Vista - Vista wont put my printer in the printer folder in control panel

I just upgraded my XP home edition to Vista home premium with an upgrade disk provided by Dell. Before the upgrade I uninstalled my HP 2575 printer and software because it was listed as a compatibility issue. After upgrade I reinstalled new software from HP for my printer from the HP website. I plugged in the USB cable from my printer. Vista recognized the new device but would not put it in the printer folder in the control panel. Vista did find driver software online but could not install it. The HP solution center tells me no HP devices have been detected. When I try to print I get a message that I don’t have a printer hooked up. That’s the back ground here is what I have done.

• I have updated Vista; most were successful some security ones failed. I have Service pack 1
• I uninstalled and reinstalled HP software many times
• I started my spooler and reinstalled printer and software many times.
• I checked Task Manager and the hpqste08 services are running.
• I uninstalled virus protection and turned off the firewall.
• I have done everything I can find at HP, Microsoft and here.
• I tried to reload Vista but got a Worker Thread Returned at Bad IRQL error message so I stopped reload.

The one odd thing I did find was in the Device Manager. In the Device Manager the HP 2575 is listed twice. Once under IEEE 1284.4 compatible printer and once under Other Devices. When I click on the one under IEEE 1284.4 compatible printer and update driver software it finds the driver and says it’s up to date. When I do the same on the one under Other Devices, windows finds the software for this device but encountered an error when trying to install it. It does this when looking online and when looking in C: drive.The printer still does not show up in the printer folder in the control panel. I’m sorry for the long winded post but I hope all this background will help with a solution. I only know computer basics and I already spent 10+hours on this problem.

Thanks for your Help

Well Vista includes most of the Printer/scanner drivers required.
For example, I have the OfficeJet 4215, it is as easy as plugging the USB cable in and letting Vista Install all required drivers. (you may need to run Windows update- It updated my drivers for the HP printer)

You may have corrupted something. Suggest you use System Restore to restore to a point before you installed the HP software/Drivers, or reinstall Vista, keep going back to Windows update (untill it states no more updates available for your system), then plug your printer in [Do NOT install Driver disk]
Let Vista install all drivers, then go to Windows Update (with printer turned on and connected, and check for futher updates)
The problem is you may have installed beta drivers from HP (mine that I downloaded from them was), this may result in compatability issues/corruption. Let Vista take care of it. This also applies to almost every driver for Vista. I only had to Install the sata/raid drivers and GPU drivers/catalyst.

Check your device manager (click "View"> "show hidden devices"

Thanks rive0108

I went back as far as I could in system restore. I plugged in printer and let Vista find the drivers. It found them but I still have the same problem.

Thanks for your effort

Start>control Panel>hardware and sound-Printers

This is where the printer icon will be. check here, and see if the HP printer is marked as default (green checkmark).

The problem here is that HP discontinued this all-in-one printer. The only Vista Drivers/software available from HP are from 2007. There is also a critical vista update.
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...&swEnvOID=2098

The only other thing I can suggest Is that you have Windows corruption, XP/Vista compatibility issues, and may want to do a backup of your data with the Vista Backup utility, and then do a clean Install from your upgrade Disk. This will also resolve any compatibility issues between XP and Vista.
Clean Install From Upgrade Vista

On my version of Vista I open control panel and then printers. I do not see hardware and sound. In that printer folder there is nothing. I also tried to install the Dell 725 printer that I got with the computer and never used. The exact same thing happens that happens with the HP2575.

I downloaded the software from the link you provided and also the critical update. "The critical update does not support any of the HP device drivers that you have on your pc you do not need this software" is the message I got.

In the other post you said you had the HP 2570, here you say you have the HP2575. The software package is not for the 2575. The fact this occurs with trying to install both printers leads me to believe your Windows is messed up.

Dell 725 Vista drivers (choose Vista 32-bit O/S):http://support.dell.com/support/down...g=en&TabIndex=

have you updated to SP1, and installed ALL Windows updates? (you have to keep going back to update untill it states "no updates available for your system")

I suggest you do a install from the tutorial I linked above I think you are having Windows corruption/compatability issues, and as suggested let Windows install the drivers for your pc and printer (all devices turned on , and hooked up) automatically and through update. In the end though it may be that your printer is just not gonna work with Vista-i.e., not compatable, but I dont think this is the case as both printer have available Vista drivers, and are recognized by Vista and an attempt is made to install said drivers. There have been cases though where the beta Vista drivers supplied by the OEM are bad, and require the default Vista drivers to be updated/replaced.

Im sorry. In my first post I was incorrect. I have a HP 2575. This whole issue has got my low tech head spinning. I hope I didn't waste to much of your time with that. I have been downloading the correct software from HP for the 2575 from the beginning.

I followed the instructions from the Dell 725 link you gave me and got the same results as before. I try to update the software in the device manager and Windows finds the software for this device but encountered an error when trying to install it.

As for the printer file in the control manager, it still is empty. I have my control manager in classic view that is why I was confused about the Hardware and Sound icon, but I have been looking in the right place.

The updates are all current as of my first post and now, with the exception of KB 29729 that keeps failing. I system restored back to the first HP install. Thats as far back as I could go. My SP1(Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update (KB951847) x86 Installation date: ‎4/‎4/‎2009 10:20 PM Installation status: Successful )

I think your right, I think my Windows Vista is corrupted. I am nervous about doing a clean install because all my C: drive from when my computer was XP is backed up on a remote Seagate backup drive; thats the files, programs and XP operating system. Should I just go back to XP Home Edition or will I be able to recover all my files and pictures in a clean install of Vista even though the XP operating system is on the Seagate drive.

Use Vista's backup Utility to backup your data. You can also create a bootable recovery disk image that will restore you pc to what it is right now.

I think the issue with the drivers is it is finding and trying to install what you downloaded to your pc- these drivers are evidently incompatable, and will not install. Both of those printers are old, and have had no Vista updates since 2006/2007 (i.e., Beta drivers). You can always create the disk image to restore back to exactly what your system is now, and use the Backup utility to backup all your User data/files (select and check all boxes when setting up the file backup)

If after you do a fresh Vista Install, the drivers for those printer will not install with the Vista default drivers, then just bite the bullet and get a new HP officejet for $89.

Free Drive Backup Express - disk backup software

to use Vista file backup utility:
start>in search bar, type backup>Backup and restore Center will open>click "backup files"