IEEE 1284.4 generic printing support / HP LaserJet printer support

I have an HP LaserJet 3380 (PCL6). For a near substitute, I managed to install the PostScript printer driver for HP LaserJet 4000. However, there are some problems:
1. When I install the PCL6 version of this or another printer, test pages do NOT print, and I have to remove the printer.
2. I have a yellow question mark in device manager next to Generic IEEE 1284.4 printing support. However, I have an "IEEE 1284.4 compatible printer" and also an "IEEE 1284.4 device" (DOT4 USB) installed without
question marks--presumably for the Postscript version.

Any suggestions? (HP recommended I use the LaserJet 4000 PCL 6--and that's not working.)

Because your printer isn't in the list of supported printers, you have to trick it to work. The port should be automatically created when you plug the printer in to the USB port, but it will fail because it doesn't have a
driver. Then go in an manually add the HP LaserJet 4000 Series PCL6 driver, and you should be able to print to it.

Your best bet if this doesn't work is to go to HP and get very specific steps that will enable your particular printer. Another workaround is to use a TCP/IP print server externally to your printer, and print to that. It
won't give you the multifunction portion of the device, but the printer portion of it should work just fine.

Thanks. What you say is what happened for the PS driver, but not for the PCL6. I suspect it has something to do with trying to install two drivers to the same port, and if I had installed the PCL6 first, I'd be having
problems with the PS. I'll see what HP tells me (they didn't have any specific steps on their website).

You should be able to Add a printer, point to that exact same port, and then choose a driver for it. It's how I've added both PCL and PS to my printer.
I'm not sure what PCL would gain you that PS doesn't do, however. PCL drivers are usually faster, especially for that first page, but otherwise, I don't think they're any better.

I can do that, but after the printer is added, it won't print at all to it, and there is other strange behavior (*LONG* delays to get printer properties page open for all printers). However, things go back to normal after
deleting the PCL printer. I'll use the PS printer for now, and wait for HP to release x64 drivers for multi-function lasers. Thanks.

I discovered that if I give up bi-directional printer support, the pcl6 driver will work.

The hp drivers are a bit flaky--for example, long print jobs (to both ps and pcl drivers) tend to give out of memory errors when they didn't under x86, despite my using the same settings in both x86 and x64.

Also, turning the printer off and on causes the "new hardware found" message to pop up.

You're right the 3380 does have a parallel port--it was concealed by the panel. (But I have only USB ports on my PC.)

I reported the issues to HP, but who knows when they'll have a new driver. They did suggest trying drivers for older printers (PCL5), so I'll try that. On the bright side, this has been my only issue with x64--despite all the 32-bit specific custom code I run--and it does boot and run snappy.

Thanks Everyone on this Issue. Went from XP to Vista And my 1215 HPphotosmart did want anything to do with this Big move. But after reading your input . It work when I used HPphotosmart 2570 series. Works pretty good. I had tried lazer jet and other HP's printes with no luck. So just try with your module of printer ?

Since I didn't find anything on hp.com, and in my case I've got a Laserjet 4240n, I did connect it to the network instead, install it as a network one, it detected its ip, then (this on win 7 pro 64 ) i choose to update all printer list, and I got the 4200 pcl6 instead (that's the closest one) and test print it, and it worked!!!

I did download update for that model (bios) it went through ok, but then when I tried again usb, nop !!! same crap!!

So, I leave it on the network instead.

Good luck guys!!