Computer/printer problem

Diannna · Post by **Diannna** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:01 pm

Well, I don't know if this belongs here, but it certainly is off topic. Ok to move it if I posted in the wrong place.
The question I have leads to a problem I have that I can't seem to get a straight ( Hehehe! Did I say straight ). I have an HP desk top and run XP. My printer is an HP 7750 Photosmart, maybe 3/4 years old. It works very well together. Problem is, now that I have a Sony VAIO lap top that has Vista installed, I can't get my lap top to recognize my printer. I have gone to HP for up dates and other then that I can't seem to get a hold of a live person at HP. I did find something accidentally on their web that said .............. If the HP 7550 Photosmart was produced before Vista came out, they would not support it. Can anyone help. I still have use of my desk top. But I can't seem to get a straight answer on what to do. I hate to buy another printer just so it will work with Vista.
Again I apologize if this is not in the right place or it shouldn't be here at all.

Post by **KimberlyS** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:30 pm

There are a lot of printers and other devices that Vista does not support. Sorry if this is one of them.

Also look into using a substitute driver provided by microsoft. If there is one go to the HP site and look up your printer drivers, then Vista. In a small link there may be a link telling which substitute driver to use which is found on your MS install of Vista.

Post by **DonnaT** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:57 pm

http://driver-pro.com/related/english/h ... durl=12709

http://www.new-drivers.com/files/printe ... 5Qod6E80YA

Carol Ann · Post by **Carol Ann** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:19 am

Just another reason I will not load Vista, besides it's on it's way out anyway.

Aeryn · Post by **Aeryn** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:21 pm

Vista is the new ME, but not quite as bad. I have Vista on my laptop and haven't had any problems so far. Curious to see what "7" is actually like.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:27 am

Why would anyone choose Vista? As an IT professional I see more problems with Vista than all other flavours of Windoze (including ME) put together. If you want stability then XP fits the bill. As a Unix/Linux girl that is as close to a vote of confidence you will get from me.

PS Linux has drivers for that HP printer.

Rikki · Post by **Rikki** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:50 am

Donna,
Beware of those driver-download sites. They tend to bundle other things in the package that you might not want and can be harmful. Only download drivers from manufacturers is my paranoid philosophy.

Frill on!
Rikki

Diannna · Post by **Diannna** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:51 pm

Ok Girls,
I'm going to continue on with this thread as I'm sure there are more of us out there who are or has run into problems like myself.
Donna girlfriend, thanks for the 2 items of down loads for HP. However they did not work, at least not yet. I'm still playing around with it.
Susan dear, thank you for your input also. My lap top was a Xmas gift from my s/o. It had VISTA on it already. At first I didn't like it at all, you know...... the old adage of we don't like change. Well, I'm used to it now but I'm beginning not to like it at all. I'm wishing that I had XP on it.
Now! I wonder how to delete VISTA and install XP, or if it's even worth it.
Rikki hon, your comment on extras inside of the down loads is so true. If you don't read all the stuff they try to sneak in, you get a lot of junk. Been there done that. I still got suckered into something called "DIGSBY".
Now I'm trying to get rid of it all. It's a pain sometimes, they hide crap all over the puter. Another one is "CRAWLER". Seems like they have these little boxes already checked and before you know it you pushed OK.
Susan mentioned that UNIX/LINUS has a driver for my printer. But I wonder if it too has a statement somewhere like HP. It say's something like "if your printer (HP Photsmart 7550) was produced before VISTA came out, HP will not support it. So I'm assuming that HP is not concerned with my printer. I have not lost all. I can still run my printer on my desk top with XP. It's just the inconvenience of it all.
Gals, any and all comments are appreciated. I know there are a couple out there who are very puter savey and I'm sure a lot of us out there do appreciate you for that. I'm not puter ignorant, it just takes me 3/4 times longer to figure things out. Most of the time it's trial and error.
Thank you all in advance for your help.

Gaven McLaren · Post by **Gaven McLaren** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 2:32 pm

You are having the problem at people with older hardware have any time a newer version of windows comes out. The drivers do not match up. As for removing Vista and putting on XP is not worth it as you would have to find all the XP drivers for your hardware as well as a copy of XP that the license had not already been used. The cheaper and easier option is to buy a new printer. That being said if you really do want to rip Vista off your system here is how you do it.

