RE: No Longer Can Print to Network Printer And ...

PS. I tried to reinstall SP2 to no avail -- it quits in the middle of the
install with a cryptic error message. This happened once before, and a wonder
guy at Microsoft chat service spent two days helping me resolve it with
slipstreaming. But it's back (or maybe never went away). I figured doing that
might resolve everything. Last thing -- please don't suggest I blow away the
system and start over. That goes 100% against everything I believe in related
to dealing with issues as they never get resolved. Thanks again ... -BF

"Bill F" wrote:

> I have a 3-computer home workgroup that connects to the internet via a
> Netgear router. I have a Lexmark X74-75 printer/scanner/copier that is
> connect to one of those computers, and that computer is connected directly to
> the router. The other two computers print to the Lexmark via sharing. This
> setup has been working without issue for about 2 years, but in the past week,
> everything seems to have gone to hell, including the ability to print. This
> description may be a little long, but I have to be everything I am about to
> relate is somehow connected. I will do my best to also advise what I have
> installed, removed, etc., during that period.
>
> First, to printing from the machine I am writing this on, a Dell D600
> laptop. While I can see the printer over the network, and can even explore
> the properties, when I try to print now, it comes back with an error message
> dependent on what app I am trying to print from. Office apps tell me the
> printer is not available. Notepad tells me there is an invalid handle.
> Acrobat says some other error occurred, etc. I have uninstalled and
> reinstalled the driver about 1000 times, and have done so by letting the
> network printer install it (which it does just fine) and by installing via
> the Lexmark CD that came with the printer. I have removed everything on my
> system related to Lexmark (which is one helluva chore!), including (finally)
> getting rid of the LexBce server that wasn't allowing me to use the print
> spooler any more or install printers. I removed everything -- every printer
> driver, every printer and faux printer (eFax, PDF writer, etc) using
> Microsoft's KB as guidance. I then cleaned up the registry using a
> combination of Ace Utilities, RegSeeker and RegScrubXP, and started all over.
> I can add the printer using the Add Printer function fine, but still have the
> same errors and cannot print.
>
> There are other goings-on that might help resolve this for me and others,
> all new. I installed Microsoft Antispyware Beta. For the past few years, I
> have run Ad-Aware (free version), PestPatrol. In that past few months, I
> replaced PestPatrol (which always worked fabulously for me) with Spybot, as
> PP was getting long in tooth and I did not want to shell out to get an
> updated version, and had been reading a lot of bad stuff about it. That
> seemed to work fine as well. But since installed MAB, I have had other
> weirdness going on with my system. I uninstalled Spybot to use it, but have
> since uninstalled MAB and gone back to Spybot in case MAB had somehow
> contributed to this printing problem.
>
> Next, I decided to upgrade to Ad-Aware Plus. In my view, big mistake. I have
> not only had performance issues since installing it (especially with
> Ad-Watch). I recently wrote to Lavasoft after reading Microsoft's basic
> indictment of the product when sending an error report after a Not Responding
> problem, but have heard nothing back except to reinstall it.
>
> There's more -- and this might be tell-tale, although I don't know what to
> do about it. I was given a gift from Scansoft of Dragon Naturally Speaking 7
> about a year ago (I am a global IT strategy director for a large engineering
> services company) for trying out its PDF conversion program (which is quite
> good, by the way), but had never installed it until a few weeks ago (note how
> all this timing seems to point back to a few weeks ago). Thinking this might
> be a part of the problems I've been having (and I have one more to relate
> yet), I tried to uninstall it. IMPOSSIBLE, and I know what I'm doing. The
> Add/Remove always asks for the CD to do the uninstall, and the CD never does
> anything but reinstall -- there is no uninstall option! So finally, I did
> what I hate to do -- simply trashed the folders and let the registry cleaners
> go at it. (In my view, this is a very inefficient way of uninstalling
> software.)
>
> OK. You get the picture so far. Can no longer print to the network printer.
> Couple other facts: I can print just fine from the local machine to the
> printer. However, I cannot print from the OTHER computer I have either any
> more, as I can't even get on the home network with it any more, and I've done
> NOTHING to that machine -- no software adds, no utilities, no removals,
> nothing. It just will no longer connect to the network unless I disable
> security (128 WAP -- nothing dramatic). So THAT machine might be a whole
> different issue -- but I knew someone would ask if I can print from it.
>
> NOW, the OTHER problem I am having is with IE6 SP1, and this started during
> this time as well. (Btw, while I get no error msg attempting to print frome
> IE, it does not print, either.) Somewhere between the first and fifth attempt
> to access an internet page each time I restart my machine now, the progress
> bar will fill all the way up, then the system will just STOP DEAD for between
> 2.5 and 3 minutes (I am not sure the time is esp meaningful, as I suspect it
> is a function of the processor being used), then finally release and all is
> well. During that time, EVERYTHING stops. I can't click any icons in the
> taskbar, cannot bring up Task Manager -- if I hadn't watched it come back to
> life about 100 times now, I would swear it is just the old Windows lockup
> problem and reboot. But it DOES come back to life, and is just fine when it
> does. I cannot fathom what is causing this, but I have my suspicions about
> all the antivirus, antispam, antispy stuff I've described -- along with the
> Dragon stuff. Something is trying to do something (or maybe a lot of things
> are trying to do something) and they just sort of lock horns for a while.
>
> ANYHOW, can anyone help me? I have been spending hours per day (I am on
> disability so have the time) trying to resolve this, and it is making me
> crazy that I can't print. (I think I also have a network problem per the
> above but don't think that is the problem here -- although I could be wrong).
>
> I have set up the network again, I have reinstalled the router again, etc. I
> can't think of anything I've not tried.
>
> One last thing: I made what I now consider to be the HUGE mistake of
> installing and using TweakUI for XP on both this laptop AND the machine that
> houses the printer. Immediately after installation, I had problems on both
> machines accessing the Windows Update stuff -- only to learn TweakUI had
> installed Group Policy settings that were keeping the Update stuff from
> working! Earlier, I wrote to this group asking if there was a way to return
> all TweakUI settings to their original default upon install, and was told
> there was not. I have a feeling this MIGHT be playing into this, but have no
> clue how. I have explored every Group setting that I can think of that might
> be stopping this to no avail, but by no means have I explored all of them.
> DAMN those who put out utilities with no means of recovery when a problem
> ensues immediately post-install!
>
> Well, there it is. A lot of info from someone who "just" can't print over
> the network any more. But I figured putting as much detail in now might help
> those with a mind to try to help me, and save a bunch of postings. I am more
> than willing to discuss things or try things suggested by anyone who will
> stand on a hill in front of firing squads on all sides and swear they know
> what they are talking about.
>
> Please, one last thing: If you are having some other problem and this is
> kind of like it but different, please don't use my post to tell about your
> problems UNLESS THEY ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO WHAT I'VE WRITTEN HERE, but post
> separately. Sorry to be selfish about it, but I need answers and suggestions
> to this problem.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Bill F
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