Troubleshoot WinXP SP2 upgrade and HP deskjet 9650 problems

November 7, 2004 6:16 PM

HP deskjet 9650 uninstallation/installation catch 22. An upgrade to XP-SP2 rendered my printer unusable - couldn't print a test page or anything else. I figured reinstall and I'd be on my way....

but I was wrong. In the installation process, it requests to find the printer, which is indeed plugged in to the USB port and powered on. It doesn't see it. So I try the uninstall route through the control panel add/remove printer, then try the installation again. Rebooting in between all these steps. tried unplugging the printer, powering it down etc etc etc.

It still cycles to look for the hardware. installation can't finish without that step. So I go into the registry and zap all the HP stuff (the printer is the only thing HP I have). then try the whole installation all over again. Same thing. Except now I can't uninstall either - I can click the printer in the control panel, but I can't delete it.

I tried the right click and looking at server properties and delete the driver that way, but it keeps telling me it's in use.

Any help greatly appreciated.

posted by yoga to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

I tried installing SP2 on my HP box. The results were horrifying. Every external device (printer, external CD drive, even the monitor) was well and truly horked.

My "solution" was to back out the installation of SP2 (Control Panel -> Add Remove Programs -> (Show Upgrades) -> Uninstall.) I will give Microsoft credit for one thing: SP2 uninstalled cleanly and everything went back to normal.

You might give that a try and then, assuming the printer returns to normal, contact HP for their advice. You certainly aren't the only one with this problem.
posted by SPrintF at 8:16 PM on November 7, 2004

Response by poster: The box is a Dell. I was trying to avoid the SP2 install if at all possible, but I needed to install visio, and it wouldn't do it without the upgrade. I've been sifting through the known bugs at the W2kXPSP2 site but no luck so far. *sigh*
posted by yoga at 9:19 AM on November 8, 2004

You might have luck if you:

1) revert back to SP1 (if you can. If you've already installed Visio the SP2 uninstaller may not let you uninstall)

2) install the printer (this is to make everything as factory as possible and allow the next step to run)

3) uninstall the printer. (hopefully this will allow step 5 to proceed.)

4) install sp2

5) Cross fingers and install the printer.
posted by Mitheral at 2:37 PM on November 8, 2004

Remember the Add/Remove Hardware wizard is very very cranky in XP. After installing the driver and then plugging in the USB device I've sometimes had to wait fifteen minutes or so before XP has got around to making it work.

Wasn't nearly so bad in Windows 2000, goodness knows what they've done to it.
posted by BobInce at 11:04 PM on November 8, 2004

Response by poster: I let it sit for about 3 minutes on the install maybe I just need to start it and take a walk build a house wait the full 15. I dont think reverting to SP1 is an option at this point unless I want to go through the whole rigamaroll of uninstallinga nd installing visio etc all over again. : /
posted by yoga at 5:36 AM on November 9, 2004