Problem with adding printer to other network computers

[Byank]

Dragon-Fur,

Problem has migrated back to my desktop...I was able to load the printer files into my laptop using the FSI files from the website. 

Was on phone yesterday with another HP Support Tech for about 4 hrs....still have problems with loading Printer software... this time with the desktop I initially  installed the printer and software/drivers from.   The first tech from previous night  had me run a downloaded utility that scanned my desktop, at that time, for loaded files for the printer.  It showed that I had not loaded a program, don't recall the name right now, and therefore would not have access to some of the printer's features and the only way was to reload the FSI.  OK...no problem so yesterday I tried that started out with the FSI download from the HP site....When it came to actually installing the files after extraction it would start and then after a few seconds stop and a msg came "Windows cant' find the "C:\.......|Applications\..... \Temp\....\7z...\Setup\....\hpzpn40.exe file."   When I clicked that window close, the installation process would start all over again begining with the doing the system checks and then downloading the install files....my ..Temp folder has about 7 or 8 of the 7z....files there after all the download attempts.  I even tried the original disk and still would not completely load all features.  So I called HP again and spent 4 hrs getting nowhere.  Bottom line is after numerous attempts at downloading/installing we couldn't get the HP Solutions file to load, even after checking some registry entries.  Last attempts  at install, we couldn't even get the install software to locate the printer on the network...even after powering down the printer and doing the reconnect to the network from the printer's screen.  One of the things that's been hampering me is this desktop hasn't allowed Remote Assistance to work....with both techs!!! even though I  have it checked it on System Settings as permitted....this whole thing has been extremely frustrating.  The last tech I talked with last night was going to check with some of the other engineers and call me back  this morning betwen 0800 and 0830, well here it is 0930...heard nothing....    

[Dragon-Fur]

Byank,

Arrgh!

• What is the Operating System on that Desktop?  Windows 7, 32/64 bit? or??
• What is the Printer Model (please refresh memory)?
• Wired, yes?
• What router?
• Static IP?
• What Anti-Virus software are you running?

Thoughts...

Toes

Definately do not want to step on the Tech's toes.  I don't exactly what they are trying to do here - apparently the scan is to pick up package files that are supposed to be part of the extract once the installation package is downloaded and starts to install itself.

The Full Feature Software installation package is some XX MB in size.  It is probably in your Downloads folder.  That file should have everything you need to install the software. 

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Registry

You could try cleaning the Registry.  Most of the time, this is not necessary - registries are self-regulating.  Sometimes they do get mucked up, especially when things do not go as planned and software is not installing as it should.

Registry Cleaner – CCleaner (Download the free version):

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

NOTE about using CCleaner:  IF you use the Applications cleaner tab in CCleaner (this is a separate section from the registry cleaner), be sure to check/uncheck the items in the program list or CCleaner might remove things you may want to keep.

NOTES on Registry Cleaners:

Registry cleaners will usually do no harm – however, anytime you affect the registry with changes, you risk your system’s stability.  CCleaner does include the offer to make a backup of your registry prior to making any changes.

If you select to download and install another registry cleaner, please uninstall CCleaner.  One of these things on the system at a time is enough…

If a registry Cleaner does not offer to do a backup prior to making changes: be sure you EXPORT the registry manually PRIOR to using the cleaner.  If anything happens that you don’t expect, you will have an extra layer of protection on which to fall back.

IMO: Stay away from Registry Mechanic.  I have had this on my systems – it has been cleansed, removed, deleted, and dropped in the Zeros bucket.  This is a Personal Opinion.

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Safe Mode

Have you tried booting the system int Safe Mode (with Network) and installing the software from there?  The reason I ask is because it is possible that the installation package is OK but that something is interfering...  For example:  If your Anti-Virus software is Norton, Norton does not play well with other software... it may be blocking the installation because it believes the printer software is evil for some reason.  There should be some way to turn off some part of the Norton during the installation.  (I don't use Norton, so I cannot help with it.)

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File System

You could consider scanning the system.  This is one of my favorite things.  I love a clean file system.  You'll find this in many of my posts where there is a question of file system integrity.  Your system is probably fine... The sfc makes sure it's fine by checking for inconsistancies and trying to correct any problems that it finds.  If the file system is a mess, everything you do to it will be a mess.

