LaserJet 5100 printing problems in Windows 10

[KLuz]

I recently bought a new laptop running on Windows 10. My trusty LaserJet 5100 that I’ve used for years doesn’t print text properly.  The text is in a proper position but the characters are printed as black blocks almost like individual character oulines. It was working well with my previous HP laptop under Windows 7. The settings in the printer properties are similar to the ones in Windows 7.  I'm using a USB/Parallel port converter cable that again was working fine in Window 7.

It is hooked up to USB 2.0 port that is working fine with other devices so it doesn't seem to be the port problem.

I downloaded and installed the newest upd-pcl6-x64-6.3.0.21178 printer driver from HP site.

My LJ5100 is a great printer and I'd like to use for many years.

Has anyone experienced a similar problem and know the solution?

[dungleviet67]

Hi Kluz,
You try install with upd-pcl6-x64-6.0.0.18849.
You search and download it at:
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/UPD/
Hope this helps.
dungleviet

[KLuz]

Thx dungleviet.

Should I remove the printer from the Printer/Devices before installing the driver?

[dungleviet67]

Hi KLuz,

Yes,  you need to uninstall the existing drivers for the printer completely from Windows:

1. Turn off printer.
2. Go “Devices and Printers” look for your HP Printer. If you see it listed, right-click on it and choose "Delete" or "Remove Device".
3. Go “Programs and Features”, look for your HP Printer. If you see it listed, right-click on it and choose "Uninstall" or "Remove ".
4. Open up the run command with the "Windows Key + R" key combo.
5. Type printui.exe /s and click OK.
6. Click on “Drivers” tab, look for HP Printer driver. If you see it click on it and click “Remove” at the bottom. Select OK. Then select Apply and OK on the “Print Server Properties” windows. Close Devices and Printers.
7. Restart computer.
8. Run “upd-pcl6-x64-6.0.0.18849.exe” file.
9. Turn on printer and wait some minutes to windows know your printer.

Good luck!

dungleviet

[KLuz]

Thx.  I appreciate your help.

I removed the Printer from the Printers/Devices in Control Panel

The problem is though that I could not remove the driver "HP LaserJet 5100 PCL6 Class Driver"

When I click to remove and select the whole package it comes back with msg:

"The following package(s) can not be deleted: prnhpcl3.inf (x64)
This package contains the following driver(s) that are in use:
HP LaserJet 5100 PCL6 Class Driver; This driver is used on:
   HP LaserJet 5100 PCL6 Class Driver
   Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 5100 Series"

The actual device i.e. the HP LaserJet is not listed in the Devices/Printers and is not in use, not even connected to the PC.

There is no other device that would use this driver.

It seems that something got stuck there.

Any advice how to remove this driver.

Thx

Kris

[dungleviet67]

Hi KLuz,

You could not remove the driver "HP LaserJet 5100 PCL6 Class Driver" because in "Devices and Printers" having "HP LaserJet 5100 PCL6 Class Driver" and "Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 5100 Series" ?

If yes, you try select remove "Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 5100 Series", windows will remove both "HP LaserJet 5100 PCL6 Class Driver" and "Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 5100 Series".

If no, you restart OS and then try again steps in my previous post.

Good luck!

dungleviet

[KLuz]

Hi dungleviet,

it seems the reason that OS did not allow me to delete the driver is that the USB ports still show the Driver although the printer no longer shows in Printers/Devices.
On "Print Server Properties" popup window on tab "Ports"
it shows COM etc. and then
USB001  virtual printer port...      HP LaserJet 5100 PCL6 Class Driver
USB002  virtual printer port...      Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 5100 Series

There is an option  "Delete Port". 

Should I try to delete the USB1 and 2 port?
If I do it will I be able to configure it back?
I hope the OS will do it for me once I install HP LaserJet printer again but I'm not sure.
Thx for your help.

[dungleviet67]

Hi KLuz,

You retry steps:

1. Click the bottom-left "Start" button on desktop, type "device manager" in the search box and tap "Device Manager" on the menu.
2. In "Device manager", click on the "View" tab in the top & choose “Show hidden devices”.
3. Then from the "Device manager" list, check the entries under “Printer” – If there are any entries, please right click and choose “uninstall” – In the confirm device uninstall popup, make sure you select the box which says “Delete the driver software for this device".
4. Also, check the entries under "Printer queue" and "Imaging devices" and repeat the same exercise. Delete any printer entry or any entry which says “Unknown device”.
5. Once done, close device-manger. Then press the "windows key" + "r" to get the "Run" window open - Type "printui.exe /s" and press enter.
6. Under print server properties, go to drivers - remove any entry there as well.
7. Again, go to "run" window, type – “c:/programdata” – Go to Hewlett Packard folder, remove any printer related folders & files.
8. Once done, you can try cleaning out your temporary files and cached files. You can try using automated applications like some cleaner software's that you can download from the internet.
9. Now restart your computer again.

After removed it, you reinstall it with driver "6.0.0.18849" version.

Regards.

[KLuz]

Thx dugleviet67.  The procedure worked out pretty well as such.  I was able to delete the printer driver. You have an indepth knowledge in this area.

However, when I installed the new HP driver upd-pcl6-x64-6.0.0.18849 I had the same problem with printing the fonts.

They appear in proper locations but are printed as filled rectangles. 

I recall when I configured the LaserJet 5100 in my old Windows 7 (64bit) it used the driver from Windows library and it worked fine.  If I can somehow get the same driver and install it for Win 10 it'd probably work.  However the printer info doesn't show the details of the driver so I'm at lost here.  Maybe you can help.

Alternatively I can try to install an earlier version of HP Driver.  I looked up at ftp:  and the oldest one is upd-pcl6-x64-5.5.0.12834.

What would you suggest?

[dungleviet67]

Hi,

OK, you try uninstall/remove all drivers installed, then try steps:

1. Turn off printer and restart computer.
2. Go “Control Panel”, select “View devices and printers”, then click on "Add a Printer"
3. Next, click on "The printer that I want isn't listed"
4. Choose "Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings"
5. Pick an existing port, choice is “USB001 (Virtual printer port for USB)”.
6. Now you see the list of manufacturers and models, click on “Have Disk...”.
7. In “Install From Disk” window, click on “Browse” and choose “C:\HP Universal Print Driver\pcl6-x64-6.0.0.18449\” folder, click “Open”, then press “OK” and wait Windows install.
8. Go “Control Panel”, select “View devices and printers” again. Then turn on printer and wait, if windows know your printer is finish.
9. Print a test page and tell me know.

Good luck once again!

dungleviet