Can't add printers to the printer list

meri86

Registered
I'm having some trouble adding network printers in Tiger. If I open the print&fax window and then click on the "+" sign to add printers, nothing comes up. I thought a new screen was supposed to pop up, but nothing happens. If I try to print something from Word or Excel and select "add printer" in the print menu, also nothing happens. I do find a list of "bonjour printers", but I'm not sure how this can help me. So in the end it seems I can't add any printers at all, and thus not print.
 
Whenever you have a problem with a peripheral, you should give the manufacturer and model of the peripheral. This means that you should give the manufacturer and model of your printer.
  • How is the printer networked? Is it connected to the network via Ethernet or plugged-in to an external print server [or another computer] via USB or parallel printer cable?
  • Have you visited the manufacturer's website and downloaded the driver for your printer?
 
I'm connected through ethernet cable and wireless to a network at work. There are some 20 printers, and most of them different models. So getting drivers for all of them would be quite a lot of work...
 
Hello, I have a similar problem.

The printer is HP LaserJet 1320tn - it is networked via parallel printer cable.

I have the IP for both the printer and the server from which the print jobs are queued. Pinging these shows that I am indeed "talking" to the printer, and yet it does not show up in my system prefs >print & fax > add printer.

In fact my system prefs > print & fax is excruciatingly slow and will freeze temporarily before continuing to work.

Any help would indeed be appreciated.
 
The printer is HP LaserJet 1320tn - it is networked via parallel printer cable.

I have the IP for both the printer and the server from which the print jobs are queued. Pinging these shows that I am indeed "talking" to the printer, and yet it does not show up in my system prefs >print & fax > add printer.
A printer that is connected via a parallel cable does not have an IP address (or at least the IP address of the printer is irrelevant when using a parallel connection).

Do you mean to say that the printer is connected to a server of some sort via a parallel cable, and that server, in turn, is "sharing" the printer across some sort of network?
 
Hey, thanks for getting back to me!
Ah, you're right. I assumed that it was parallel cable since it wasn't a USB.
It is shared accross a network. I think this issue might have more to do with my machine than anything since my system prefs > printer & fax are wayyyy slower than is normal.
 
If the printer works fine from other machines, and does not work fine from your machine, that tends to speak more of your computer than the printer itself, as you may suspect.

If you create a new user account on your computer and log in under that new account, does the Print & Fax System Preference pane "behave" any better? If so, it may be something specific to your user account, and not the entire computer.

Failing that, you may want to try using this:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26660

Try the "Reset the printing system" -- this will reset the entire printing subsystem, removing all installed printers and faxes, and give you a clean slate to work with. You can then try to add the network printer and see if it works.
 
*sigh*

neither proposed solutions worked. i fear that there's an os update in my future. where "fear" == a hassle to get it from the school i'm at being i am away doing fieldwork.
 
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