HP Photosmart c309a installed printer, but scanner not recognized​...

[wjc718]

Hello, all. This is a repost. Hoping for updated results:

I installed the HP Photosmart c309a all-in-one on a machine using Windows 7 Home Premium.

The setup worked perfectly and my wireless was instantly detected.

However, it does not recognize that my device is also a scanner.

Does anyone know how I can solve this?

Thank you in advance for any efforts that might help me out.

[BillEgerton]

I'm sort of glad I'm not the only one in the world with this problem, but sorry you also have this scanner problem. My Photosmart C309a is connected by Ethernet cable to my router/modem, and hence to my family's computers - wirelessly to a couple of computers, and via Ethernet cable to my own computer. Scanning works fine on the computers connected wirelessly, which are running Windows Vista. I could also scan fine on my own computer when it ran Windows XP.

Then I upgraded my own computer to Windows 7 - printing is still absolutely fine, but the computer's software does not recognise the scanner. I get a regular warning message saying the HP Imaging device has not been found - error 8, [ (1, 0, -2147221496) ].

The Device Manager shows an imaging device called Photosmart C309a series, and says it is running properly. It shows the following driver software:

serscan.sys (version 6.1.7600.16385)

hposc_p02a.dll (version 120.0.128.000)

hpost_p02a.dll (version 120.0.128.000)

hposwia_p02a.dll (version 12.0.0.133)

When I  attempt to update the driver software, I am told it is the latest version.

I have run HP's diagnostic software (which I think is rather good). HPHNDU and HPPDU show that the network and the printer itself are fine. HPSDU finds the scanner device at the right location, and shows that connectivity is fine, and the device manager is fine. It reports an error for the driver, saying the driver cannot communicate with the device. It suggests turning the printer off and on, restarting the computer, and reinstalling the printer software. I have done all of that several times, using the latest HP software, but with absolutely no success.

I note that on my other computers, additional driver software is reported:

difxapi.dll (version 2.1)

hppldcoi.dll (version 2.1.2.51)

I've been totally unable to find any solution - it's not mentioned as a problem in anything I've found from HP themselves, and until I found your post, I couldn't find anyone else with quite the same problem. I have gone carefully, twice, through the instructions in HP Solutions for Install Errors (Windows 7).

My guess is that the problem is caused by something funny in the system Registry, rather than the software itself, but I don't know enough to fix it. I thought I might try uninstalling the printer (yet again), and then go through the Registry to see what is still there to do with the printer. If I'm really bold, I might try taking things out.

HP, are you there? Any ideas?

[Rocks]

Scanning problems with all-in-one printer?  Well don’t hold your breath for a quick fix. The HP software engineers are not up to date with Microsoft Vista updates and recent Windows XP updates, and it looks like Windows 7 has the same problem.  And it does not sound like HP will get the problem solved anytime soon. 

I just spent 3+ hours with HP Tech Support and they could not fix the problem.  Turning off your virus program, uninstalling the complete printer software package – from the disk or download of the latest version – and then re-installing from the same disk or download did not fix it.  Even using the 3 diagnostic utilities that you can down load did not help much.  Nor running the .bat files from the disk that “cleans” all the HP files out, so you can reload, helped. 

No, HP Tech said it was a software compatibility problem, threw up their hands and said there was nothing they could do.  But suggested that I upgrade… except I have the latest, greatest now and they can’t seem to support it. 

It seems every HP "all in one printer" has scanner problems, no matter what Windows they are running or what model All-in-One they have.

My next move will be to try an old Restore Point and go back before Microsoft updated Windows.  Then, maybe, my printer software will be compatible again.  If so, I won't be updating Windows until HP has announced a fix, or my printer dies when I shoot it!

[BillEgerton]

Thanks for your helpful, but not hopeful, response. I reach two concusions from this: (a) I will not be upgrading the operating systems on my other computers, much as would like to as I hate Vista; (b) unless HP show they have the capability to sort fundamental problems like this, my next all-in-one will not be an HP.

I will plough on, and let you know if I find anything.

[a6zzz]

I have the same problem.  Posting in case somebody posts a solution.  More frustrating -- initially I did not have the problem.  Then I did have the problem, but somehow solved it.  Now the problem has come back, and I can't remember the solution.

Maybe it was to re-install the whole c309a machine (which is a pain, since I have to re-enter the wi-fi long password.

[pedkins]

Sooo nice to find you are not the only one with a problem.  Come on HP, solve this problem! 

It is really annoying; I find that I have to connect a USB cable every time I want to scan something.  The scanner wireless connection worked fine when I first installed the printer, but all of a sudden (6 months later) it stopped working; I tried everything, but no go.  Do I just wait now for HP to resolve it?  I feel I should get a partial refund.

[a6zzz]

So, good news -- I did find a solution to the problem.  I downloaded the latest installation program

(http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?product=3737195&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&cc=us)

And did a re-install.

I also got a side benefit -- the printer driver was duplicated in my printers list.  So, now I have one-click access to duplex/draft and single-sided/normal printing.

There's something odd about the set-up, in that I ended up with various other drivers, and the feeling that if I delete them all, I'll lose my new installation, so re-named a couple of them by putting z- in front of the name, so they show up at the bottom of the list and I can ignore them.

Also weird -- the actual scanner doesn't show up as a device.

I hope this helps somebody.  Meanwhile, it wouldn't hurt if HP WOULD FIGURE THIS OUT AND STOP IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

[kwbarlow]

I have had the same problem, post a reinstall of the software - it WAS working at one stage, and I can't remember why I had to re-install.

Running via WiFi and the C309a works fine from another PC.

Pop-up with the extended very unhelpful diagnostic of 8,[1,0,-2147221496)] . This code seems to be common to driver errors on more than just the C309A!

I have tried over 15 clean installs - the last one clearing out all HP registry entries as well as the HP program directory. Also I checked that there were no HP processes running before the last attempt.

Same bloody result!

HP really should be up to pointing us in the right direction with this one, it really is a poor performance.

Come on HP - show some interest!