Dell AIO 922 printer not communicating with the Dell computer

[Naresh Modi]

I am running a Dell Dimension 3100 with Windows XP, SP3, (P4 2.8 GHz cpu and 512 MB RAM) connecting via USB to a Dell AOI 922 printer. I am trying to install my Dell 922 AIO Printer on my new computer that has windows vista basic. I have dowloaded a driver so it will take. It will print an alignment page but not a test page nor a document. It also shows that my ink levels are low and I know they are not. I have uninstalled the printer. Also I noticed that I have Microsoft XPS document writer installed on the computer. But it is not displaying anything on my computer.

[Aiden]

I will provide you following procedure where fristly you need to Disconnect your printer. You need to Download and run this patch (a MUST with Vista machines, I would also run with XP) to completely remove the printer from your computer. Run the patch until it prompts you to restart your computer.

• Restart your computer.
• Download the proper drivers
• XP Drivers for your printer from the internet this will automatically detect your printer with your computer.

[semento]

Download new driver for your printer from Totallydrivers.com or other web sites that provides you free download for your required driver to the "Download" folder but don't install.

If you have done any configuration to your previous printer then just remove it from Control Panel> Remove a Printer (left side)> right click on desired printer > delete.

Unplug printer from your PC. Now Reboot the PC.

Delete all contents in folder w32x86 in C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32x… You can remove them to a Temp folder if you wish but they are all junk if you are going to use Vista.

Now Install new driver for your printer, and then reconnect your printer.

[Sachit]

You need to keep in mind one fact that you have Vista is the problem. Some printers have bad drivers for Vista, which is most likely why you're having problems with your printer. Or the fact that you have Vista Basic, which isn't worth getting over XP. So you need to communicate with your Dell support public they may guide you over this.

[Cyndi]

What about if I am hosting the printer on an XP computer and trying to share it to a VISTA computer? Same procedures?

Originally Posted by semento

Download new driver for your printer from Totallydrivers.com or other web sites that provides you free download for your required driver to the "Download" folder but don't install.

If you have done any configuration to your previous printer then just remove it from Control Panel> Remove a Printer (left side)> right click on desired printer > delete.

Unplug printer from your PC. Now Reboot the PC.

Delete all contents in folder w32x86 in C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32x… You can remove them to a Temp folder if you wish but they are all junk if you are going to use Vista.

Now Install new driver for your printer, and then reconnect your printer.

[cnrogers]

I was printing just fine on my home network with one computer running Vista and the Dell 922 connected to another a computer running XP. My mistake was trying to switch this arrangement around. After multiple install and uninstall attempts there appears to be nothing that I can do to get my Vista machine to print even though all drivers appear to have installed correctly.

Based on excellent instructions from a related thread on this website I have:
1. Disconnected the printer from the USB port
2. Stopped the print spooler using the “net stop spooler” command
3. Deleted all files and folders from C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32x86 directly from the command prompt
4. Restarted the print spooler using the “net stop spooler” command
5. Uninstalled any remaining Dell printer programs from Programs and Features
6. Confirmed that there were no Dell printer in the printer list
7. Attempted to remove Driver and Driver Package from control panel’s Printers –File –Run as Administrator –Server Properties –Drivers – Remove
8. Reinstalled Dell 922 Vista drivers from Dell’s website

My problem appears to be in step 7. When I try to remove the Driver and Driver Package I get the following message:

Failed to remove driver Dell Photo AIO Printer 922. The specified printer driver is currently in use. Failed to remove package dlbtprc.inf.
The Dell 922 still shows up Print Server Properties – Drivers list. The new drivers do not install properly because Vista still thinks the previous driver is in use.

Any suggestions?

[deoWo]

Disconnect your printer. Download and run this patch to completely remove the printer from your computer.

Also Try this alternatively
---Warning--- These steps will remove drivers for ALL printers installed on the system.

1) Click Start.
2) In the Start Search box, type ‘C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32x86’ and press
<ENTER>.
3) Delete all the files and folders in this directory.
---NOTE--- There may be some files that will not delete because they are being used by Windows.
Click on the Ignore button to bypass deleting these files.

With the drivers uninstalled , you can move ahead

[cnrogers]

Here's an update to my problem that started when I attempted to move my Dell 922 printer from my XP machine to my Vista machine. This printer was happily functioning from both Vista and XP machines when it was connected to the XP machine.

I tried deleting the "w32x86" files and the "twain32" files. Uninstalling the USB Root HUBs from device manager was an interesting approach suggested by another thread on this website. I discovered that there is one USB root hub for each of the seven USB ports on my Dell Desktop. (DUH!!)

Imagine my surprise when my keyboard and mouse stopped working when I started uninstalling them! Given that my machine only has USB interface for peripheral devices I thought I was in serious trouble when my mouse and keyboard stopped working after unistalling the 3rd USB Root HUB.

A reboot should automatically reinstall the USB port drivers but my mouse and keyboard failed to respond. What a catastrophe!

Turns out that after desperately trying several USB ports I could get the keyboard to finally respond but my mouse wouldn't. To make a long story less long I was able to use the keyboard to navigate and with Dell support finally figured out that my mouse batteries had died at the time when I really needed them. It took a couple of hours to discover this embarrassing fact!

I’m lucky that my Vista computer is still under warranty with Dell. It took quite an effort to figure out the dead battery problem with a Dell hardware technician using DellConnect.

Once that issue was resolved I was put through to a Dell printer specialist who clearly understood the printer driver problem. It is much deeper than simply messing about with files in Windows\System32... There were several registry keys that needed to be deleted before attempting to reinstall the printer drivers.

Future readers of TechArena please note: Messing with REGEDIT should NOT be attempted by anyone who is not familiar with this level of troubleshooting!

Dell support can be frustrating at times but eventually you will get through to someone who knows what they are doing. Thanks Santhosh at Dell for getting to the root of the 922 printer problem.

No thanks to Dell Corporate for not putting the resources into an online Patch/Update that doesn’t do this automatically.

Hope this post helps future victims of obsolete Dell printers