went thru the link u gave me:
1st 2 links to MS support gives u the 404 surprise...
The goodle groups one gives info about a problem I don't have.

The only one reporting the same problem occured on my brother's XP is rcurrier (the last one's thread). He also stated that eventually after making a re-install repair.

I appreciate anybody's help, but I'm still desperate as for finding a better solution than reinstalling XP (which might be a case of failure... and re-install/repair isn't recommended on these cases when everything is still operational in one way or another).

I will appreciate any other help anyone would be able to give.
 
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Start, Run, services.msc

. Spooler service
. RPC Locator Service
. Plug and Play service

All three are running?
 
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bcastner,
Spooler already running as I mentioned on the above reply.
P&P - running.
RPC Locator - wasn't running (set to manual). After Starting it (no problem occured), still nothing on the Printer & Faxes as well as for the "add printer" wizard.

BTW: I already tried auto-locating the printer (to create a new printer as I mentioned above at the beginning of my post), but using XP's P&P didn't go well. Only manual, but still, not using that page.

linney, I followed the registry key deletion and all the rest under 2, although it wasn't my case:
* I was able to start/stop spooler all the time (even thru services.msc).
* I never had those error messages reported nor the spooler ever crashed.
* I never had problem printing with the computer connected directly to the printer or one of the other 2 computers inside the LAN (mine and another one, both running on Win2K).
* I never had problem re-installing the drivers and each time trying to use XP's own drivers or the drivers supplied by HP (got them with the printer).
* No. 4 does not meet with my case: I do not get any error mesasge at all.

I'm sure the registry manipulation caused no harm to the remote computers (cuz each of the installs the drivers for itself), but I doubt it did nothing to my brother's computer. It did not change anything.
However,
like I said before, all the printer install/uninstall was done throught notepad. Now when I entered Notepad, pressed CTRL+P it expectedly reported that I have no printer install and that I will have to install one before printing. After Clicking OK the wizard came up. That did not surprise me, because I could click on the "ADD PRINTER" inside the dialog box (after pressing CTRL+P) and it worked as before. The original problem of "no response" still occur and remained unsolved.

Again, I appreciate everybody's great help, and I am looking forward to other solutions/tips that might illuminate this case and reveal a shred of any cure to this.
 
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bcastner, already did it. Sorry I omitted that part.
:)


sig_rad.jpg
 
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Can this printer be seen in Printer and Faxes while in Safe Mode?

Any further information about errors in your Event viewer?

Look in the System or Application folder. You can get to the Event Viewer via right click My Computer icon and select Manage.

Any errors logged in the Event Viewer can be expanded by double clicking on the error line.


To check conflicting software.

310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP


Removing adware & spyware
faq608-4650

Will check your computer for spyware and adware.

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

Have you tried your luck with HP Support or the Deskjet Forum?

 
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Thanks for the reply.
Here is some answers to your kind advices:

1. Can this printer be seen in Printer and Faxes while in Safe Mode?
Same problem occured. I don't have it in SAFE MODE.

2. Any further information about errors in your Event viewer? Look in the System or Application folder. Any errors logged in the Event Viewer can be expanded by double clicking on the error line.
Yes, under System folder: 2-3 events about Printer, Fax and Microsoft Document something Shared driver that could not be found.
After an attempt to repair MS Office 2003 and a reboot, the only error in eventlog was: "The NTPort Library Driver service failed to start due to the following error: The system cannot find the file specified."
Under Application folder: 2 warnings regarding the absence of a dial-up modem in order for the Microsoft Fax to work.

3. To check conflicting software.
310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP

Removing adware & spyware
FAQ608-4650

Will check your computer for spyware and adware.
Done all that already: virus scan, spyware/adware scan, unknown processes, clean boot for windows, registry medic/fix.

4. Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking.
No errors found (also chkdsk /f).

5. HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP
Done that. Found 25 unsigned drivers regarding burning programs, network adapters and other devices but printers/faxes. No HP drivers was listed under the unsigned drivers list.

6. Have you tried your luck with HP Support or the Deskjet Forum?
No. This problem has never occured before. I did not have it on the same computer when it has Windows 2000 or a fresh installation of Windows XP Pro + SP2.
The printer is in use for a very long time (using LPT and not USB) ever since.

****************************
Several Notes and reminders:
---------------------------
* I can see the printers like I said on the other thread if I open NOTEPAD -> File -> Print. I can also start the "Add a printer" wizard from there too.
* After removing all remainders of HP from my computer (uninstalling + registry), it has found automatically a new hardware (the printer) and re-installed it.
* The locally connected computer (the one that has the problem) does not have any problem in printing, but the printer tray icon is not shown while printing, thus not letting me to cancel printing documents.
* The other 2 computers are using this printer as a network printer and doe not have any problem printing, displaying printers & faxes and monitoring the printer remotely.

Eventually, I am still frustrated (even more frustrated now).
I hope that a cure for this will be found and thank you again for all this great advices and support.
 
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Is this printer a Lexmark, or Brother, or another printer that attempts to replace or insert into the Print Processor/Monitor chain?

What is the manufacturer and model number of this printer?
 
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Bill,

This is getting a long and complicated thread and it is difficult to remember what's been said and tried before, but try this.


"We both have no problem printing using this printer (HP Deskjet 940c).
 
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Linney, the error in the event viewer did return after rebooting the computer and not in attempt to print, and as I said before, I do not have any problem printing.

I also followed the links you gave me and there are always cases where the printer related is a network printer while here it is clearly an OS problem, specifically on this computer. When the printer was connected to another computer in the house, it did not matter at all.

Bcastner, I was afraid to try the latter link you, because it relates Windows 2003.
However, I used the first link first (registry file) and then rebooted. That did not cure the problem.
Then, I used the link regarding Windows 2003 resource kit tools and ran cleanspl.exe. All to no avail. :(
I only had to reinstall the printer driver since no printer was installed.

Let me remind you I can activate the wizard via Notepad's printing dialog (as I stated on previous posts). I can also add the Print&Faxes icon to Desktop, but this does not cure the problem I have inside.
One more thing I discovered: I cannot print using the context menu (right click -> Print), but I can enter an image viewer and print from inside (File -> Print). I get this has to do with the same problem.

I am really frustrated, so if this issue occured to anyone here and might help, please let me know.
Thank you all for trying to help.
 
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Thanks, Bcastner, but I already read through this link which is not relevant to my problem, as I can see the Printer&Faxes shortcut in Start menu.
 
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Yes, under System folder: 2-3 events about Printer, Fax and Microsoft Document something Shared driver that could not be found."

"the error in the event viewer did return after rebooting the computer and not in attempt to print"

Can you supply the exact details of this error, including Event ID and Source, obtainable from the logs.

Using this as an example only -

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Cdrom
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7


Have you tried running a good Registry Cleaner program to see if that does anything?

Registry cleaner recommendations?
thread779-755465

And finally is this a true summary of the problem we are trying to fix -

1. No Printer is listed in Printer and Faxes.
2. Can print using an image viewer???? and print from there.
3. Cannot print text document with right-click and print.
4. When printing there is not a Printer Icon in the Notification area.
5. You don't want to repair or reinstall XP clean?
 
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