Can't Install HP 4480 after clean install of Mac Lion OS

[bifford]

I have an HP 4480 USB printer which has been working on my iMac under OS X 10.7 (Lion) just fine until I erased my hard disk and did a clean install of 10.7.  I have reinstalled the HP driver from Software Update and downloaded the latest driver from the HP web site successfully.

The device name appears fine when I try to add the printer in System Preferences. But I get this message:  "An error occurred while trying to add the selected printer.  Unable to find an appropriate software on your system after running software update." The printer name also shows HP Utility under device information and, ironically, I am able print the HP test page!

But I am unable to print a document, always getting a No Printer Selected condition.  I have tried many different sequences of resetting the printer, unplugging the USB cables, reloading drivers from HP and from Software Update, attempting to add the printer, and restarting the computer.  Perhaps I just don't have the correct sequence.

Can you help me?

[PrintDoc]

Download and install this: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL907

Reset the printing system:

- Go to System Preferences > Print & Scan
- Right (or control) click in the rectangle listing your printers and select Reset Printing System.
WARNING - this will delete ALL of your printers!
- Select the plus sign to re-add a printer. Select the Defualt tab on the top of the window. Look for the printer, select it and wait until the "Add" button becomes available. Click it.

[bifford]

Thanks so much for your prompt reply!

I tried every step of your solution in the order listed.  Here's the error message I got:

Setting up ‘HP Deskjet F4400 series…’

The software for this printer is currently unavailable. Please contact the printer’s manufacturer for the latest software.

I'm at my wit's end.  This printer worked on the same printer with the same cable with the same operating system.  I have reset the printing system, restarted the computer, reinstalled the latest drivers, and done the Add Print countless times.  There must be a setting or a sequence that needs to be adjusted.

Help!

[PrintDoc]

This is very strange.  Let's work on your Mac a bit:

1. Start in Safe Mode - restart your Mac, holding the Shift key for 10 seconds after the starutp chime.  It will take a long time to start.  After it starts, restart it normally.

If that does not work:

2. Repair Permissions - go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and open it.  Select your Macintosh HD on the left then click "Repair Disk Permissions" along the bottom.

I have more ideas, but let's start with those.

[bifford]

I REALLY appreciate the timely and helpful attitude of your responses! All I could think of that messed my system up was my use of Migration Assistant after the clean install, to restore files from another computer. So as I write this I am doing another clean install, and will attempt to print before any other file changes. If that doesn't solve the problem I will immediately implement your two step suggestion. Stay tuned, and once again thanks for being a very good representative of HP.

[ShlomiL]

Hi bifford,

One additional item I would like to clarify:

As you mentioned you also installed the latest software available on HP site, make sure not to do so.

Any software published on the site is only intended for Mac OS X 10.6 or earlier versions.

The driver should only be installed through Apple Software Update or by installing the package published by Printdoc.

[bifford · Accepted solution]

Thanks PrintDoc and ShlomlL for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

My printer problem has been solved by doing a second clean install of the Lion OS, but this time immediately setting up my printer.  The problem would appear to have been caused by Migration Assistant when it brought over my Time Machine backup from another computer.