HELP! Printer port trouble...

I had to reformat my daughter's computer yesterday.
I purchased a new printer/scanner/copier.
For some reason (and I have spent the best part of the day) the printer won't load.
So I finally get the bright idea to look at the printer settings on my computer.
Her computer doesn't show a virtual USB port to connect the printer to.
How do I fix this?
Thanks in advance.

Probably the USB drivers (as in the drivers for the USB apparatus itself) weren't loaded when Windows was reinstalled.

Do you have a CD for the motherboard? It would include chipset-specific drivers for your board.

If not, this site may help.

http://www.usb-drivers.com/

PM me if I can help more.

Please check your PM.
Thanks.

have the wrong kind of printer for her computer, unless you buy and install USB ports onto it.

It has USB ports on the back and on the front.

If you know the type of PC your daughter has that would also help.

Printer is a HP 1310 series officejet 3 in 1
Windows XP Professional
and her computer is a Gateway

you see "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" at the bottom of a long list of things? (And I'm NOT talking about under "Ports" or "Printers", it should be its own category).

Another question, do other USB devices like mice etc. get recognized by the computer?

There is a long list of things.
It has a "+" beside it so there aren't any problems with those things.
I don't have anything else running off USB on this computer right now.

Now, under ports there is only a com1 and LTP1 port recognized.

is not a facetious question, because I've owned HP All-in-one printers for the last several years, and there are very important differences between standard "plug em in" printer only printers, and all in ones (fax/copy/scan/printer).

The reason is, that all in one functionality, particularly fax receiving and scanning, require bidirectional communications between printer and PC. "Print only" printers only require drivers, for the PC to send files to them, and for them to print.

All in ones usually require the software be installed on the PC first and will have very specific instructions on how to install.

BTW, if the other USB devices are working, it is NOT an issue of USB drivers etc.

BUT my problem is when I am installing it into a port, there isn't a virtual port to install it to.
That is the problem.

fall under the "PORT" listings in the system manager, those are for parallel and serial ports only. Do not fixate on the "port" issue. It IS a USB printer, right?

One of the very last items should be:

'Universal Serial Bus Controllers'



Do you see this item in your device manager?

when you expand the category by pressing the +?

828801db/dmb enhanced host controller 24cd
828801db/dmb enhanced host controller 24c2
828801db/dmb enhanced host controller 24c4
828801db/dmb enhanced host controller 24c7
USB root hub
USB root hub
USB root hub
USB root hub

plugging it into your daughter's computer, to see if the system recognizes it, and if it functions. This is a basic test of USB port functionality and driver functionality.

and it recognized it immediately.

That's good.


Plug the printer into the USB port, turn it on, and then:

right click on Universal Serial Bus Controller, click 'Scan for Hardware Changes' and tell me what happens.

and nothing happens.

Is there an 'Unsupported Devices' section in device manager? If so, what is in it.

(the section is demarcated with a yellow question mark, i think)

There aren't any yellow question marks in the device manager.

Even though HP tells you to install the software first, with the printer on, and plugged in, the device manager should at least see the 'placeholder' PnP device. Apparently it is not.

I could do a couple more things if I were sitting there, but as far as walking you through something, I think we've done all we can.

I appreciate it.

I'll continue this with you another time...

On Edit:

If you are doing something like "I'm going to try installing the HP software first, like the manual and startup guide says, will be back later and let you know how it went", or "gonna try the mouse from this computer on her computer, back in a few", toss a quick message so we will know that you didn't just go away entirely...

and my electricity went off for a minute--sorry.
I do appreciate the help.

as the HP user manual and instruction guide says to do? All-in-one printers are more finicky than "print only" printers since they require back and forth communication between the computer and printer in order to send fax and scan images to the PC. So you can't just plug 'em in to a port, have the PC recognize it, and print. If there is a software disk you usually need to install the software first, and the HP startup guide will tell you exactly the sequence to do things. I know because I just installed a multifunction HP printer on my wife's computer and it has a very specific install sequence.

This particular ones calls to keep printer out of port until it runs software, then plug it in.
That is the point that it won't recognize the connection.
I then proceeded (as per the instructions) to install the rest of the software without installing the printer.
Then went to the printer function to install it.
There isn't a port there to install it to.

This would rule out that there's something wrong with the printer, if it worked on your PC.

Brb.

strongest suspicion is that something would be wrong with the printer.

(I.E. if you go through the installation steps per the manual, install the software, and when you get to the appropriate step you plug in the printer to your USB port and power it up, and it doesn't get recognized by your system as being there...)

If that's the case, the good news is if you bought it recently you should be able to exchange it for a working one or get a refund.

Will take a few more minutes or so I suppose.
Thanks for your help (and patience).
If this doesn't work--it is most certainly the printer.
:hug:

hardware/software, or stay up 'till 4 AM trying to resolve some computer issue, LOL! :hi:

I've had it happen.

so I took the cable off of my printer that I know works and traded it out.
It didn't work.
I put that cable on mine and my printer works fine with it.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the software several times. Also had to try every port, front and back.

I don't remember what finally worked. I wish I could!