hp deskjet 520

Hello.
Can anyone get this printer to work on windows xp or win 98.
Hewlett Packard don't seem to publish a driver for these os they tell you to
use the driver that comes with windows. I've tried this on 2 separate
systems with the same results. It just prints out pages of garbled text.
This suggests a driver problem. The cable is okay and plugged in correctly.
The printer is probably okay as it prints out a stand alone self test page.
The problem is probably with the Microsoft driver in windows.

Hewlett Packard's ftp site ftp.hp.com is very confusing. It has all the
software under pub-printers-software BUT each file is incorrect, it applies
to a DIFFERENT printer to the one mentioned in the file name!!!!!! What the
**** is that about. Very frustrating!!!

[This followup was posted to comp.periphs.printers and a copy was sent to
the cited author.]

In article , bingo9
@hotmail.com says...
Hello.
Can anyone get this printer to work on windows xp or win 98.
Hewlett Packard don't seem to publish a driver for these os they tell you to
use the driver that comes with windows. I've tried this on 2 separate
systems with the same results. It just prints out pages of garbled text.
This suggests a driver problem. The cable is okay and plugged in correctly.
The printer is probably okay as it prints out a stand alone self test page.
The problem is probably with the Microsoft driver in windows.

Open up a command prompt and try this:
DIR PRN

If that works fine, then the problem really is the driver.

The 520 should support basic PCL. Try going to Start/Settings/Printers.
Under the File menu, go to Server Properties. Go to the Drivers tab.
DELETE all drivers you tried to use with the 520. (The above may only
apply to NT/2K/XP.)

Then use the standard Add Printer wizard to add the stock MS driver
again. If it still doesn't work, use the above to delete it entirely
again. Then try the DeskJet 500 driver, although I doubt it would make a
difference. Go through any properties (Printing Preferences under 2K/XP)
and look for anything suspicious.

As a last resort, try going into your computer's BIOS and change the
parallel port to SPP or maybe bidirectional instead of ECP or EPP.

--
If there is a no_junk in my address, please REMOVE it before replying!
All junk mail senders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law!!
http://home.att.net/~andyross

"Andrew Rossmann" wrote in message
ws.com...
[This followup was posted to comp.periphs.printers and a copy was sent to
the cited author.]

In article , bingo9
@hotmail.com says...
Hello.
Can anyone get this printer to work on windows xp or win 98.
Hewlett Packard don't seem to publish a driver for these os they tell
you to
use the driver that comes with windows. I've tried this on 2 separate
systems with the same results. It just prints out pages of garbled text.
This suggests a driver problem. The cable is okay and plugged in
correctly.
The printer is probably okay as it prints out a stand alone self test
page.
The problem is probably with the Microsoft driver in windows.

Open up a command prompt and try this:
DIR PRN

If that works fine, then the problem really is the driver.

The 520 should support basic PCL. Try going to Start/Settings/Printers.
Under the File menu, go to Server Properties. Go to the Drivers tab.
DELETE all drivers you tried to use with the 520. (The above may only
apply to NT/2K/XP.)

Then use the standard Add Printer wizard to add the stock MS driver
again. If it still doesn't work, use the above to delete it entirely
again. Then try the DeskJet 500 driver, although I doubt it would make a
difference. Go through any properties (Printing Preferences under 2K/XP)
and look for anything suspicious.

As a last resort, try going into your computer's BIOS and change the
parallel port to SPP or maybe bidirectional instead of ECP or EPP.

--
If there is a no_junk in my address, please REMOVE it before replying!
All junk mail senders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law!!
http://home.att.net/~andyross


Thanks for the reply.
I tried deleting the windows 520 driver and reinstalling it as you suggested
.. But got the same problem i.e. garbled text. I tried installing the 500
driver but got the same results.

When i typed dirprn at the command prompt it didn't print out. I just got
the message 'access denied'. Do you know why this may be.??

[This followup was posted to comp.periphs.printers and a copy was sent to
the cited author.]

In article , bingo9
@hotmail.com says...

Thanks for the reply.
I tried deleting the windows 520 driver and reinstalling it as you suggested
. But got the same problem i.e. garbled text. I tried installing the 500
driver but got the same results.

When i typed dirprn at the command prompt it didn't print out. I just got
the message 'access denied'. Do you know why this may be.??

First, what happens if you do 'DIR | MORE'? If you still get the error,
then you are not at a directory you can list.

Another alternative is to try this:
COPY CON PRN (or COPY CON LPT1
Type a bunch of text.
For a few lines
so that it will
test your printer.
(At this point, do a Ctrl-L for a formfeed, then Ctrl-Z to end, then
ENTER.)

The last thing I can think of is to try:
dir LPT1: (or whatever port the printer is on)

Try doing the above after rebooting, but before trying to print.

Under XP, were there any other printer drivers listed? You may have to
delete any unused drivers to prevent interference. For Win98, double-check
for any old printer uninstalls.

