Windows 8 driver compatibility?

By Defcon
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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ffMathy

Posted
Posted

Windows Installer has been partially disabled in the Developer Preview, disallowing installation of most software. This is on purpose, since it actually says in the license terms of the developer preview that you're not allowed (or at least not supposed) to install general software on it. It's only made for developers.

Furthermore, most driver installation software checks explicitly what version of Windows you are running, and refuses to run if you're using an unknown version or a lower version than what's required.

I hope that clears it up a bit.

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

Well in the CP my HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 series printer doesn't install. Just says "Driver Error" seems odd since this is a really popular printer.

It's a multifunction printer - most such printers have issues a-plenty even in Windows 7. (HP has been getting an earful, as have both Lexmark and Brother, on precisely this issue with multifunction printers.)

Conversely, my moldy-oldie HP DeskJet 940C (one of the oldest HP USB inkjets - I've owned it since 2005) continues defining what Plug and Print should be - the CP, like every version of Windows back to XP, will update the driver via Device Manager/Windows Update.

  • 8 months later...
Neowinian

rwalker10

Posted
Posted

I just bought a new laptop with Windows 8 Pro, made an unpleasant discovery. It doesn't print on Brother printers. I have a 2820 Fax and an HL-2040. I tried both the driver downloads and the drivers included with the computer. It acts like it's working; the Devices and Printers in the Control Panel sees the printer when it's on; when I print, I get the normal dialogue windows, acting like it's printing. But then it either goes the print queue for the printer, and eventually get a "print error on HL-2040" message, and gets stuck, doesn't go anywhere, or it seems to go through, but the printer doesn't respond. I hope Brother catches up on its drivers soon. Any ideas?

I do have an HP PSC 1310 inkjet/scanner that I plugged in; it works fine. So that's why I think it's specific to at least Brother printers.

  • 4 months later...
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