dm01

Whenever I try to print anything from my HP DeskJet 3420 printer, I get a system error.
Rebooting does not solve the problem, no matter how many times the M$ KB tells me so. I tried re-installing the printer driver, that only made everything an unholy mess.
I tried rebooting Last Known Good Configuration, that did nothing special (just un-un-did all the registry changes since last virus carpet bombing. Resident went nuts.)

Can anyone tell me how to fix this?

Terrister

Are you sure you are free of malware?

dm01

I know I have a little something special on my hard drive. Could that cause this? Scans show nothing. I was hoping to have this fixed within the week.

dm01

No dice. Fixed up malware and still won't work. Re-installed everything and still won't work.

Now what?

dm01

Now I can't even re-install my printer! Arrgh!

Terrister

Have our team double check you are free of malware. Please see the instructions below.
http://www.techsupportforum.com/secu...sting-log.html

dm01

Pancake said I was clean. Can't get out of this one that easily.

Computermachine crashes when I try to install the printer driver for HP DJ 3420; Canon Pixma MP150 works fine but I hate the thing.
I have no malware left on the computermachine. Tell me what to do.

Terrister

Please list the system error you get when you print.

I was trying to get out of anything. Just making sure we are starting with a clean machine.

dm01

System Error
The document cannot be printed due to a system error.
Try printing again. If unsuccessful, restart Windows and try printing again.

I have tried the following so far:

Malware (clean)
Re-installed printer driver (five times, crashy)
Re-installed USB drivers (nothing special happened)
Last Known Good Configuration (didn't help)

Any ideas?

Terrister

Try this.

http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

dm01

Nothing changed. Machine still freezes when I try to install the printer software.

woodswolf1

Hi, do your event logs have anything in them for the printer? Check both application and system logs. Also, what is the exact system error that you are getting? Thanks

dm01

System Error
The document cannot be printed due to a system error.
Try printing again. If unsuccessful, restart Windows and try printing again.

Uninstaller deleted event log along with everything else. I know, I'm an idiot.

woodswolf1

Not an idiot, just learning! LOL! So, can you recreate the error and see if the event logs are a little more detailed than the generic system error message? Can you print a self test ok on the printer itself? Is there another computer you can hook it up to so we can make sure it is your computer and not the controller on the printer? I'm guessing that a 3420 is not a brand new printer. DeskJets are not usually worth fixing, pretty much disposable anymore. Thanks

dm01

This problem only occurs with this computer. I can't install the Printer Assistant. Where do I find these "event logs" you speak of?

woodswolf1

Well that rules out the printer itself. Just go to Start, then Run. Type in eventvwr.exe and hit Enter. It might take a couple seconds to open. Once it comes up, double click on Application. Look at any red Xs. If you double click on those, it will give you an Event ID that we can look up. Do the same thing for the System log. In the System log, under Source, look for the word Print. Check out those logs to, if there are any.

dm01

Right, of course.
Errors: Application

There are several, but the only one related to the printer installer is an Application Hang ID 1002.

Hanging application browser.exe, version 3.0.104.0, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

I have a lot of other errors.

woodswolf1

That didn't tell us much. You say you have a lot of other errors. Are any of them Disk errors? Sometimes a lot of errors can mean a hard drive going down. I trust you have a backup?? Just for giggles, run a check disk on your system. BACKUP your system first!
Open My Computer, right click on Local Disk (C:) and go to Properties. Click on the Tools tab. Under Error-checking, click on the Check Now button. Check both boxes, then click on Start. You should get a message that it can't do it, do you want to do it after your next reboot, say Yes. Then reboot the system. When it comes back up, it will start into the check disk and try to fix any bad places. Thanks

dm01

Yeah, I tried that. Autochk never came up.

dm01

I managed to run Autochk. There is no change in browser.exe. Whenever I tell the utility to install the driver, the utility freezes up.