The following applies to Vista or Windows 7.  There is a Help File after the instructions...

sfc-scannow

Scan and repair the system.  The sfc /scannow command will do that - it will scan the operating system, looking for corrupted files and inconsistencies; it will replace and repair whatever it can.  If it finds corrupted programs or libraries, it will try to fix them.

• Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories > Right-Click Command Prompt > Select 'Run as Administrator'
• In the Command Prompt Window, type (or copy / paste) sfc /scannow and press Enter. 

(Note the space between sfc and the "/".)

The sfc scan will report its findings and you can examine the results:

• Open a Command Prompt (does not have to be as Administrator):
• Use the copy command to create a readable file copy of the output:

 copy %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log %userprofile%\desktop\cbs.txt

If “scannow” does not complete properly, try running:

 sfc /verifyonly

Copy the results into a text file, pull the output file into Notepad and look for the errors that the full Scan could not fix.

Help File for the System File Checker Command:

System File Checker tool Windows Vista or on Windows 7

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 Printer Reset

This is a good thing to know about.  In cases where it is "just too much" and the printer has stopped talking to everyone, sometimes a printer reset is the best option.

Reset the printer

 Here are two kinds:

1)  If there is a keypad, turn it off, then on and press # and 6 (keep pressed while turning on printer).

2)  No keypad?  Unplug while on, leave unplugged 30 seconds to a minute.  Plug back in.  (Be careful with this one - don't risk shock.)

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Remote Assistance

Next time you get onboard with a HP tech have them go through the following with you and see if this helps.  Depending on how your router is set up, this may be enough to get the Remote Assistance going for you...

Control Panel > icon view > Windows Firewall > Advanced settings >

Inbound Rules > Scroll down and look for Windows Remote Management >

Right-Click  Properties > Enable > .... and Whatever else the Tech says to set up... for example they may have an IP address to add to one of the settings.

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What is on there now?

You might check your Programs and Features and see what, if anything, is already on that system.  There may be some part of that software "stuck" or partially loaded on the computer.  Doubtful, but you do have a mess there, and at this point, there is not harm in keeping an eye on things!  If you find something, you might consider just removing it since nothing is working at this point.

Control Panel > Programs and Features > Scroll down and look for anything like "Digital" or "Solution Center" or "Printer"... 

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I hope this helps!

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 2012 Year of the Dragon!

[Byank]

Dragon-Fur,

Thanks for the informative response...I will certainly copy this and follow some of your tips.  I did pause both my firewall and anti-virus (kaspersky) during all of the downloads and installs and windows firewall is not activated.  Since the Tech never called me back..surprise????, I went to the HP help site and followed the last process for install problems...which basically is go into the startup and services tabs under the msconfig search and disable and then  restart.  Also shutting down printer and router and restarting.  I was able to reload the printer software and it connected OK and is operating.  That being said, there are still a few residual issues....I can't get the HP Solutions program to load which allows access to all the printer features in one window...and also can't get Smart Web Print to load even after trying all the tips on the Web Print Pages.  That was working when I first loaded the printer software.  Subsequent to that I did a bunch of Windows updates since I just setup the computer after purchasing it a few months ago.  It was when I tried reinstalling the printer software after my first HP tech session that the problems started.  Even with running IE9 32 bit, windows still says Smart Web Print is not compatible and I did load the supposedly latest Web Smart Print update for Windows 7.  I was running IE9 64 during all the issues I had and I'm wondering if that might have been some of the problems with all the things the HP techs were trying to have me run...my OS is Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium.  I noticed that my laptop with IE9 32 running, the Hp Solution Cntr did load.....

Anyway I'll keep you posted and appreciate your tips on all of this.

Thanks,

Byank

[Dragon-Fur]

Hi Byank,

Tech may have been busy - they are pretty much over worked... sort of like doctors at HMOs.  Here, see these twenty patients in fifteen minutes!  Nevermind that one of the patients needs to ask more than one question.  A good tech will spend as much time as is needed and may just not have time to get to everyone.  Either that, or they just don't know what to do with you anymore and they are all hiding.  Smiling.

Kaspersky is good s/w - tight, but "plays well with others", IMO.

