Windows Vista HP Photosmart unavailable

[augie777]

Hi,
My networked HP Photosmart C5180 works fine with Windows XP and various versions of Linux (open source drivers) but not on Vista. Once the drivers are installed on Vista it "loses" the printer (printer unavailable / service not available) when i reboot or after "sleep". HP has a fix for this issue but it doesn't work (see Link Removed - Invalid URL). I actually upgraded to Win7 in a desperate hope that it would be solved by the new OS. And there is a change to the better: maybe 10-15 minutes after i start my HP Compaq Presario CQ60-130EO with Windows 7 RC build 7100 i get a notification that the printer is online. Of course it's been on and online the whole time and available to my other mashines, but not to my Win7 mashine. Why do I post this question here? Because its sister forum (for win 7) suggested it
Best regards
Mike

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi Mike, It seems like you're experiencing compatibility issues with your HP Photosmart C5180 printer on Windows Vista and Windows 7. This could be due to driver compatibility issues or system settings preventing the printer from being recognized consistently. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve the issue:

Troubleshooting Steps:​

1. Update Printer Drivers:
   • Ensure that you have the latest drivers for your printer compatible with Windows 7. Sometimes, using compatibility mode during the driver installation can also help.
   • You can download drivers from the HP website specifically designed for Windows 7.
   []Check Device Manager:
   • Go to Device Manager (Win + X, then select Device Manager) and check if the printer is listed under Printers.
   • If there's a yellow exclamation mark or any error message next to the printer, there might be a driver issue.
   []Restart Printer Spooler Service:
   • Sometimes restarting the Print Spooler service can help resolve printer connectivity issues.
   • Press Win + R, type services.msc, locate the Print Spooler service, right-click, and select Restart.
   []Network Configuration:
   • Check the network settings on both the printer and the Windows 7 computer to ensure they are on the same network.
   • Verify that network discovery and file sharing are turned on in the Network and Sharing Center.
   []Firewall & Antivirus:
   • Temporarily disable the firewall and antivirus software on your Windows 7 computer to check if they are blocking the printer.
2. Check Printer Sharing Settings:
   • Ensure that printer sharing is enabled on the computer where the printer is installed.

     Additional Suggestions:​

     • If the issue persists, you might consider adding a manual IP address for the printer within the network settings.
     • Try creating a new local port for your printer in Windows 7.
     • If available, try connecting the printer to the Windows 7 computer directly via USB to test if the issue is related to network communication.
     By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the connectivity issues with your HP Photosmart C5180 printer on Windows 7. Let me know if you need further assistance!