# Lexmark 5400 Series - Communication Not Available.



## Backdraft (Sep 12, 2009)

Hi - Hope someone can give me a tip here as I'm all out of ideas.

I am running a Dell 3100 Desktop with XP. It has had a Lexmark X5470 multi function printer running on it with no problems for a year. All of the software is bog standard, windows updates, Macafee from BT Broadband, etc.

I moved the computer from one side of a room to the other, unplugging everything in the process. When connecting the printer up again on its USB and tried to print I get the Lexmark window pop up with "Lexmark 5400 series - Communication not available".

There is no new harware involved, just the same stuff stopping working after the PC was relocated in the same room.

I have so far:

- Turn everything off and on and rebooted.

- Checked and replaced USB cables.

- Installed printer on a laptop with the same USB cable and it runs fine (so indicates to me that the problem is in the configuration of the desktop.

- Gone into Device manager and uninstalled the USB brivers for print support, etc, and rebooted - system finds new Lexmark printer and associated devices, then says hardware installed and ready for use.

When I hit print it still has "Lexmark 5400 series - Communication not available".

I figure I've done something unplugging the USB for the printer. I've tried all of this on each of the (front and back) USB ports with the same result. With the printer and USB cable proven on the laptop, I do not know where to go next. Bloke in the pub says it's the port allocation, but I'm asking here!

Any help appreciated.


----------



## MichaelTech (Jul 2, 2009)

Try deleting all printers and then reinstall.


----------



## mullivar (Sep 11, 2009)

check that there are no spool files stuck in the system. maybe unlickely to be the cause but worth checking.
c:\windows\system32\spool\printers. if there are any files in there, delete them.
You probably have to kill the spool service first to delete them


----------



## Backdraft (Sep 12, 2009)

MichaelTech - did the uninstall & install (same CD as works fine on the laptop) but no change at all; still no communication with the printer even though it can still be selected in word, etc.

Mullivar - No spool files in there, worth a check.

Thanks for the thoughts, but I'm still sat scratching my head (and printing off the laptop).


----------



## mullivar (Sep 11, 2009)

Go to Start>Printers and Faxes.right click on your Lexmark printer and select "Properties".
Click on the "Port" tab along the top.What port does it say you are using??


----------



## Backdraft (Sep 12, 2009)

Mullivar - the port is "USB: Virtual printer port for USB" with the correct printer details shown. The check box for bidirectional support was also found checked and left at that.

Whilst in the printer properties window I went to the general tab and (for the hell of it) clicked to print a test page - and it did, together with all of the usual Lexmark status and ink level screens coming up as well.

Somewhat stunned, I opened a MS Word document and hit print - it all went fine again.

I'm stumped (but very happy) as the only thing done since the last re-install and reboot when it failed, was to have turned the PC off that night, then on again this morning.

I still don't feel that I fixed anything here, but it's working so I am happy and will not puzzle over it too long.

Thanks for the assistance people - much appreciated of your time; great forum as well. ray:


----------



## russelltownsend (Mar 24, 2011)

Doing a full reinstalled of x5470 printer driver fixed this for my vista system. This has plagued me for over a year now, I've done this before and sometimes it doesn't seem to work. I do not expect this to fix the problem permanently - it feels like there is some corruption happening on a continuous basis - anybody have any ideas as to how to track this down ?

Take it easy
Russ


----------

