Re: I ran install for Vista printer DL - no dice
I think that much is very clear, that's why I was hoping you would just open up to the HP UPD alternative which in my opinion is a lot simpler than those workarounds in those old threads (2011 and 2009).
And other people in various other HP threads got their issues solved much less complexly.
Believe it or not, those people would be envious because of the alternative options you have right now, which they didn't have at that time (again, 2011 and 2009).
At this point I need help with what I already have installed BUT WHICH REFUSES TO DELETE
My problem seems similar to JULIE VAL - below
see Julie Val's issue here: LaserJet 1012 Windows 7 Drivers - HP Enterprise Business Community
But unlike Julie, right-clicking doesn't enable changing the Port.
(see my attachment below)
So I just need help from a printer expert with this:
DELETING UNSPECIFIED DEVICE (in Devices/Printers
The unspecified device
cannot be deleted/removed/uninstalled because it is NOT YET INSTALLED and therefore doesn't exist as a deletable device.
The device is yet to be installed and categorised (as a printer), so it cannot be deleted. You cannot delete something that does not exist as a deletable object, can you?
Any device that hasn't been installed and has been plugged in will appear as an unspecified device. Windows will only categorize a device that is installed. Windows has no way of telling whether the unspecified device is a printer or a mouse, until an appropriate driver is installed and the unspecified device is configured to use the driver. The unspecified device would appear as "Other Devices" in Device Manager with an exclamation mark next to it, while SPECIFIED/KNOWN devices will be listed under the appropriate category such as "Disk Drives, Modems, Network Adapters etc). In short, an unspecified device is an uncategorized device and it is treated exactly as that. Windows would not know what device-specific options to offer when you right-click an unspecified device because it does not know what this device really is, without a driver installed.
Think of the unspecified device as a wrapped, unlabeled package given to you. You wouldn't know what is inside the package until you are told what it is, would you? You wouldn't know what the contents of the package are for. You wouldn't even be able to classify it or categorize it into a distinct group because you do not know what it is. Drivers allow Windows to correctly identify and work with a device. Without the drivers, Windows doesn't know what the device is or what it is capable of doing, therefore Windows doesn't know which device-specific options to bring up when you right-click the unspecified device. For example, Windows will give you the option to format a disk because it knows the device is a storage device and the format option is available for storage devices. On the other hand, the format option will not be available for printers or scanners or webcams... The option to change the PORT in use by the printer is a device-specific option available for printers. Since Windows doesn't know that the unspecified device is a printer, it will not bring up the option to change its port. It will only do that after knowing the unspecified device is a printer. I hope this lengthy piece of text explains why there is no option to delete the unspecified device or change its port.
I have seen Julie Val's post and she clearly states that
the LaserJet 1012 printer that was misidentified as a "Generic IEEE 1284.4"
. Windows treated the printer as a Generic IEEE 1284.4 device and for that reason it provided the option to uninstall it. After uninstalling the wrongly identified printer, it became an unspecified device just like yours, and I just explained how Windows treats an unspecified device.
As for the Print Spooler and Windows Installer services, they are correctly set in automatic and manual startup type respectively. I strongly discourage you from changing these services' settings. Those are advanced stuff that a novice should not be messing with.
Please reply to this thread all matters relating to it instead of PMing. Private messaging will only limit the help available to you, while posting in the thread opens up your issue to a vast community that is more than happy to help. I'll be quoting the PM and respond to it as i deem appropriate.
Please understand - I was not trying to get complicated or contrary! Rather sought the most understandable direct route.
Well, the routes you seek are not so reliable. That's the sad truth pal.
Complicated steps do not work for me - I know this from the past!
In my opinion, the HP UPD option is a lot simpler than trying to force the printer to use drivers not mean't for it.
So maybe once I can get that NUISANCE Unspecified Device deleted from my Devices area, then I can set Spooler to Manual and proceed clicking on one of the files within the LJ folder that was set up via my CD?
You might be able to get rid of the unspecified device (1012 printer) through device manager as follows:
1. Open Device Manager. To do this, (left) click on START and type device manager. You should see the search results similar to the image below
. Left-click on Device Manager to open it, same way you do with other programs/files on the start menu.
2. In Device Manager, you will see a list of devices placed into categories. Look for any devices in there that have a yellow exclamation mark next to them. In the case of this printer, it may be listed under "Other devices" category. Right-click on it and select the option to uninstall it. If this option is not available, then it cannot be uninstalled/deleted, for the same reason it isn't deletable in Devices and Printers. If there is no "Other devices" category, expand the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" section. To do this, simply double-click it. Devices under this category will be listed.
Post a screenshot of Device Manager with this section expanded and with the section not expanded so that we can see the whole of Device Manager.
If you still wanna try the CD installation, unplug the printer from the pc and open the application file called
autorun. Right-click that file and select
run as administrator. You should only connect the printer when the HP installation wizard prompts you to. If it doesn't prompt you, reboot after the installation is complete then plug in the printer after the pc has restarted. If all goes well, the printer will be detected and installed using the drivers installed from the CD.