***Warning If you do this you will lose any data that is not backed up***

Google Delpart and download the file. It is a Microsoft program that used to be on Win 95, 98, and ME disks. They do not care about it now and so it is freeware. Put it on a bootable disk either floppy, CD, or USB and reboot your system.

Run :\delpart

you will want to delete all your partitions. Then once that is done put in the XP cd of your choice. I suggest Pro. and reboot.
XP will then partition your drive then format and install. That way you get a clean install which is important when installing any OS.

Then you will need to install any drivers from your manufacture. You are looking at least 4 hours of work installing the OS and all of the drivers.

Diannna · Post by **Diannna** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:28 pm

Thanks Gaven for you input. Well! I think I will take your advice and just buy an Epson printer I saw at Pay Less for about $ 160.00. I did ask if it were compatible with VISTA and the s/m said absolutely. So, I'll keep my lap top with the new printer and keep the desk top with the old printer.
Carol Ann mentioned that VISTA is on the way out. Great! What's next. I just can't seem to stay ahead. Seems like it's that way with cell phones and cameras and the like. I've spent more money on up dates and what not, it just doesn't seem fair. Oh well, I suppose that's the price to pay for modern technology. Thanks again every one for your input.

Gaven McLaren · Post by **Gaven McLaren** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:09 pm

No problem I am a computer tech. I have Vista on my laptop and the only problem I have had with it is some old games will not play on it. Which I knew was a possibility as they are games that most likely will not play on XP either. The new version of window that is coming out which is mis-named Windows 7. As it is really Windows 6.5 being that it builds on Vista and fixes some of the flaws that people complained about. So if the hardware does not work on Vista it will not work on Windows 7.

Post by **DonnaT** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:16 pm

You've two options, it seems, Diannna.

Store what you want to print on a flash drive and transfer to your HP desk top running on XP.

Or get a new printer.

Stephanie H · Post by **Stephanie H** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:17 pm

Diannna:
Just create a local network and share the printer while is it plugged into the desktop.
That only the driver will be loaded from the desktop and everything should work fine

Diannna · Post by **Diannna** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:25 am

Donna and Stephanie,
Both great ideas. Duh! Now why didn't I think of that. Again, thanks so much everyone for your help.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:04 am

Diannna wrote:Ok Girls,
I'm going to continue on with this thread as I'm sure there are more of us out there who are or has run into problems like myself.
Donna girlfriend, thanks for the 2 items of down loads for HP. However they did not work, at least not yet. I'm still playing around with it.
Susan dear, thank you for your input also. My lap top was a Xmas gift from my s/o. It had VISTA on it already. At first I didn't like it at all, you know...... the old adage of we don't like change. Well, I'm used to it now but I'm beginning not to like it at all. I'm wishing that I had XP on it.
Now! I wonder how to delete VISTA and install XP, or if it's even worth it.
Rikki hon, your comment on extras inside of the down loads is so true. If you don't read all the stuff they try to sneak in, you get a lot of junk. Been there done that. I still got suckered into something called "DIGSBY".
Now I'm trying to get rid of it all. It's a pain sometimes, they hide crap all over the puter. Another one is "CRAWLER". Seems like they have these little boxes already checked and before you know it you pushed OK.
Susan mentioned that UNIX/LINUS has a driver for my printer. But I wonder if it too has a statement somewhere like HP. It say's something like "if your printer (HP Photsmart 7550) was produced before VISTA came out, HP will not support it. So I'm assuming that HP is not concerned with my printer. I have not lost all. I can still run my printer on my desk top with XP. It's just the inconvenience of it all.
Gals, any and all comments are appreciated. I know there are a couple out there who are very puter savey and I'm sure a lot of us out there do appreciate you for that. I'm not puter ignorant, it just takes me 3/4 times longer to figure things out. Most of the time it's trial and error.
Thank you all in advance for your help.

Dianna

you can get an XP CD very cheaply (free) to get the license key go to ebay and buy an old broken PC for buttons - just make sure you have the XP license sticker on the box

This is probably illegal but why pay lots of $$$$$ to downgrade?

Susan