Problems Installing HP Solution Center - SOLUTION FOUND!

[nofail]

KEYWORDS RELATED TO THIS POST

• Installing HP Software
• Fatal Error Installing HP Software
• HP Solution Center Error
• Upgrading HP Solution Center
• Office Jet L7550 install
• Office Jet Install problems

I have been having trouble for months getting the HP Solution Center to work.  After upgrading to version 14, my Solution Center stopped working.  I finally called HP and paid for support and spoke with a nice guy named Tony who helped me fix the problem.  It took a bit of fixing but Tony was able to find the solution and I wanted to pass on what I learned during this process about problems with installing the HP Solution Center software.

My problem turned out to be 2 things:  a corrupt DotNet Framework install AND I also learned it's better to install all the software for your printer incrementally, each bit of software in the installer package, being installed one at a time instead of using the default method in the installer that installs it all in one go.  This is particularly important under Windows 7 according to HP.

STEPS I'D RECOMMEND

1. If you have the HP software or ANY HP drivers installed already, you must do this step.  In Windows 7, go to start menu and type in %temp% and hit enter.  This will open your temporary files.  In this location you should see a folder that mostly likely begins with a "7z" followed by some letters and numbers.  Basically you are looking for either this folder or in your particular case the folder that contains all the HP temporary install files.  The location of this will vary depending on where you extracted those files to.  Once you think you've found it, look in it to confirm it it contains your HP setup files for your printer.  This folder and all the files gets placed here when you run the file you downloaded for for your All in One Printer model.  You can always re-download the software and run the installer (even if it fails to install your printer properly) and then pick up following the procedure at step 2
2. Somewhere in these files, most likely in a folder called "Util" you will find a program called "Uninstall_L3".  Find this and run this program.  This will do a thorough uninstall of the HP software. 
3. After it finished you will have to reboot.
4. Next and this could be where your problem lies, go to http://www.microsoft.com/net/download.aspx and download DotNet Framework (the latest version... as of 3-1-2011 is version 4).  Download and install this software and then reboot your computer.
5. Next, go back to the temp file location of where your printer install files are and look for a program called "bpd_scan_Carrier", usually located in a "bpd_scan" folder off.  Run  this program.
6. Next go back to the temp file location of where your printer install files are and look for a program called "scan.msi" which should be located in a folder named "scan".  Run this program.
7. Next.... run the HP setup program again... but pay close attention while you're running it.... because you're not going to run it through accepting all the defaults... you're going to get to a step/screen (about the 3rd one in) where it's going to install the software and you actually will have options of installing all the software or doing a SELECTIVE INSTALL of the software.  These options will actually appear as hyperlinks (which makes them hard to see) on the install wizard.  Look for the hyperlink/option that say something like selective install or custom software install.  When you see that hyperlink, click it.  It will pop open a windows with checkboxes in it.  Uncheck everything except the main printer DRIVER.  Then continue with the install.
8. It will complete the installation of that
9. Next go back to the setup program and run it again.  This time select to install additional software.  Again, look for that selective install screen, click the hyperlink and deselect everything except I think it's called "Imaging Device Functions Software" or something like that.  Go through with that install.
10. Next repeat the same process as above and this time select Solution Center... complete the install.
11. Fire up the HP Solution Center and it should work now.

I hope this helps someone because I spent a LOT of time trying to fix this.  If it  doesn't give the HP staff a try.  I paid like $37 for a year of support and they fixed it in less than an hour via remote desktop.  I highly recommend using them if you cannot fix using above procedure.  I wasted so much time futzing with this myself I could have been done with this 6 months ago.  Oh well, live and learn....

KEY POINTS

• Get the latest Dot Net Framework (v4.0 as of 3/1/2011)
• Run bpd_scan_Carrier
• Run scan.msi
• Most Importantly - RUN A SELECTIVE SOFTWARE INSTALL.  Look for this option in the hyperlinks on one of the install wizard screens.  It's easy to overlook, so pay attention.  It's about 3 wizard screens in, in the section having to do with installing the software. Install first the drivers, then "Imaging Device Functions Software" and then finally "Solution Center".  TRYING TO RUN THE INSTALLER, ON WINDOWS 7, WITHOUT SELECTIVE SOFTWARE INSTALL CAN PREVENT THE SOFTWARE FROM INSTALLING PROPERLY (duh, right?!... they need to fix this!)

