Vista and Deskjet 895cxi

Hello. I tried to post this in the thread that was already discussing
this issue, but was directed to create a new thread.

I, too, am having problems with my printer now that I am using Vista. I
am running Vista Home Premium 32bit and my printer is an HP Deskjet
895cxi.

I plugged in the USB cable to install, but I get the error message:
"Windows cannot find driver software."

I tried the 'Add Printer' function, and while it adds the printer, I am
still unable to print anything. I keep getting an error message.

I do not have the disk for the printer, so I can't install the software
that way.

When I plug in the USB, it appears in the Device Manager as Other
Devices, Unknown Device rather than in the USB list. When I check the
properties for the Unknown Device, I get this message:

"This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1)
There is no driver selected for the device information set or element.
To reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver."

When I clink on Reinstall Driver, I get this message:

"Windows was unable to install your Unknown Device.
Windows could not find driver software for your device."

I have contacted hp support for both the printer and the computer and
they were unable to help.

I have read both threads here as well, but still cannot get the printer
to work.

Does anybody have any idea how to fix this problem?

Oh, the USB printer cable I'm using is a USB 1.1 while the computer
ports are USB 2.0. Could this be contributing to the problem? I was
unable to locate another cable.


Thanks.


--
nosthecat

Post in reply to: nosthecat



An older printer that HP has elected to not produce full featured drivers
for.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...&product=59306
gives install instructions. And yes, but not definitely, a 1.1 USB cable
may be your issue.

Thanks for responding. I've checked the install instructions and all it
says is for me to plug it in, but that didn't work.

I'll see if I can find a proper printer cable. My printer doesn't have
a USB port, so I have to use a cable with a USB end and a parallel end.
I've checked online, but can't find any of these cables with USB 2.0.

I appreciate the response.


--
nosthecat

Post in reply to: nosthecat



Just to let you know, the USB-Parallel cables can be a problem to set up,
especially in Vista. Since I now know that you are using one of them, this
is one of the devices that just doesn't always work just by plugging it in,
unfortunately. I had issues with Vista and an old Canon BJC-80 printer. I
was using a Belkin (no longer available) USB/Parallel printer cable. Thank
God the printer finally died so I could buy a totally USB portable printer.
Some times even after I got it working it would take 20 to 30 minutes to
finally print one plain text page. Worked perfectly under XP Home and Pro.

Now to try to help you with the setup.

Open Control Panel, Printers, Right click on the printer and click
properties. Click Ports. What port is assigned to the printer (the one
with the check mark in it)? You may have to slide the separation lines at
the top of the window to read the entire message as the window won't
enlarge. It must be a "Virtual Printer Port for USB," anything else and it
will not print. One thing I had to do also was to turn off Bi-directional
printing and also turn off "Spooling..." under the advanced tab to get it to
start printing quickly. Did your cable come with any drivers which may help
you get the setup correct?

Post in reply to: nosthecat



Surprising that there is no USB. I had two 895's and both had USB ports to
the right of where the parallel cable connection is. Look again. Also look
at the manual or the online version..

Then, when you go out to buy a USB cable, get a good one. HP printers do not
like cheap connections..


--

Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

Post in reply to: Mike Hall - MVP


news:...

You are correct Mike

895C Series

From Page 18 of the instruction manual on the web:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd07116.pdf

USB Step 5: Insert Printer Software CD in the Computer
1 Turn on the computer and wait for Windows 98 to start.
2 Insert the HP Printer Software CD into your CD-ROM drive.

USB Step 6: Connect USB Cable
1 Lift open the cable access door on the back of the printer.
2 Plug one end of the USB cable into the USB port on the printer.
3 Plug the other end into any USB port on the computer.

USB Step 7: Install the USB Printer Software
1 After a few seconds, the Add New Hardware Wizard screen appears.

Note: Make sure the host computer is operational, meets the minimum
system requirements as given on page 82 and that its USB port is enabled and
properly configured. (Go to ?Frequently Asked Questions About USB
(Universal Serial Bus)? on page 86 for more information.)
Note: You can also refer to the steps 7a through 7g, ?Install USB Software?
on the separate USB Cable Setup sheet included with your printer.
Note: If the Add New Hardware Wizard screen does not appear, your
computer may not be USB-enabled. You can still enjoy the full capabilities
of
your HP DeskJet 8xxC Series printer by connecting the printer to the
computer
with a parallel cable. Go to ?Step 2: Connect Parallel Cable? on page 3 of
this
User?s Guide for the appropriate procedures.