Windows Vista HP Printer goes offline

Printer goes off line

We have 2PCs and an IMac networked together through a wireless router. All 3 computers connect to the router via Ethernet. The 4th port connects to an HP 6100 series printer. Originally, the PCs were very an old IBM and a Compaq, using Win 2K OS. The router was wireless to allow an Apple laptop to access from another room. All computers were able to print without any problems, for about 2 years. About 5 months ago, we replaced the PCs with new eMachines which use Vista Home as the OS. They were connected via Ethernet cards as before. Printing worked immediately and without difficulty. Internet access has also been trouble free throughout.
One day about a month ago, the PCs were unable to print. Investigation showed that the printers were set to offline status. Right clicking the printer did not reveal the usual option to put printers back online. Simply deleting and reinstalling the printers cured the problem. This problem may occur on a daily basis or 1-2 times a week. However, these machines are for general use in a Senior Center, and I cannot come in daily to reinstall the printers.
Is this a Vista thing? SP1 has not been installed. I am the only one with administrator privileges, so do not know how settings get changed. Help!

 

Look up the printer at HP:
http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en...t&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/split/support
Search for the error and check for updated drivers.

See if this might help:
http://www.techtalkz.com/windows-vista-all/129190-printer-continually-offline.html

Matt

 

Print Spooling

I've had several issues with Vista print drivers. I'm running Vista Business on several computer within my company. Usually my users can print for weeks at a time without any problems. Then they will get "NO PRINTERS INSTALLED ". I will have to go into the services & Print spooler & re-start. This will happen several days every time my users attempt to print, no matter what the print job is; even a test page. The spooler will say the service is STARTED, however, upon right clicking, it is revealed that it has stopped. If my users attempt to send the print job to a network printer, they still get the same error message & will have to restart the spooler, sometimes several times before they can print one page. Othertimes the spooler will stop & have to be restarted several times during the same print job. If you or anyone finds an answer, I'd be very happy. Microsoft just says to re-install the drivers. No possible with all my users & the many many times this happens. That would be a full time 40 hour week job just reinstalling the drivers everytime this occures.

 

Hear is what I found

I'm using a HP computer, HP 3-1 printer and Windows Vista.

I had much the same problem, if I reloaded the drivers I was fine until I turned off the computer, then I had to reload the drivers.

I finally got fed up and called HP it turns out that about a month or so ago a Hot-Fix KB932471 was downloaded.
The HP tech. told me to deleted it and now my printer works fine.
I did a Google Search on this Hot-Fix and it didn't show any reference to a printing problem. But, it fixed mine.

I suggest you do a search on it before you delete it. However if you do delete it and everything is fine, remember to check for updates and then hide that one so you won't download it again.

mopar

 

Printer goes off line
I recently posted problem of HP Deskjet series 6100 which continually went offline about 5 months after installation of 2 new PCs with Vista Home OS. See my post of early March for details. I want to give a follow up. I checked HP website and saw that they had a driver update which specifically addressed the problem of printers spontaneously going offline. I downloaded the update, but when I went to install it, HP said that my drivers were all up to date and the best for the printer. With further checking of the HP website, I saw that the series 6100 has been replaced by a version, series 6800 (might not be the exact #, but it was the replacement). I replaced the drivers recommended by HP for the old model with the drivers for the later model and everything works fine now. I waited for 6 weeks before making this report to be sure that the problem is cured, and the printer is working fine now, as it had for 3.5 yrs before the spooky behavior. By the way, the printer was OK for about 5 months with the new PCs and Vista, so I think that some security update from MS created the conflict. BTW HP was NO HELP at all.

 

The thread has been merged.

Thanks for the feedback. Well done on getting it sorted out

I have nothing but praise for "local" (Australian) HP printer support (but my contact was 2-3 years ago).

The avenues I would use for HP support would be to phone the local technician or email their Support department through the website.

Matt