[Snerticus]

I'm going to try this.  I've been having this problem for over a year now and it's very annoying. 

[alltime]

I'm trying this right now as we speak.

Few things that I noticed (5610 all-in-one)

• I cannot find bpd_scan_Carrier anywhere within the HP temporary folder.
• Does scan.msi actually complete with a prompt or anyting?  It prompts to install but dissappears

The selective install only gives the following options, nothing that says Driver install

• HP Imaging Device Functions
• Shop for HP supplies
• HP Solution Center
• OC software by I.R.I.S
• HP Update
• HP customer parcipation program
• HP photosmart essential 3.5
• HP smart web printing

[nofail]

OK if these scanning files aren't present, then I'd try first without them. 

I don't recall how scan.msi ran.  If you ran it; good enough.  Let's see how it goes.

Make sure you have done the reinstall of DotNet

On the selective install... do 

1. HP Imaging Device Functions FIRST and then
   
2. HP Solution Center

Then you can install the optional/additional software one by one if you like or not at all if you don't need those extras.  I don't think it matters the sequence of these:

• OC software by I.R.I.S - (this is for scanning images and converting them to Text (Basic OCR  package)
• HP photosmart essential 3.5 - for editing photos once scanned.  (most use their own programs.  optional)
• HP smart web printing  - (Additional software to aid in printing out web pages - unneccessary)
• HP Update - checks for software updates (you can do this manually, so it's up to you)

Curious to see if this works for you too.  Mine has been working flawlessly after a year of it being screwed up

[Snerticus]

Well, it worked with no hangs on installation.  YES!!!!!!

However, I still can't get my Solution Center to work properly.  It keeps giving me a black box saying my installation is not finished.  I've been having this problem for about a year as well.  I've uninstalled and reinstalled using the scrubber and registry cleaners to clean out every bit of HP/Hewlett-Packard stuff I could find in the registry to no avail.

I'll just have to find out how to scan without using the Solution Center....

Snert

[nofail]

I am glad it worked.  On the HP Center... that was my MAIN issue that I was glad to resolve.  I am assuming you followed as many of the steps that I listed?   Did you do the .Net re-install too?

[alltime]

Glad to see your install appeared to almost be complete.

Unfortunately for me, when I attempted to install only the Drivers, this worked fine.  When I went to install additional softawre, I selected the Imaging Device Functions.  The CD-rom image appeared then dissappeared with not additional software installation steps.  I tried this several times, even after a reboot.

I decided to start from scratch again and this time tried installing the Image Device Function, in addition to the basic drivers.  It appears the application has stalled at "Configuring Product" again.

This is so ridiculous to be spending this much time on a printer lol.

[nofail]

I agree it's nuts.  Make sure you only install 1 item at a time too.  Do not select more than 1 item to install at a time during the software install. 

If it doesn't work you can call support and they will likely be able to fix it.  They login to your computer and do it mostly for you.  In my case, I had spent SOOOOO much time on my own trying to fix.  30 minutes with a Support rep and things were working...

Since I use it for business... i made the business pay for it...

Agreed it's very frustrating that you'd have to pay for somethign that should just work!  But it can be fixed most likely and I suggest you record the actions the rep takes for future reference.

Very crazy.  I {Content Removed: language}  HP for this not working.  Was glad it could get fixed but question whether I will buy HP again since driver instal this shoud be idiot proof.

[Snerticus]

Well, it used to be (for me anyway) that the actual product kept malfunctioning.  My 6500 still works like a charm but it's the software that's gone wonky. 

The software worked fine for the first year and a half, then all of a sudden the Solution Center just stopped working and kept telling me my installation was incomplete.  I'll try re-installing my .NET (I already had 4.0 so I didn't think I needed to) again.  I'm just tired of uninstalling and reinstalling and making sure as many registry items are deleted as possible. It takes forever and a day.

The only other option is simply not to use Solution Center.  I managed to get the scanner to basically work without it, so it's possible to bypass it.  It's just extremely convenient to have all the printer functions right at your fingertips when Solution Center actually works.

[nofail]

Ahhhh.... well the hardware worked in my case too but the software was blitzed similar to yours.  Definitely re-install .Net... I had had it too already installed... but according to HP it was common for it to get corrupted.  When we did that, Solution Center worked...  Solution Center relies on a good install of .Net. 

After we did that, rebooted and then followed those instructions... all went well.  Good luck with this.  Keep me posted.