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Printer no longer works after W10 upgrade

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8K views 72 replies 6 participants last post by  Solidify 
#1 ·
I was running Windows 7 32-bit before the upgrade. I upgraded to Windows 10 pro 32-bit. That's what I'm using now. My printer is the Lexmark X5450. I contacted Lexmark's Premium Support and they remotely assisted my computer and told me that the upgrade messed thing's up for the printer driver I was using on Windows 7. They told me I needed to uninstall the old driver and remove everything through the registry (windows.old) then reinstall the Windows Vista 32-bit printer drive, which is the most compatible driver for the moment, which is what had been working for me when I had Windows 7.

Then they said they'd charge me 49$ + tx the fix so I said forget that.

How do I completely remove/uninstall the old printer driver that isn't working properly, through the registry?
 
#3 · (Edited)
I managed to remove the old Windows files without needing to go through the registry, using this article: How to Delete the Windows.old Folder in Windows 10 Went smooth. I contacted Lexmark for the most likely driver to work on Windows 10 and installed it but it's not working and they say that they've discontinued support for my printer since it's so old.

I guess it's time to look into getting a new printer that will be Windows 10 compatible.
 
#4 ·
Can anyone suggest me some good multi-function inkjet printers for home use? We need it to fax, print, copy and scan. We print mostly school-work (i.e.: essays), documents, we make copies of invoices, receipts, etc. Nothing heavy.
 
#7 ·
I'm tempted to buy it with those savings but it doesn't have a fax.
 
#8 ·
I'm still uncertain whether I should be buying an inkjet or laser printer. I read that inkjet is being phased-out by Lexmark and it can't be for no reason. Is there perhaps a series of questions you can ask me about my family's printing habits that will help you to determine what printer is best suited for our needs?
 
#9 · (Edited)
I've always been happy with HP's Scanjet series. As for fax, Windows' Fax and Scan is inherent to the OS and suffices for the small number of faxes I need to send (usually things with signatures, etc). A wired scanner-printer combo for home use will run well less than $100, no matter what brand you chose. A wireless, Internet printer will run about $50 more.
 
#25 ·
Joe, MPR's post led me to believe there's a way to send faxes without the need for additional hardware. Now I'm being instructed that I might need a modem card, both by the prevously posted Windows instructions and Windows' Fax and Scanner application. I'm confused.
 
#11 ·
Windows' Fax and Scan is inherent to the OS and suffices for the small number of faxes
I didn't know you can send faxes with a printer that doesn't have faxing capabilities. That's great news. So if I'd buy the HP ENVY 5660, which doesn't have an innate fax function, I'd still be able to fax documents using Windows 10's Fax and Scan application?
 
#14 ·
I thought I'd try to see what drivers were available on the Lexmark site. Unfortunately, it's bugged at the moment. One has to wonder about a company that can't even keep its website up.

Sending and receiving faxes from your Windows OS is pretty straightforward:

 
#15 ·
I ended up buying the HP ENVY 5660 on sale at Best Buy today. 47$ tax incl.
 
#17 ·
no worries joe, this printer is great... so far
 
#19 ·
in the past, when windows did not have the proper drivers after an upgrade, I would find a similar but newer printer that is close to the same model in the same series and try those drivers. It may take a few tries but I always found one that worked.
 
#20 · (Edited)
sobeit, Lexmark Support would have suggested me an alternative if they knew of a working driver. They weren't able to. I had already been working off a Vista driver when I was running W7; a driver can only stretch so far.

I'm having a hard time sending a fax with my new HP ENVY 5660. This article says:

A fax or mutlifunction printer with “wireless” (such as wifi or bluetooth) does not allow you to send and receive faxes without a phone line – the “wireless” portion of the fax / printer is only for communication between the computer and the printer – not between the fax / printer and the phone system. A “wireless” fax / printer cannot connect wirelessly to the internet to be able to send and receive faxes.
It can't be done? I can scan the document and see the image in the application but upon faxing it the application tells me to choose a fax modem or sever.
 
#27 ·
sobeit, Lexmark Support would have suggested me an alternative if they knew of a working driver. They weren't able to. I had already been working off a Vista driver when I was running W7; a driver can only stretch so far.
Not true, sometimes you have to put the search and trying in your own hands because most tech support are third party call centers that relies on scripts. Trying drivers from other models is outside the box and would not be in most scripts. However it is up to you whether or not you want to miss the opportunity where you might find a driver that works. As I said I have done it several times over the years with different printers so would not waste my time mentioning it if it was not a possibility.
 
#22 ·
So basically I can't get it working unless I buy/install an Internal fax modem in my computer?:

 
#26 ·
Guess it depends on how your computer is hooked up to the Internet. Mine goes through a DSL modem so I have a direct phone line for faxes. If you are on Wifi only or a cable setup then you will need to use one of the fax services like e-fax. These cost a subscription so your best bet would just be a fax modem that you can plug a phone line into. Of course, like has been mentioned above, if you are on something like Verizon FIOS Wifi you might not even have an analog phone line.
 
#29 ·
My desktop computer (the one in question) is not connected through WiFi. It is connected to my modem/router as well. I'm just not sure how to get this working.
 
#31 · (Edited)
If your computer is connected directly to DSL then Windows Fax and Scan should be able to send and receive faxes through it. Once you have your new WiFi printer/scanner set up it should be able to scan to fax. I'm assuming that it came with a USB signaling unit that just plugs into a port on your computer? In the printer documentation should be the instructions on how to set it up in order to send scans to the computer, which then can be faxed. With my HP I can do this several different ways: using the buttons on the printer/scanner, using the HP software, using Windows Fax and Scan, etc.
 
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