Otherwise, if it's not some older driver tying up or interfering with
the board, the only other thing I can think of is either a bad parallel
port or a bad printer cable.

Can you try the printer on another computer? You don't even need to
install drivers. Just try the DIR command as above. You MIGHT need to
press the formfeed button on the printer to finish the print.

--
If there is a no_junk in my address, please REMOVE it before replying!
All junk mail senders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law!!
http://home.att.net/~andyross

"Andrew Rossmann" wrote in message
ews.com...
[This followup was posted to comp.periphs.printers and a copy was sent to
the cited author.]

In article , bingo9
@hotmail.com says...

Thanks for the reply.
I tried deleting the windows 520 driver and reinstalling it as you
suggested
. But got the same problem i.e. garbled text. I tried installing the 500
driver but got the same results.

When i typed dirprn at the command prompt it didn't print out. I just
got
the message 'access denied'. Do you know why this may be.??

First, what happens if you do 'DIR | MORE'? If you still get the error,
then you are not at a directory you can list.

Another alternative is to try this:
COPY CON PRN (or COPY CON LPT1
Type a bunch of text.
For a few lines
so that it will
test your printer.
(At this point, do a Ctrl-L for a formfeed, then Ctrl-Z to end, then
ENTER.)

The last thing I can think of is to try:
dir LPT1: (or whatever port the printer is on)

Try doing the above after rebooting, but before trying to print.

Under XP, were there any other printer drivers listed? You may have to
delete any unused drivers to prevent interference. For Win98, double-check
for any old printer uninstalls.

Otherwise, if it's not some older driver tying up or interfering with
the board, the only other thing I can think of is either a bad parallel
port or a bad printer cable.

Can you try the printer on another computer? You don't even need to
install drivers. Just try the DIR command as above. You MIGHT need to
press the formfeed button on the printer to finish the print.

--
If there is a no_junk in my address, please REMOVE it before replying!
All junk mail senders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law!!
http://home.att.net/~andyross



Right.
I tried DIRLPT1 and sure enough it worked!! I printed out the directories
within present directory.

I have tried it on another computer, one that's about a decade old and
running windows98, and it did exactly the same thing i.e. print out pages of
garbled text.
The cable is okay because it works using a different printer. The printer
seems okay as it works using the command prompt and that DIRLPT1 command,
and it can print out a stand alone test page. There is a 'test page' button
on it which prints out a valid test when the printer is not connected.
There are no other printer drivers listed under 'server properties in the
printer window of the control panel.

So any ideas how to get it to work in windows?
It looks like the driver for the Hp 520 that comes with BOTH windowsXP and
98 is duff. Is this possible?

"steve" wrote in message
.. .
Hello.
Can anyone get this printer to work on windows xp or win 98.
Hewlett Packard don't seem to publish a driver for these os they
tell you to
use the driver that comes with windows. I've tried this on 2
separate
systems with the same results. It just prints out pages of garbled
text.
This suggests a driver problem. The cable is okay and plugged in
correctly.
The printer is probably okay as it prints out a stand alone self
test page.
The problem is probably with the Microsoft driver in windows.


I've had the same problem with an HP LJ-III using any driver. In my
case it was simply a matter of the printer being unable to handle the
data rate of one of the enhanced printer ports, EPP or ECP, simply
setting the port to SPP or standard solved the problem and has done
so in many cases.

So, Have a look in your computers BIOS setup, look for onboard
peripherals section and printer port, if you find that it's not set
to SPP, standard or bi-directional, then change it to one of these
standard settings.

When you restart, win98 will find a new device and want to install
the correct driver, for this you may need the win98 CD unless you
have your windows cab files in a \windows\options folder.
--
---
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe.
/
don't bother me with insignificiant nonsence such as spelling,
I don't care if it spelt properly
/
Sometimes I fly and sometimes I just dream about it.
:-)




Hewlett Packard's ftp site ftp.hp.com is very confusing. It has all
the
software under pub-printers-software BUT each file is incorrect, it
applies
to a DIFFERENT printer to the one mentioned in the file name!!!!!!
What the
**** is that about. Very frustrating!!!

"Andrew Rossmann" wrote in
message ews.com...
[This followup was posted to comp.periphs.printers and a copy was
sent to
the cited author.]

In article , bingo9
@hotmail.com says...

Thanks for the reply.
I tried deleting the windows 520 driver and reinstalling it as
you suggested
. But got the same problem i.e. garbled text. I tried installing
the 500
driver but got the same results.



Andy, I think it's just a simple matter of the port setting in BIOS,
the 520 is not able to handle the data flow of an enhanced port so he
should change from ECP/EPP to SPP or standard.
--
---
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe.
/
don't bother me with insignificiant nonsence such as spelling,
I don't care if it spelt properly
/
Sometimes I fly and sometimes I just dream about it.
:-)