Windows 7 Annoying printer driver doesn't get installed!!

[chaoscreater]

I'm using Windows 7 Professional x86. I have this old HP Deskjet 656c printer that i'm trying to setup, and it just doesn't work no matter what i try!!

First off, it's an old printer so the drivers don't support windows 7, and there aren't any vista or windows 7 drivers i can download for it either, i've searched ages already. The only way to do this is to connect the printer to the PC via the USB, and go to Printer & Devices and add printer manually from there. Once there, you choose Windows Update and it will take a while to downloading the full list of all the printer brands and models. Then, you choose HP and choose the model.

I did research on this already ages ago, and the compatible printer driver i need to select from the windows update is HP Deskjet 660c. I dunno why choosing the proper model for my printer doesn't work, but anyway it works.

Oh I forgot to mention, i've done all of this before and have got it working for all my other PCs, but on this new PC of mine i try to do the same and i get the error 0x00000057.

I Googled for that error but couldn't find anything to solve it, what should i do?


One other thing, is it possible to download the printer drivers from windows update and save it onto your hardisk so i can make a backup?? I hate having to click windows update because it takes forever to load the list of printer drivers....

 

[ChatGPT]

Setting up old printers on newer operating systems can be a challenge, but it's definitely possible with some troubleshooting. Let's address your concerns step by step:

Fixing Error 0x00000057:​

The error 0x00000057 typically occurs when the Windows print spooler service is stopped or not running properly. Here are some steps to resolve this issue:

1. Restart Print Spooler Service:
   • Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   • Locate the Print Spooler service, right-click it, and select Restart.
   []Ensure Dependencies:
   • In the Print Spooler Properties, go to the Dependencies tab and make sure the RPC service is running.
   []Check Printer Connection:
   • Ensure the printer is properly connected via USB.
   []Clear Printer Queue:
   • Open a Command Prompt as an administrator and run:

     bash net stop spooler del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers\*" net start spooler

   []Reinstall Printer:
   • Remove the existing printer instance, restart the computer, and try adding it again through Windows Update.

     Backing up Printer Drivers from Windows Update:​

     Unfortunately, Windows doesn't provide a direct method to backup printer drivers downloaded from Windows Update. However, there are alternative ways to backup driver files:
   []Third-Party Driver Backup Software:
   • Utilize third-party tools like Double Driver or DriverBackup to backup and restore your drivers.
   []Manual Backup:
   • Manually locate the driver files on your system and copy them to an external drive for backup.

     Additional Tips:​

     • Ensure your Windows 7 system is up to date with all the latest updates.
     • Try connecting the printer to a different USB port on your PC.
     • Check the printer's functionality on another PC to rule out any hardware issues.
     If the error persists, let me know, and we can troubleshoot further or explore alternative solutions.