What does this mean?

[Aggers]

Thanks Frank and Suff for your kind efforts to help me.
You have had an almost impossible task, due entirely to
my profound ignorance on these matters.

I have copied onto discs all the files which I would not wish
to lose, and plan to take my Laptop to town later this week.

I'll let you know how I get on at PC World.

[Aggers]

I have this morning picked up my laptop from PC World. They had it for two days, and apparently gave it two
"comprehensive health checks". It seems to be working OK now, although many things have changed, and it's
almost like having a new one. The start-up notice about something not working has now disappeared.

But my printer still doesn't work. I've re-used the start-up disc and double-checked the wiring to no avail.
When I first had the printer I couldn't get the wireless feature to work, but I might give that a try now.
Otherwise it looks as though I may have to invest in a new printer.

[Suff]

Hi Aggers, if you plug the printer into a different USB port, what is the result?

Also if you go to Start->Control Panel->Hardware and Sound->Devices and printers What does the Printers tab say about your printer?

[Workingman]

Hi Aggers, if you plug the printer into a different USB port, what is the result?

I am sure we tried that, and we also looked in Device Manager for ! or ? marks in the USB Controllers section - no problems found.

As I understand it from Aggers the printer's copy, scan and print functions all work from the device itself. Could it be worth disconnecting the lead from both the laptop and printer and them reconnecting with both machines switched on or, if a spare lead is available, to try that?

Going to Control Panel>>>Devices and Printers should show the printer with a green tick mark.

[Aggers]

Suff and Frank,

The printer status says, "No documents in queue".

The Control Panel Printers and Faxes shows My HP Printer with a green tick by it.

I've tried disconnecting the leads with the power switched on, but no joy.

[Workingman]

Aggers, in the Control Panel window where your printer had the green tick do a right click on the printer and make sure it is set as the default printer. In that same menu go to Troubleshoot and see what happens. In Printing Properties have a look round to see if there is a way to print a test page. It is usually a button somewhere in the General tab window.

My thinking is that if a test page can be printed from an instruction on your laptop the problem could be that OpenOffice is not talking to the printer for some reason.

[Suff]

Green tick means it's default. Mine is on "Sent to OneNote" as I'm not often near a printer with my laptop.

In the devices if you hover over the printer it should tell you the information about it in the bar at the bottom of the window.

The status should be Online.

If I open the printer (left click on it), I see the printer page with options to set preferences, customise or see what's printing.

My printer is grey instead of black because it is offline. As in I'm in Belgium and the printer is in France....

[Aggers]

UPDATE:

Yesterday I thought I would try loading in the hp installation disc again. When I had finished, the
Printer suddenly started printing out a notification that the disc had been installed satisfactorily.
So, the connection between laptop and printer must be OK, I presume.

On previously looking at the particulars about Printers, etc., I found that TWO printers were listed,
probably because of my previous re-installation of the hp disc, and it occurred to me that this might
be the reason there had been no communication between laptop and printer.

I am now considering completely removing all existing installations of the Printer software, and then
re-entering the installation disc. I've tried removing the programme but not successfully - any advice
would be welcomed.

[Workingman]

If you right click on each of the printers the menu offers the opportunity to remove them. I would try doing it one at a time with the unticked one going first. When the unticked one is removed try printing.

I also have another thought. Open OpenOffice Writer click File on the toolbar and then click Print from the menu. A new window opens and in the Printer pane it shows your printer(s) - you might have two shown. Highlight the top one by clicking on it then go to the Options tab. Make sure the Print to File is not ticked. Do the same for the second one.

If you do the above after removing the unticked printer the only one left should be your installed printer - the green tick one. The HP software can be left alone for the moment.

[Aggers]

Frank - I've been on this job now, on and off, all day, and am getting nowhere fast.

On the Control Panel, Devices and Printers, no printer is now shown.

I think I'm going to abandon the thought of having a printer, and just use my HP as a copier.

Why do they have to make these thing so damned complicated and difficult to negotiate?