Installing a new multi-function printer

[McJim]

Probably the wrong place to ask but some of you gus seem to know one end of a computer from the other.

I've just wasted about 9 hours of good bike riding time trying to install an epson CX5500 printer to my Windows XP 2002 Service pack 2 pc.

I've followed all the instructions to the letter...several times...I am now trying all sorts of weird and wonderful permutations of what little I know about computers.

The problem is this. The pc recognises that something is connected to it - whoop de fucken do - however it is referring to this 'thing' as USB1.1 MFP(Full-Speed). This would be all very well if the drivers referred to the same thing HOWEVER no matter how much I try to tell the pc that the drivers I keep pointing it at are for this fucken thing it keeps telling me that there are no driveres on the Epson Disc for this 'thing' it has chosen to call "USB1.1 MFP(Full-Speed).

Can I change the name of one of the USB ports to COM1 or LPT1 in order that I can fool the pc into identifyint this useless heap of plastic as a printer?

Cheers in advance to any techno-weenies out there

[bobsmith]

I don't know about this particular one but on most printers you need to install the software and driver from the CD BEFORE you plug the printer in. Have you installed everything on the CD yet?

Try unplugging the printer then install the CD. Then try plugging the printer in. If it still doesn't work try downloading an updated driver from the epsom website.

[bobsmith]

Oh yeah. I just had a look at the quick start guide for this multi function.

It says on step 5.

"DO NOT CONNECT THE USB CABLE UNTIL YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO"

While you are installing the CD it will instruct you to plug it in half way through it. This is when you plug the printer in.

[Dave-]

did you do what bobsmith said?

try a cold restart (don't bother waiting 300 years for the machine to drain all power, just do a shut down and start it up again more or less straight away)

go into the epson CD, find .exes in various folders called x86 or WINXP/2000/SOMETHING/STUFF and start running them, you'll know instinctivly which one it is

assuming you did the above it might be a driver incompatibility, so try reinstalling/updating your USB drivers

right mouse click on start > my computer

go to the 'hardware' tab

click on device manager

at the bottom of the list open the "universal serial bus controllers" tree

right mouse click on something that looks helpful (in my experience usb things vary) go properties

click on the drivers tab and start googling for USB drivers then the driver model number (mine is 5.1.2600.0 yours should be a similar digit)

you'll be led to the latest drivers

get those

download

install

restart

and follow the manual again.

should take 3 minutes.

and i thought trouble shooting customers on the phone was hard :/

[Gremlin]

right mouse click on start > my computer

go to the 'hardware' tab

click on device manager

working on this theme, you can also go to the device manager (this all assumes that you have plugged it in prior to installing drivers) scan for hardware changes (icon near the top) and it may pick up the device as being troublesome, which would normally have the relevant section expanded, showing the device.

Right click on it, update driver, and during this process, you can choose multiple paths in terms of fully automatic driver detection down to full manual choosing etc. You can also choose a path to include in the search (choose don't search, I will select the driver on the first screen I think).

Probably explained a bit complex and probably disjointed, but that may also work. (its 5am anyway... I should be asleep).

[awayatc]

Oh yeah. I just had a look at the quick start guide for this multi function.

It says on step 5.

"DO NOT CONNECT THE USB CABLE UNTIL YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO"

While you are installing the CD it will instruct you to plug it in half way through it. This is when you plug the printer in.

That should indeed do it.....If all else fails, follow the instructions...(very un-kiwi)

Let us know how you go please

[scracha]

That should indeed do it.....If all else fails, follow the instructions...(very un-kiwi)

Let us know how you go please

Since you're a scotchyman Jim and the weather outside is $hite I'll do it remotely if yer like?

[McJim]

Oh yeah. I just had a look at the quick start guide for this multi function.

It says on step 5.

"DO NOT CONNECT THE USB CABLE UNTIL YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO"

While you are installing the CD it will instruct you to plug it in half way through it. This is when you plug the printer in.

Yeah, I know - and I followed that step closely....

[McJim]

working on this theme, you can also go to the device manager (this all assumes that you have plugged it in prior to installing drivers) scan for hardware changes (icon near the top) and it may pick up the device as being troublesome, which would normally have the relevant section expanded, showing the device.

Right click on it, update driver, and during this process, you can choose multiple paths in terms of fully automatic driver detection down to full manual choosing etc. You can also choose a path to include in the search (choose don't search, I will select the driver on the first screen I think).

Probably explained a bit complex and probably disjointed, but that may also work. (its 5am anyway... I should be asleep).

Yeah that was the 100th thing I did.

[McJim]

Thanks for the replies so far - all things I have done myself but that's all good - shows at least I might be on the right lines.

I followed the full installation instructions to the letter, took all the tape and packing off and loaded the ink as instructed - no cables attached to the pc - as instructed. So far so good.

Chucked in the install cd and when instructed I conected the printer - up popped the install wizard and I duly cancelled the install wizard as per the written instructions -HOWEVER at this point I waited and waited and the pc install software could not locate the printer (despite the fact that when Iwent into device manager I could see it as USB1.1 MFP(Full-Speed).

So I double clicked on this and attempted to install the driver. This was where it told me that the CD-ROM contained no apropriate drivers for USB1.1 MFP(Full-Speed).

I have tried to go through Control Panel, Printers and add printer and I can load the drivers but I only have the choice of Ports LPT1-4 or COM1-4 - I cannot seem to configure the add new printer to recognised the USB1.1 MFP(Full-Speed) connected to the USB slot as the printer in question.

So.

Can I feasibly rename a USB port to LPT1 and use that as a dedicated resource for the Printer to allow me to install through the Add Printer option?

Or is there another way.........

[bobsmith]

Hmmm... Strange.

Have you tried using the driver from http://www.epson.co.nz/Products/mult...yluscx5500.asp instead of the one in the cd?

Download the driver, install it then connect the printer after it is installed.

[Jez]

Hmmm... Strange.

Have you tried using the driver from http://www.epson.co.nz/Products/mult...yluscx5500.asp instead of the one in the cd?

Download the driver, install it then connect the printer after it is installed.

try that ... CD drivers are generally out of date on release

[FJRider]

Hmmm... Strange.

Have you tried using the driver from http://www.epson.co.nz/Products/mult...yluscx5500.asp instead of the one in the cd?

Download the driver, install it then connect the printer after it is installed.

I had a similar problem after a destructive recovery "episode",The program driver got deleted and older original printer wouldn't work. The dam computer told me it was "connected"but couldn't make it work.Was an hp printer. Went to the hp web site...found downloadable driver programsfor my model...after three attempts at installing it AFTER downloading the program, I read the FULL page with options and chose option of download AND install. Read ALL information on the Epsom site for ALL options... hope this helps

[FJRider]

try that ... CD drivers are generally out of date on release

as are most computers....

[Ixion]

Have you ever had any other model of USB printer installed on that PC. This problem can be caused by 'ghost' drivers, left behind after an unintstall (or, if the previous printer has noit been fully uninstalled).

USB printers are termiminal shit.