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

OK.

Remove the printer drivers now on the system. See
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

Next, install a fresh copy from the Lexmark web site. Be sure not to
connect the printer until the instructions tell you to.

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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