Has anyone received knowledgeable help from HP Tech Support?

[bigmutt]

I keep seeing some forum posters suggesting to contact HP Tech Support ;     Nice idea you'd think, except ..........  it doesn't work!   

at least it has not solved anything for me regarding my non-functioning HP Solution Center for my PhotoSmart 8180  during the four months that I've been corresponding with them.

So I keep looking here, and wondering why can't I find anything HERE (on this user forum) about getting my HP Solution Center to work?

Mostly all I find is suggestions to uninstall and reinstall the software, and I have done that about a dozen times, in all different methods suggested in HP help and the forum: Uninstall_L3,  Uninstall_L4, from Control Panel, Uninstall button on the software disk, and MS windows install cleanup utility.

yes, I am connected directly, via USB.

yes, all the latest updates are installed.

I have XP Pro, uptodate,  and everything else works fine.

my printer copies and prints fine, btw;   only the scanning & Solution Center don't work.

I have contacted HP support via email and all they keep suggesting is uninstall/reinstall.  I think ten or more hours have been spent doing only that.  Twenty emails back 'n' forth with them, so far.

any reason why the support forum doesn't have any suggestions?   surely someone has had this problem before;

thanks, 

Rick Schmidt

[smartfriend]

What happens when you open solution center?

[bigmutt]

when I try to open Solution Center by clicking on either the desktop icon or even in the Digital Imaging Monitor tray icon,  or from Start-Programs-HP-SolutionCenter,   the result is the same:   I get a message that says "No HP devices have been detected. HP Solution Center will now close."

obviously there's communication between my "HP device" (the C8180 printer)   and my computer,  or else I wouldn't be able to print with it from my computer.    I think it's just not communicating with the software that Solution Center is part of.

any thoughts?

[RonaldWK]

Yes, someone else has the same problem.  No, I have not been able to get help.  I have spent hours and hours trying to resolve the problem, with techs merely going through their sheets, not really listening to my recital of what I have done, printer behavior, etc.  I have asked for escalation with no response.

Reinstall makes the Solution Center work one time only, but it will fail every time after that.  If I reboot the computer, removing all active processes save the operating system's, then Solution Center sometimes works.  This is not an acceptable work-around.

Moreover, ordinary scanning from the control panel on the J6480 breaks repeatedly, requiring very time consuming re-installs.   

I have two HP printers, a HP laptop, and a HP Pavilion Computer. 

I spent two weeks with tech support on the Pavilion.  Turns out the OEM OS install was bad.  Almost destroyed my computer-dependent business. Actually a MS engineer finally helped me resolve the problem.

On the Pavilion, I needed a replacement video card under warranty.  They sent me another bad one.

The Designjet 130 is a nice printer now, but it once had a bad circuit in an inkjet cartridge that torched the controls.  The first tech guessed the problem, but HP lost my session record with that guy, and I had to spend another 8-10 hours and several machine exchanges before someone listened to me and replaced the culprit inkjet.

I have been supporting small business PC since the mid-80s.  I have never had experiences like these.

HP used to be the best.  I don't think I will risk every buying HP again.

Regards,

Ron

[vincenzo]

Yes.  Don't give up - I went through the same thing once.  My suggestion is that you're should now escalate to the CEO, Mr. Hurd.  That will cause an email to get routed to the sector General Manager and his designate.  You will get action.

[RonaldWK]

Thanks Vincenzo,

I think it might be a good idea, as I must re-install one more time today.  Even more time wasted.

Regards,

Ron

[Peanuts97]

I just spent 2 days installing, uninstalling the software for the 6480.  First with the CD, then a complete uninstall using the built in uninstall, then microsoft add/remove programs, then the dos batch uninstall program from the HP support site, finally with a search of my registry for any HP items.  Finally, this morning I was able to reinstall and scan and print wirelessly.  BUT, an hour later when I tried to lauch HP solutions, it could not detect the printer!!!????  I didn't change anything.  Anyone find a solution to this, or did HP software fail us?

[RonaldWK]

I finally was able to make the printer work again (haven't tested the scanner) by deleting the printer from the network and the printer install in Control Panel.  Then re-install manually.  I cannot for the life of me make the HP install software work, not even the Basic Drivers install found on the J6480 drivers webpage.

Regards,

Ron

[Wycliffe]

Issue :  Whenever the notebook is turned on, as soon as the desktop is shown it shows error with HP solutions center or missing file and insert the disc.

Solution:

HP solution center is a small software tool of HP printer, scanner and camara software.  Mainly it is avaialble in Printer software programs.
 

You need to Uninstall and Reinstall all Printer software programs and also Image Zone software. Then restart the notebook. Also install latest version of Printer driver.

[DexterM]

---

Wycliffe wrote:
Issue :  Whenever the notebook is turned on, as soon as the desktop is shown it shows error with HP solutions center or missing file and insert the disc.

Solution:

HP solution center is a small software tool of HP printer, scanner and camara software.  Mainly it is avaialble in Printer software programs.
 

You need to Uninstall and Reinstall all Printer software programs and also Image Zone software. Then restart the notebook. Also install latest version of Printer driver.

---

if the problem is with Solution Center, then you can reinstall Solution Center only. no need to reinstall the complete software immediately. just uninstall it from Add/remove Programs. then insert the CD, click on Install More Software and select Solution Center to reinstall it. if that doesnt work, THEN reinstall teh complete software.