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

Do all three computers on the network use Windows XP? Is System Restore
enabled on all three? If so, check to see if you have restore dates
available that precede the onset of printing problems. Restore all three
systems to the most suitable date.

Let us know.

Tom
MSMVP
Windows Shell/User


"Bill F" <BillF@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:82939DAA-846F-44B1-AB8E-7E8C1326BB61@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
: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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