My new printer will not work properly - help!

[moggie 939]

I bought a new HP Deskjet 3050 all in one today and set it up exactly as instructed and then put the disc with it in my laptop and went thru all stages and was told all ok and printer was installed.

It then automatically printed a test sheet. Also I am able to use just the printer without my laptop to copy and it works fine.

When I go to print a letter I have in My Docs a box appears with the message ' Cannot print, no printer installed' or something similar. Going into Devices it tells me the printer is installed and is working ok and going into Printers and devices it shows there as the Deskjet 3050 with a green tick beside it! This is the only printer showing and in' help' it suggests I have not made the printer the default printer (does not the green tick indicate this?) and it is the only printer as I uninstalled the old one prior to using the disc to install this new one.

Can anyone help me - I feel there is a simple explanation somewhere. I am using usb connection, not wireless and the usb was also accepted ok on set up

Thanks a lot

[craft1948]

Can you not just make it the default printer and see if that works...........

[ChuckFickens]

Obvious first...

Have you restarted the computer after installing the printer? and also, did you plug the USB cable in before installing the software, or during the install when it told you to connect the printer?

If you plugged the printer in first try unplugging it, removing the software, then start the installation again but don't plug the printer in until told to do so.

[moggie 939]

Yes, I only connected the usb when told to do so in the installtion disc process and I did restart the laptop!
Thanks

[ChuckFickens]

Can you print another test page (right click on the printer in printers and devices and select properties click the print test page button)

If that works try printing from another program (printing this page will do) to see if that works.... if it does..... errrrr...

[venator]

Nasty! All I can think of is the "printer setup" routine on the Word program itself - maybe it still has the old printer or something way out... worth a try?

[boxtops]

This sounds really elementary, but has the printer switched itself off? we have a Lexmark which we like but every now and again it goes into sleep mode, during which we get a message saying printer not available.

[SlackAlice]

Following on from ChuckFickens answer at 23.00.

I've got a HP printer and I found their installation software really 'picky' on installing and the exact time you plug in the usb lead. So much so that the last time I had to re-install it it almost gone chucked out the window three times!!!

Try picking up the installation package from the HP website and follow the prompts to the letter.

[SlackAlice]

"So much so that the last time I had to re-install it it almost gone chucked out the window three times!!! "
Oh dear! Fingers and thumbs and crap english.

So much so, that the last time I had to re-install it I almost chucked it out of the window three times!!!

[TonyV]

moggie - have you set printer as default one in control panel. What version of windows are you running?

[moggie 939]

Hi everyone,
I have tried all day and have had some success! Yes - it is showing as default printer everywhere with the little green tick and there are no other printers installed.
A funny thing happened just now as I was trying to print copies of letters in Word from 'my docs' folder

It kept coming up as no printer installed, however there was a pdf file in 'my docs' and I clicked to print this and it worked ok. Immediately after that I was able to print my saved letters ok!!

Now, when I switched off the laptop and on again, it had the same no print problem, so I did the same again all ok. It prints pdf and web pages no problem. Just do not know why this is. Re-installation of printer disc does not solve the problem - but at least I can get to my letters now

Thanks

[Wak]

Have you tried moving the USB lead to another USB connector socket??
One of your USB sockets could have an iffy connection.

[moggie 939]

Seems to have righted itself now after I carried out a 'selective re-install' rather than the whole lot!

Thanks