Installing HP printers

Posted in: Printers by Jack on 24 September 2006

I’ve been reading several complaints from owners of HP printers. They report that the printer either doesn’t install properly, or that every time they restart their system, Windows tries to install the printer again.

Be sure you read the installation instructions that came with your printer carefully before you begin, and follow every step as it’s described.

The problem arises from the different types of installation routines employed by vendors. Some hardware is Plug&Play. In other words, you plug it in, reboot your computer and Windows will offer to install the hardware when Windows is fully loaded.

But other hardware, and this includes many models of HP printer, require that the printer not be plugged in during installation. For these types, you should run the CD-ROM that came with your machine before attaching the printer. The disk will install the necessary drivers instead of having Windows handle the task.

Adding any type of hardware to your computer is a fairly complex operation, with most of the activity happening behind the scenes in your registry. IRQs need to be assigned and hardware conflicts avoided. You used to have to do this manually. Now Plug&Play has eliminated that hassle for the most part. But errors can still occur. By following the installation guide to the letter, you should avoid most of them.

If you still have problems with installation, check out the vendors website or Google for a support forum. You may find the answers to your questions from other users of your hardware (software, as well).