Unsuccessful Network Installation (the printer was unable to be installed over the network)

[forunna]

This is extremely frustrating, as I've seen various posts regarding the same error/problem but have yet to find an actual fix. I'm running Windows 7, 64-bit and trying to install a new HP 3052A over wireless. The printer is actually connected, IP assigned, and can be pinged and accessed via browser. However, I can't get it to actually connect via my laptop. I keep getting the same error. On my other computer, I was able to get to the printer properly installed but it won't print. I can scan to a file, send test prints from the web. I need help!

[VisionAiry]

I will be happy to help and hopefully guide you to a fix.  It sounds like you are having a frustrating time working with two computers so I will do my best to keep the problems separated.  I will call the computer that can not get the printer to install Computer #1 and the one you can not print from will be Computer #2.

To make this easier on the both of us I am going to give you links to documents instead of typing them out here and if you need help understanding them or if they don't work let me know.

Computer #1   --Unable to Find Printer During A Wireless Installation--    Just select the correct operating system of that computer and follow those instructions.

Computer #2   --Can't Print?--    Make sure you have the right printer set to default or selected from the software you are trying to print from.  What are you trying to print from that will not print (ex. Microsoft Office, Adobe, etc)?  It is very good you can scan! That tells me the printer is setup.

[DanvK]

I am having similar difficulties installing an existing HP OfficeJet 6310 AiO attached to the router via Ethernet on a new Windows 7 Starter/32-bit laptop

On my old XP laptop the complete suite installed without a glitch and worked flawlessly until I finally had to junk the laptop. The complete suite also installed on a Vista laptop in the same network, although several install/uninstall cycles were necessary and even now occasional re-installs following a boot of the laptop are necessary.

The HP Print driver - available through the microsoft update facility - works for printing, but not for the other functions (fax, scan).

Installation of the full suite proceeds successfully - correctly identifying the printer, network address and MAC address - until the final "add device" phase. After clicking "network" (rather than "USB") the installation software verifies all of the network settings and - again - discovers the printer. It then displays a picture of several workstations, a wireless router, the printer and the cable between printer and router and begins another install step. This proceeds through 50%, then abruptly terminates, displaying a large, red "X" over the wireless router - but no error message about what causes the termination. Clicking the "Repeat" button repeats the "add device" procedure, leading to the same result each time.

The installation then completes and installs an "Add device" link on the desktop. Clicking this link repeats the "add device" procedure, with the same result as before. Rebooting laptop and printer several times did not change the results. De-installing and re-installing the suite also leads to the same results.

Scanning is possible by opening a browser window to the printer's IP address, although functionality is limited. The web interface does not support faxing.

As you said, this is extremely frustrating and there is no advice on the HP site or on the web other than re-install.

Note that there were no issues installing an HP 5510 Photosmart printer on the same laptop. Installing a G85 AiO did not work, probably because HP simply did not provide a full suite for such an old printer. The web interface of the G85 works well, though, offering more functionality than that of the 6310.

Dan

[VisionAiry]

Hello Dan, 

During an ethernet installation you still get a large red x on the router?  This sounds more like a problem with the firewall on either the computer or the router.  I would start by temporarily disabling the anti-virus software you use while you do the installation if you are having this problem on anything but a Windows Starter Edition. I am sorry to tell you however, the printer software will be just as limited as your Windows.  An ethernet installation just isn't supported.  😞  

I would like to provide for you a plethora of documents to assist you and it seems all of them could apply to you in this case.  Here is a list of installation problems that could happen installing your printer onto a Windows 7 computer (non-starter edition):

 --HP Officejet 6313 Installation Issues--

For you, Dan, I had to do a lot of research to back up my claims but what I did find is that your printer will install but only via USB.  Here is a forum link where I found that information.  I was looking for a more formal way of telling you that but this seems to be all I could find.  Let me know if you have any ideas, if there is anything you would like to try, or the like, but the picture I am about to post should explain some more.

[VisionAiry]

Is this similar to the red X you see during the installation?  These are descriptions of images you will get if your computer does not meet the system requirements.

[DanvK]

That is definitely what the picture looks like:

Because the X is on the printer side, I thought the issue is in the network or printer configuration. The local network type is "home network" and the router does not restrict local traffic. Also, just to be sure, I disabled the virus protection and attempted adding the device again just now - with the same result.

One would expect that there would be some form of message, i.e. "Your operating system is not supported. You update to level XYZ, which is supported, and complete the installation". Note that the diagnosis program identified my operating systems and triggered a new installation. If the product is not supported, that message could have appeared much earlier . . .

Oh, well. What do you call it, resolved but not solved?

Thanks for the insight.

Dan 

[VisionAiry]

I agree!  I haven't had to work with a Windows Starter Edition in a long time so it was not the first thing to come to mind.  The hardest part was trying to find official documentation for you but all I could find was what is supported and nothing on what is not supported.  I even read the terms and conditions of the installation.  I have to wonder if the installation can actually tell the difference.  The good news is you no longer have to waste any more time trying to install it on the network from your computer.  Keep in mind, this printer can be plugged in USB to that computer and still be wireless as well.  I hope that helps take some of the weight off of your shoulders. 🙂

[DanvK]

I will probably upgrade the Windows 7 version - I was already thinking of that.

My new company laptop is locked down so securely that I cannot print to local IP printers - and they will not grant me an exemption to switch the protection on and off. So my solution was to buy the cheapest / smallest netbook I could find to act as my portable print and scan server - I am quite nomadic with home offices in the US and Germany and spend most of my time at our or customer locations in Europe and the US. Nearly everywhere I access printers on the local network directly. I synchronize a directory between the two laptops over a Bluetooth connection and simply "print" PDF's to that directory in one direction and save scans to that directory in the other direction.

In any case, I knew that the netbook has Windows 7 Starter, but no one could explain to me exactly what services are not available. As I pointed out, I can install network printers without an issue, and have successfully installed various drivers for mult-functional printers from several vendors. So, it appeared that the only restriction was the speed of the CPU and disk drive - which are not an issue for this particular use.

Over the years I have consistently encountered difficulties with the drivers/applications for HP's AiO printers. When I first installed the G85/G95 software on a laptop - probably 2003? - for example, it did not work. It took several weeks and a number of calls with HP support to determine that my laptop had a German Windows version and the HP software was in English - and this combination did not work. HP support provided a German version of the software which - once all vestiges of the English version had finally been found and removed - worked perfectly. In fact, I suspected that might be an issue again - German Windows and a US printer (I was careful to download a German version of the HP software).

Dan

[VisionAiry]

Thank you for sharing that! Now that I work on the "world-wide web," I see a larger scope of problems such as compatibility between the languages like you have experienced that never would have occurred to me otherwise.  I did find a lot of differences with the Starter Edition and its limitations while looking for information to help you.  As most of them were forum posts, I can not verify the validity of the limitations but they are minute compared to what you are going through with this driver.  I remember getting a heavy heart when I first heard about this.  However, if you have any suggestions, ideas, or questions I am happy to help if I can!  

[DanvK]

Thanks for the offer! Dan