Getting HP Pro 8600 printer software / drivers correctly installed_Vista

[Cheryl_27]

HP Pro 8600 AIO printer, Vista x64 on an HP computer.  No surprise that the full software & drivers didn't install fully.  It installed enough to print, establish wireless network connection.  Not enough to scan or even access setting up scanning from the printer (to certain folder, etc.).  Their "print & scan doctor" tool said "a driver is missing."  OK - can I have a clue?  Buy a vowel?

 

I'm looking for suggestions on how to pamper installing the full software / drivers, so it doesn't fail again.  It's a serious issue w/ HP printer drivers.  Many users (at direction of support people) just keep uninstalling / reinstalling, w/ no better results. 

 

Everything's up to date on my system -AFAIK.  MS installer & .Net framework are updated.  I don't know why so many have problems installing the software so everything works (except bad programming) - especially scanning & faxing.  I only need scanning.  I NEVER have problems installing anything else - except Nvidia GPU drivers.

 

If anyone has a similar HP printer, how many hp services show in services.msc?  This printer is showing NO HP entries in Services.  And none for this printer in msconfig - startup.

I don't know how it differs from older HP printers, but other models I've seen had several services, like:

• HP CUE Device Discovery
• HP Network Device Support
• hpqcxs08
• Net Driver HPZ12
• PML Driver HPZ12

And maybe others.  The names of drivers / services for this printer that appear in services.msc may be different than those, but it has to have some - surely?

Those services were usually found in reg HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services, IIRC.  But they obviously didn't get installed there.

There are LOTS of logs from installation - can't find any (so far) that list errors installing drivers or creating reg entries.

 

I can do a full uninstall (using their L3 uninstaller utility in the installer package, but need to find out how to get it to install CORRECTLY.  Wait till a full moon, or something... ANY suggestions?

Thanks.

[AbelB]

I found something just for you. When you follow the link below you will enter your operating system and click next. Then you will get the software and drivers and support.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=4323659

Hope this solves your problem.

More details about this printer are here http://www.techyv.com/questions/hp-officejet-pro-8600-details.

[Cheryl_27]

AbelB, I appreciate that.  I see you joined Neowin today.  Welcome.

 

Yes, I had the HP link for support for the pro 8600 e printer.  They have a FEW basic troubleshooting articles - linked directly from that page, but only for the simplest problems.

 

HP's "community" forums have 100's of posts on "I can print but not scan."  For every imaginable situation - wired, wireless, USB; was working - stopped; never worked; stops working if I turn the garbage disposal on (made that one up :) ).  You name it - & for every model, every OS.  But, there are also TONS of suggestions - most of which didn't seem to work.  Some suggestions work for 1 or 2 users posting, then 5 others reply saying it didn't.

 

One thing is clear - there are a LOT of HP printer owners w/ problems scanning.  But, even HP's diagnostic Print & Scan Doctor - often - only reports "a driver problem."  There's maybe a hundred HP printer drivers.

Some swear that to get the "software" to install / reinstall correctly (I found this to be the only solution - SOME times; sometimes, nothing worked) - is to follow a series of articles on various files, folders, reg keys to delete - spread out to the 4 winds. 

 

They're EVERYWHERE.  And HP's uninstallers (any) usually leave a lot behind, that for LOTS of users, makes it impossible to get it correctly installed.  You have to be careful if it's also an HP computer.  If you blindly follow even HP "support's" (note the quotes) - they may crater your machine.

 

I've gathered many posts & "how to" articles, pointing out a dozen places that files & reg entries are left behind.  I wish I knew WHICH entries usually cause install problems, cause it takes a long time to go thru the entire list.  Even then, it's no guarantee it'll work.

 

 

[Circaflex]

did you use level 3 hp uninstaller? i usually run all their uninstallers because none seem to fully work.

 

Download the newest drivers

use 7zip or winrar to extract them to a folder

within the extracted section there should be a folder with uninstall_l1 2 and 3 run those bat files

 

im sorry i dont remember the exact folder as im not home to look on my nas but its in there

 

then reinstall drivers

i dont have any problems on my hp printers with scan

[Cheryl_27]

I could be wrong, but for the latest full software / driver version for THIS printer OJ Pro 8600 e,  http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?os=2100&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&sw_lang=&product=4323659#N194

 

the L-3uninstall.bat (or whatever the actual name was) doesn't exist on this install CD (it IS the same version as on d/l site).  Either they didn't include those L 1, 2 & 3 level uninstallers, or they discontinued / renamed them on later printers.

I could d/l a copy & compare, but I doubt it'll be different.  The CD only has 615 MB on it.

 

There is a "RemovePreinstalledDrivers.exe" file under Utils folder on the install CD.  I'd be purely guessing as to what it actually uninstalls.  There's a problem running HP printer uninstallers on HP COMPUTERS, unless you KNOW that it's safe.  I don't know when or for what purpose that file might be used.  I'm not much for "press / run this & see what happens."

 

Either way, on past HP printers, even running L-3 uninstaller wasn't always enough.  It might work for some folks in some cases.  But lots of articles note things to search out / delete, that the L3 uninstall definitely left behind, for older printers.  I don't know why they don't just uninstall everything they installed, or when run setup again (or new version), just overwrites any existing files & reg entries.