HP printer won't install - WinXP

Well, you good folks at MG handled my recent spyware problem so well that I've decided to lay another issue on you, though I don't have high hopes for this one.

My dad has an oldish HP Deskjet 855c printer. It worked absolutely fine on the old computer (Compaq Pentium) he had until recently. Now he has a hand-me-down computer from me, a no-brand P2 450mhz with a fresh install of Windows XP Home on it. When I try to hook up the printer to this one, the Found New Hardware wizard comes up, proceeds to copy a bunch of installation files like you'd expect, then abruptly it says:

"Cannot Install this Hardware
There was a problem installing this hardware.

HEWLETT-PACKARD DESKJET 850C

An error occurred during installation of the device. The data is invalid."

...What!? The message is so vague, I have no idea what the problem is. I tried manually installing the printer files from the floppy disks it came with, and also with files downloaded from HP's website. I cannot understand why it was fine on the other computer and now I'm getting this silly crap. Even though the printer isn't a spring chicken, I don't want to have to replace it for this.

Any ideas?

 

How is it being connected? USB? Good. Parallel? Yeck.

If this is USB (I will assume it is), unplug the printer from the system, restart, than download the latest driver and software from HP's website, install it.

Then, once installed, plug the printer in while the computer is on (USB is hot pluggable) and the OS should pick it up properly.

If this is Parellel, you could try the same thing but shutdown the system before plugging in a parellel connection.

Good luck, let me know what happens.

 

It's parallel. :/ The printer is so old that I don't think it's USB compatible. Thanks for the advice though, I will try that as soon as I can.

 

I think your Printer doers have USB. It would be the block USB not the regular small rectangle shape plug. You probably just need a cable. I would suggest using USB over Parrallel.

 

?? block usb?? do you mean the terminal shape on the printer? either way, the terminal on the printer is "square" and the other end IS the flat rectangular connector.

Some of the older printers did come with both Para and USB connectors so you can try the USB if it has it.

 

Did you download the driver from HP?

Seems the driver is on XP.
Go here & have a look. You have to do it in the right steps.

That's if the printer is 855c. No other numbers or letters.

 

It's referred to as a "block" USB connector where I am from.

What shape is a block? Square? Hmmmmm.

 

i was referring to this being sligthly misleading

USB is USB. You have to use correct terminology. USB is a technology. The USB cable is the peripheral piece that allows transfer of data from the USB terminal to the targe devicet. So when you say "block USB" and "not the regular small rectangle shape plug", it sounds like you don't know what you're talking about.

This isn't your first post that I've shaken my head at. Your advice, though I undertand what you're talking about, others (beginners) may not. To save confusion on their end, don't over complicate by trying to be too descriptive. K.I.S.S. keep it simple, stupid.

 

Ok, I tried unplugging the parallel cable, both on the printer end and on the back of my computer. Shut down machine. Rebooted. Plugged cable back in. Found New Hardware Wizard comes up.

The "wizard" keeps detecting the printer as an HP Deskjet 850C. We bought the printer new, years ago, and it says HP Deskjet 855C right on it in big letters and always has. It worked on the old machine that had Win 95 on it. What's the problem, that XP is thinking my printer is something it's not? This is ridiculous.

Hm, do we really think a USB connection might make a difference? If so I'll try buying a new cable. Can anyone show me an example online of what I need? Just a regular printer-ended cable with a USB connector on the one end of it?

 

that driver is actually the correct driver. let it use the 850c series.

 

Well, for whatever reason, the install fails, whether I let it use 850C drivers, 855C as my printer says on it, or any other 855 series drivers. =/

I'm so close to just taking it in to Best Buy or someplace and actually paying someone to #$^%@%$ install it, and I've never had to do anything like that before, but there's no good reason I can find for this to be happening...

 

try cancelling the wizard and adding the printer manually..

 

From the link above>

"If the Found New Hardware Wizard displays, click Cancel and proceed to Step three".