Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs Forum

Hello folks,

I've got an infuriating problem with an HP Envy 4500 series printer. I've been using it (with 'some' success) to print from a laptop running Ubuntu. However, printing and Linux are uncomfortable bedfellows, so I decided to install the printer on an elderly XP box via USB.

Seems simple doesn't it? Windows XP (not allowed online anymore, for obvious reasons), HP printer with installation CD. What could go wrong? Yet I've just spent two hours going round in circles trying to get the driver(s) to install.

Windows keeps interrupting the HP installation process with the 'found new hardware' message, at which point the HP install hangs. Nothing I've tried has persuaded XP to find a driver on the HP disc which came with the printer.

I've tried reboots, hard reboots etc. XP doesn't even see a printer..

Could this be due to lack of internet access - I don't see why, considering I have the installation CD for the printer. Obviously, I don't want to go online with an XP box if I can avoid it.. I just want a reliable printer.

Any help appreciated. Thanks.

Strange that it appears HP shows no downloadable XP drivers for that printer: http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/sel ... el/5304876

According to the HP product page for that printer it has built-in wireless networking. In that case I would follow the instructions on the HP site to connect it to the wireless access point on your network. Once connected you could print to it from any network connected computer (with the appropriate printer drivers installed) whether that computer is wired or wireless. If for some reason your printer does not have a built-in wireless connection then I would try connecting it via USB to a Windows 7 system and then share it so that again any supported system on your network (wired or wireless) could print to it. If you don't have a Windows 7 system available then I suspect your XP installation is corrupted in which case a clean reinstall of XP should help. Let me know the solution you find, Scott.

Hello Scott,

You were right about the XP installation being corrupted. Somewhere along the way I started getting a message that a file was missing (Windows/inf/usb.inf).

Being in a hurry to be able to print from Windows, I plugged the printer into another old XP box and the installation went perfectly smoothly.

As for printing on the network, we now have a mix of Windows and Linux PCs and I haven't yet got to grips with a mixed network.

Incidentally, I was interested to read your thread on why Windows 10 sucks though I never expected to see you suggesting Linux as a possible option. Frustration with Windows is what led me to try Ubuntu in the first place and it has several advantages for me. After all, it's a free open source, 32/64 bit operating system, built with security in mind from day one (we don't bother with antivirus software), free support and upgrades, and not an EULA in sight.

I must admit that I prefer MS office to LibreOffice (maybe just familiarity) and printing seems to be less reliable in Linux, hence we tend to do office/admin tasks in Windows (XP and not allowed online, or in a VM under Linux).

As always, thank you for your help.

Mike

PS: Further reading in the links on 'Why Windows 10 sucks' has absolutely convinced me to go with Linux on any computer with internet access! Scary stuff. I was already worried about google. Add in Microsoft and kiss your privacy goodbye. Take into account reports of government agencies hacking internet connected TVs and it appears that Orwell's "1984" is almost upon us. Victory gin, anyone?