I cannot see how that HP Solutions is not there.   Stubborn File!  I believe you - I'm surprised it's so stubborn after all your effort.  Windows 7 is not usually that, well, stupid.  Grin.  (There is a Linux person in the room who is laughing at this moment, "Yes, it is!  Ha, ha!")

Look for HP Solution Center executable:

C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\Hpqdirec.exe

If you find that file, you have HP Solution Center, just not the ShortCut on the Desktop. 

You can also use Start > search / type > Hpqdirec

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II have issues with all things having to do with IE.  I use IE9 on occasion but I have never had the Web Print option working.  It's too bad:  the idea is great - if it just worked, it would be awesome.  I don't use IE enough to worry about it and I have to use an old version of Firefox (due to SimplePass); I am in Printing and Password Purgatory and just live with all of it.   Smiling.

Well, try that sfc scan.  Then a reinstall of the Full Feature Software.  It may kick.  The file system may be messed up.  (That's an old  IT term that means, "I don't know, something may be wrong somewhere inside.  Clean it up.")

Good Luck!

[Byank]

Daragon-Fur,

Thanks for additional comments....I did the sfc  scan..came back "Windows resource protection found no integrity violations".. I would presume that is a good sign...not having run that program before.  Tomorrow I will down load the Registry Cleaner you recommended and see what happens.  I appreciate your inputs concerning the programs that are out there to do that.  On my old XP machine I had Registry Mechanic and wasn't sure what it was doing...like they say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing...that describes my computer expertise...  I like your idea of booting in Safe Mode..hadn't thought of that and that sounds like an excellent idea...I'll do the registry scan tomorrow and then safe mode boot and see what happens.   I like your collegues comments about Windows 7 being stupid...I agree, but I'm not an IT guy and I do use other software that doesn't have Linux versions and I don't have the expertise to make them work.  At my work we had a computer network that used a real time Linux OS for controlling a lot of things in a dynamic situation....but it was very cubersome to keep it updated. 

Anyway thanks and I'll see what happens.

Byank

[Dragon-Fur]

Hey,

I am glad the scan is clean.  Regardless of all else in the world, a clean file system will behave itself better than one that has problems buried inside that you don't know about.

I am guessing at this point, too...

I really don't know whether Safe Mode will buy you anything.  My instinct when things get weird is to dumb down on the variables to try and narrow down on where it's failing.  Safe Mode helps to do that.  The brutal truth is that this may never work - it's hard to blind guess someone's system.  At the least, you'll have learned something in the process.

Good Luck...

[Byank]

Dragon-Fur,
Well I'm most of the way there....probably need to contact HP tech support again..I uninstalled the printer software and ran the CCleaner..it found a bunch of errors....99% to do with residuals from uninstalled software..not surprising...the newest version does offer a registry back-up before the scan/changes and I had already done a back-up prior to that...never can be too safe with registry changes...after that reinstalled the printer software and finally got the smart print to install...in poking around in the software uninstall window, I noticed that the Bing Bar software file that was there was the OEM installed version in the computer..Duh!!! Never got one Bing install attempt that said it was perviously installed. I should have known MS would sneak that in there...no obvioius signs that it was there...Just like the BS with the 64bit IE9, it wasn't till I poked around on the internet that I got smarter on it's issues and that 32 bit was there also, all you had to do was sellect it as the browser. So the Bing issue and 64 bit IE9 might have something to do with why I was having problems installing the smart printing which needed the updated Bing version. Uninstalled it and updated Bing and the smart print software so now I have it...still don't see it in the sidebar though like I did on the original install...anyway still can't get HP solutions to load so think I will contact HP techs to see if we can get that resolved.
Anyway thanks alot for your help, got smarter on some things, I like the CCleaner and the uninstall software it has....might be cleaner that MS's...thanks for steering me towards that.
Thanks again,
Byank

[Dragon-Fur]

I hate Bing Bar.  Sneaky thing.  I forgot about it or I'd have warned ya.

When you get it fixed, and I hope you do get it worked out, post back.

It has to be something weird - it doesn't make sense that you this far and cannot get the rest of the way!

And, hey!  You are an Admin now!  Broken computer stuff makes an admin out of all of us, like it or not.  Smiling.

Good Luck!

Bye!

 2012 Year of the Dragon!