I consider myself a fairly experienced Mac user, but I've had it with my ongoing and reoccurring printing issues!
I have had the same HP Officejet 7140xi printer (USB) and Mac for several years, and I've had the same printing problems over and over.
Symptoms...
1) Almost always the printer takes a rediculuos amount of time to print anything. For example, over 5 full minutes to print one simple Quicken check. Sometimes it quickly starts to print and then waits half way through printing the check. Sometimes it does nothing for 10 minutes, and then starts printing.
2) Often when printing a photo or other large document, it will simply stop half way through (or not start at all) and "stop" all jobs. "Resume" jobs doesn't help. When this happens, I can print nothing until I go through many permutations of restarting the Mac, performing various reseting of the printer itself, powering everything off and on, and usually reinstalling the printer driver.
3) On the other hand, occasionally I click "print" and it works fine. Sometime I even can print 20 photos without a hitch. Sometimes 10 seconds after I click "print" paper is coming out of the printer...sometimes. SO I do know it can work - sometimes.
Frequently (particularly with 2, above), I'll get the message indicating that the printer cannot be found. Sure enough, the list in Print & Fax preferences is empty. Now the fun begins...
I select "add" and the Printer Browser window opens. If I'm lucky, I see my printer "Officejet 7100 Series" under Printer Name (Connection USB). Right now I'm lucky. I see it. I select it and the Name and Location appear at the bottom of the window. I click the pull down menu "Please select a driver or printer model." I click "HP" because I have an HP printer. An extensive list of HP models appears. "Officejet 7100" is not on it. I cannot select it, so the "Add" button is dimmed.
I select "More Printers..." I select "AiO print." "Officejet 7100 Series" appears on the list! Seems good, although I don't remember it being in this second window before. I select it and click "Add," and I get "An error occurred while trying to add the selected printers - server-error-service-unavailable." Not so good.
So eventually I reinstall the driver. Something I do almost monthly, and sometimes several times in the same week (and we don't even print things every day!).
The Apple website says that for the above error message one should "Reset the printing system." I've done that. Maybe it works. It leaves you needed to reinstall the printer driver anyway! Not really helpful.
I've put the driver install app on my dock to make my life simpler! I suspected a memory issue, but maxing out the ram did nothing.
I just want my printer to print normally and reliably! I know that I'm asking for trouble if I try to print a few photos (although this shouldn't be, should it?), but 10 minutes for a Quicken check? I'm not exaggerating. Sometime I click "Print" and go have breakfast. When I return, it hasn't yet started! If it were frozen in this situation, it'd almost be more reasonable, but then the printer starts!
I'm warn out of reinstalling the driver! What makes the driver disappear? Why do jobs "stop." Why doesn't the driver appear on the list? Why is this a recurring issue? Please help!
I have had the same HP Officejet 7140xi printer (USB) and Mac for several years, and I've had the same printing problems over and over.
Symptoms...
1) Almost always the printer takes a rediculuos amount of time to print anything. For example, over 5 full minutes to print one simple Quicken check. Sometimes it quickly starts to print and then waits half way through printing the check. Sometimes it does nothing for 10 minutes, and then starts printing.
2) Often when printing a photo or other large document, it will simply stop half way through (or not start at all) and "stop" all jobs. "Resume" jobs doesn't help. When this happens, I can print nothing until I go through many permutations of restarting the Mac, performing various reseting of the printer itself, powering everything off and on, and usually reinstalling the printer driver.
3) On the other hand, occasionally I click "print" and it works fine. Sometime I even can print 20 photos without a hitch. Sometimes 10 seconds after I click "print" paper is coming out of the printer...sometimes. SO I do know it can work - sometimes.
Frequently (particularly with 2, above), I'll get the message indicating that the printer cannot be found. Sure enough, the list in Print & Fax preferences is empty. Now the fun begins...
I select "add" and the Printer Browser window opens. If I'm lucky, I see my printer "Officejet 7100 Series" under Printer Name (Connection USB). Right now I'm lucky. I see it. I select it and the Name and Location appear at the bottom of the window. I click the pull down menu "Please select a driver or printer model." I click "HP" because I have an HP printer. An extensive list of HP models appears. "Officejet 7100" is not on it. I cannot select it, so the "Add" button is dimmed.
I select "More Printers..." I select "AiO print." "Officejet 7100 Series" appears on the list! Seems good, although I don't remember it being in this second window before. I select it and click "Add," and I get "An error occurred while trying to add the selected printers - server-error-service-unavailable." Not so good.
So eventually I reinstall the driver. Something I do almost monthly, and sometimes several times in the same week (and we don't even print things every day!).
The Apple website says that for the above error message one should "Reset the printing system." I've done that. Maybe it works. It leaves you needed to reinstall the printer driver anyway! Not really helpful.
I've put the driver install app on my dock to make my life simpler! I suspected a memory issue, but maxing out the ram did nothing.
I just want my printer to print normally and reliably! I know that I'm asking for trouble if I try to print a few photos (although this shouldn't be, should it?), but 10 minutes for a Quicken check? I'm not exaggerating. Sometime I click "Print" and go have breakfast. When I return, it hasn't yet started! If it were frozen in this situation, it'd almost be more reasonable, but then the printer starts!
I'm warn out of reinstalling the driver! What makes the driver disappear? Why do jobs "stop." Why doesn't the driver appear on the list? Why is this a recurring issue? Please help!
