Printer issue...

Ok Up front - not sure if this is hardware or software.

Dell Inspiron ME051, laptop; running XP home sp2, standard specs on other hardware. Trying to install and get working with a Dell AIO 926 printer. Known working, and purchased new with all booklets and disk.

Keeps giving incorrect port detected. Checked dell site, no help.
He has it plugged into the one port that icon-matched the wire from the printer indicating USB. He has four other USB ports that are located together in a spot just a smidge away from the single hole port that says printer.
We have tried a different wire ( USB 2.0 A/B cable) and all cables are under the 6' limit. Wires all worked on other machines, so did printer. All printer drivers are installed and even went to dell site for that printer and grabbed whatever was there too.

Also did the recommended Uninstall, and Reinstall - didn't resolve error.

Under Printers/Faxes in control panel, and then default printer Properties> ports , it is showing approx. 12 available ports.
My problem is - How many switch the wire, switch what port is designated, etc. do we have to try to find the one ? Or can we just configure one of them just for the printer and leave it that way ?
We tried the LPT1, 2, etc. then plain USB 1, 2, 3, etc. But way at the bottom is one named Dell virtual....and that is where he says the install disk made that entry. But that doesn't work either.
Scanner works, Copy works, but every Print command is totally giving that port error.
We are both fed up, and trying to call dell is proving to be a busy signal nightmare.

Thanks for tips and pointers. I don't know HOW to configure a port, and that's basically what I need to know.
Nan :major

 

Nan

My name is Jimmy, I am the Peripherals Liaison for Dell. Go to device manager and see if there are any bang's,(red X's or yellow !'s) under Printers, Scanners (Imaging Devices), or Other Devices. If there are right click on the device and select uninstall. then click on scan for hardware changes.

 

I had done that yesterday. Nothing. All was well.

It continues to give incorrect port detected, after many different troubleshootings tried.

He's listing the printer on ebay, and getting a different one.
Thank you though for the reply. He spent an hour & half with dell on the phone today, and they wanted him to wipe and reinstall his OS - and I have done all his PC repairs in the past two years, and there is nothing wrong with his system that would validate that extreme a fix to install a printer !
His laptop did not come with install or recovery disks, and to risk his data for a port error - it was decided not to deal with it, when he can reinstall his HP officejet and be okay again.

 

Do you have another printer that you can try on your laptop, using the USB virtual printer port, to see if it works?

 

Thanks for the tip, but YES, we had the old HP officejet and it works just fine out of the same port on the board that this one was plugged into.
I'm reasonably sure it is not the laptop's issue.

 

If your willing to give it one more shot you might want to uninstall the Dell printer software, delete any Virtual USB printer ports and then reinstall the software.

Jimmy

 

Thanks guys but we really just listed it on ebay and went and got a different printer.
I'm going to look for how to close this case.
Thanks again,
Nan

 

NP. wish I could have gotten to work for you.