Can't install Printer drivers. Up for a challange? 1

[rjkrash]

Here is the sad story of a guy named Krash (me). A few days ago I was being a nice guy and trying out something on my system to look into a post here about printing from DOS.

When I tested the print it screwed up my default printer big time. I don't care so much about that but as a result of the test it seemed that whatever I sent to the printer went into a bit bucket somewhere. I would send a dociument to the printer the spooler would act/show as though it was printing but no output. Stopped and started the spooler service, did a System Restore to previous restore points, rebooted 1 zillion times, nothing worked/fixed the problem.

Anyway, I decided to delete the printer and uninstall the control software which went fine.

It is the reinstall that won't work! I have a SHARP AL-1041 which is a Copier/Printer. I am running Win XP PRO. I have downloaded driver/control software that is for WIn2k, there is nothing about/for WinXP on the net. I did find some XP Driver/control software for a Xerox machine that is I think a rebranded version of my printer but the same failures apply.

What are the failures you ask?

The printer has to be setup with a setup program. No seperate drivers. I start the setup program fine and it asks for port and where to store the control software. I click OK and it copies the control software to the directory I designate and the control software works/runs BUT...

The next step in the install process seems to be to extract some files from .cab files for the OS to use for drivers. Herein lies the problem. The setup program never gets to extract the files, it just stops responding. I think this is because the .cab files are not being processed and there is no error routine from the setup program. If I look at the cab files with WinZip or try to use the extract tool from MS I am told that the cab files are not cab files.

The thing is that these same files were used many moons ago when I installed the printer on Win2K. That is why i figured I could use them for a reinstall. I have checked on the Sharp site and downloaded again but the files are the same! The files from Xerox which are for a rebranded version of the printer even say they are for XP but exibit the exact same behavior. I didn't have to reinstall the printer for XP because I upgraded over 2K and the printer and drivers were already on the system so the printer was there when I finished the XP install.

Any ideas, anyone?
The two rules for success are:
1. Never tell them everything you know.

 

[hchman]

It sounds like the drivers are not compatible with XP. Have you tried talking to the manufacturer?

 

[rjkrash]

You know you have to LOVE :-X XP! I reply to this post because I resolved my own problem and discoverd something in the process. XP rules!

I decided that my only recourse was to reinstall WinXP. Which I did as an Upgrade from the CD. I put the CD in answered Upgrade for what type of install and let 'er rip. The system reinstalled right on top of my old installation no hicups, no burps, no problems. 50 minutes later with no interaction on my part I am back in business. It even recognized my Printer as being there but not installed. I ran the setup for the printer with fingers crossed and all is well.

The remarkable thing here is that the process of reinstalling didn't mess with anything I had installed or tweaked on my system. Everything was just the way I left it except now I can print to my printer. I don't think I even need to reActivate my system with MS! Any OS from MS before this would have crushed my settngs and made me work for hours if not days to get my system back the way I wanted it. Not XP, it worked exactly the way I wanted it to. My hat is off and I am truely thankful to the developers at MS for their fine work!


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The two rules for success are:
1. Never tell them everything you know.

 

[dilettante]

I've done this under Win2K as well. Usually you can just do a "repair" installation. If that doesn't work you simply reinstall "over" the old one.

It seems to depend on how messed up things really are, but I've never lost my settings this way either.