# Not able to print to HP2050. It was working earlier!!



## psvinay (Jul 31, 2011)

I had recently purchased a HP Deskjet 2050 to be used with my Acer AspireOne - Win 7 starter. I had followed the installation instructions and it was working all right till last week. *Now it does not work*. i.e, if I try to print from PDF/MS-Word/Notebook/MS-Excel etc etc, it just does not print. Following are the messages I get when I try to print.

- From the Printer properties, if I try to do a "Print Test Page", it says "Test Page failed to print".
- If I try to issue a print command from MS-Word, the message is "Word cannot print. There is no printer installed".
- If I try to print from notepad, message is "The handle is invalid"
- If I do a "Print <file>" from the MS-DOS window, message is "Unable to initialize device PRN".

I tried the following before starting this thread.
1. Tried the "troubleshooter" tool to fix it. It reports everythig is fine.
2. Uninstalled and re-installed the printer several times (from the disk came along with the printer). 
3. Tried HP-update and Windows-update to check whether any latest drivers are available. Both reported that my system is up-to-date.
4. Removed some of the softwares I had installed during last week (Sony PMB, Samsung Kies), rebooted the system, installed the printer again etc..

Nothing works. This printer connects through a USB. If I check the port attached to this printer, it is labeled as "USB001 - Virtual printer port for USB". The interesting part is, if I try to print a print diagnostic" report from the tool (the UI supplied along with this printer),* IT PRINTS*. But If I try to print a document, nothing happens except for the messages listed before. When I hit the print button from Word/PDF etc, nothing appear in the "printer queue" either.

Print spool service is running. I tried restarting it.. every componenet I can think of are ok and running. Just the printing is not happening. The scanner part of the printer functionality too works ok.

Please help me to solve this issue. I am really stuck and can't think of any solution now.

Regards
Vinay


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## kenny111111 (Mar 24, 2009)

just checking, in control panel>printers (or whatever win7 calls it) is the printer set to default (a green check mark) if not, right click it and choose set as default..

good luck


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## psvinay (Jul 31, 2011)

Yes, it is set as the default printer. This was always the default printer.

Thanks
Vinay


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## kenny111111 (Mar 24, 2009)

try checking device manager, see if printers are even listed and if there's an option to update/roll back the driver..

is it the a or the c edition, maybe see if there software works any better than the one you have >grasping at straws<...
HP Deskjet 2050 All-in-One Printer series - J510 -  Download drivers and software - specify product name - HP Business Support Center


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## IT-Barry (Sep 6, 2010)

HP Print Diagnostic Utility - HP technical support (United Kingdom - English)

Try installing and running the above.


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## psvinay (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions.
Kenny111111: I had already tried this. I had downloaded the basic drivers for HP2050-a, and reinstalled the printer using that. That did not help.

IT-Barry: I had tried the HP-print-diagnostic tool earlier too. Just now, tried again from the link you provided. Every thing check-out ok. It then asks whether I want to initiate a test print. I said, yes, but nothing happened (did not print).

I checked the device manager. I can't find any Printer as such. However, whenever the printer is plugged into the USB port, I see a "USB Printing Support" entry appearing under "Universal Serial Bus Controllers". The driver details for this USB Printing Support is as follows:

Driver date: 21-Jun-2006.
Driver version: 6.1.7600.16385
Driver provider : Microsoft
Driver file: C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\usbprint.sys

Thanks
Vinay


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## kenny111111 (Mar 24, 2009)

psvinay said:


> *Driver date: 21-Jun-2006*.
> Driver version: 6.1.7600.16385
> Driver provider : Microsoft
> Driver file: C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\usbprint.sys
> ...


and this is a win7 machine?
have you tried just uninstalling the driver, re-boot and let win7 use it's own driver?

I would uninstall all hp software and see if win7 could install whatever it needs..


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## IT-Barry (Sep 6, 2010)

Goto Start > Devices and Printers

You should see a tab near the top "Printer Server Properties" click on it and navigate to the driver tab.

You should see your hp in there, click on it and go to properties.

What "Driver File" name do you see.


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## psvinay (Jul 31, 2011)

IT-Barry: The Print Server properties are as follows:

Installed Printer Drivers:
HP Deskjet 2050 J510 series - processor x86, type- Type3 - User Mode

When I click on the "Properties" of the above driver, I get the following details:
Config File - UNIDRVUI.DLL
Data File - hpdj_2050_04.gpd
Driver File - UNIDRV.DLL

Properties of the above driver files are:
Location - C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3
File version - 0.3.7601.17514
Product name - Microsoft windows operating system
product version - 6.1.7601.17514

Kenny111111: Yes this is a Windows 7 Starter machine. I will try out your suggestion and update back.

Thanks
Vinay


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## psvinay (Jul 31, 2011)

Just want to highlight couple of points (I had mentioned this in my first post).

1. There is a UI installed along with this printer. Using this, I can see the ink-levels, see device status etc.. This UI shows the device status all ok. I can also print a diagnostic report from this UI. It prints all right. This tool is able to communicate with the printer and it is showing ink-levels etc.

2. Typically when we initiate a print, say from MS-word, it should briefly appear in the print queue and disappear from there, right? In my case, nothing appear in the print queue. 

Does this help?

Thanks
Vinay


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## IT-Barry (Sep 6, 2010)

Try printing via other programs

A.k.a web browser, notepad etc.

Report back if it fails to print.


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## psvinay (Jul 31, 2011)

I can't print from any program exccept the HP tool. Notepad gives "Invalid Handle" error. IE gives "Internal error" message. The only thing I am able to print is the diagnostic report from this HP tool.

Kenny111111: I tried what you suggested. It does not work. I uun-installed the "USB Printing Support" driver. Closed every thing & rebooted the machine. However, next time when I connect the printer to the USB port, it automatically install the driver and status goes back to the earlier stage. i.e, no printing.


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## IT-Barry (Sep 6, 2010)

I think its a case of windows has suggested an optional update for your printer and its not working correctly for you.

I think you have messed around with it that much its impossible to roll it back properly.

I would suggest a system restore to either before it was installed or just before you noticed any problems.

If you notice minimal restore points check the box that says "show more" and scan for changes for a restore thats a few weeks old and check to see if your printer drivers in any of them.

Just back to a few days before you noticed the problem if you are not sure when then just go back to before you got the printer, install all the windows updates first, then follow the printer install like it was brand new.

NOTE - If you go back to before the printer was installed remove your printer from the power and the usb. Redo the install step for step.


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## psvinay (Jul 31, 2011)

Yes, Window's automatic updates could have created this issue. However restoring to an earlier time is not possible now.. Last week, I had done a system clean-up and all those back-ups are gone (stupid of me..).

There is some break through though.. I did the following:

1. Un-installed all HP components.
2. Rebooted the machine and installed the basic HP-2050 printer/scanner.
3. After this, scanner works fine, but print function does not work.
4. I then added a new local printer. Used the same USB001 Virtual printer port and chose from the avalilable HP printers (HP-5150). This got installed successfuly. I did not make this as default printer.

Now I can print through this HP-5150 printer. It works fine. Looks like both 2050 and 5150 has lot in common. I printed a photo & a document. Both came out fine.

So, though the problem is not solved, I can get the print-outs with this work around. How can I get HP-2050 also listed along with the other available printers in the add-printer tab?

Thanks
Vinay


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