Hi, Earl.
Sorry for the confusion.
>> >> PC also?? It is an HP a6130.me (Whatever that means). By Googling for "HP a6130.me" from your original post, I got 48 hits,
including this one:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/me/en...-80230710.html
Among other facts about your computer there is this:
Processor type
a6130.me / a6120.me: Intel® Viiv™ processor technology
• Intel® Core™2 Duo processor E4400
a6140.me: Intel® Viiv™ processor technology
• Intel® Core™2 Duo processor E6550
So "Whatever that means" tells us that it is an HP computer, model a6130me,
and the HP website says it has a Viiv Core2Duo processor, which, like almost
all computers available today, is a 64-bit CPU. (While they pronounce it
funny, it looks to me like "Viiv" is just Roman numerals for 64: VI = 6; IV
= 4; so VI IV = 6 4.)
So you do have 64-bit hardware. It is capable of running both 64-bit and
32-bit operating systems. The choice is yours - or whoever installs Windows
on your computer.
If you install the 64-bit version of Windows - either WinXP x64 or Vista
x64 - then you can run both 32-bit and 64-bit software, such as Office or
Quicken - or your favorite games. So far, there are very few 64-bit
applications available, but 64-bit Windows will run the multitude of 32-bit
software without a hiccup.
If you install the 32-bit version of Windows - either WinXP Pro or Vista
x86 - then you can run all the 32-bit software you can find.
Do you have a "32-bit system"? Depends on how you define "system". You
have installed the 32-bit version of Vista, as the System Properties window
tells you, so I would say that you are running a 32-bit system on 64-bit
hardware. Since printer drivers translate between the printer hardware and
the operating system, you need the 32-bit drivers for your printer.
(When/if you install Vista x64, you'll need the 64-bit drivers.)
Why won't your printer work? As I said, I've never had a Canon, so I can't
say for sure. But, I suggest that you unplug the printer completely. Then
reboot Vista x86 at least a couple of times to let it "clear its head" and
forget that it ever saw a printer. Then plug the printer in again (both
power and USB cables, of course, and to an onboard USB port, not to a hub).
Reboot Vista x86 and watch the screen closely as Vista detects the "new"
hardware and installs drivers for it. The drivers MIGHT have come with
Vista; if not, Vista will probably try to find it on the Internet, so be
sure you are online at the time.
If it is still not working after that, please post back and tell us just
what you did (Just "I tried it" is NOT enough!) and what results you saw
("Didn't work" doesn't give us any clues to work with.), including any error
messages VERBATIM. I probably won't be able to help any more, but someone
here should have some ideas.
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@xxxxxx
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta in Vista Ultimate x64)
"The Earl" <TheEarl@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2C04D094-ED76-4B4C-9916-09AEDE27FAA8@xxxxxx
> Well, er.....thanks, guys........now I am totally confused.
>
> What do I do to find out what bits of what I have????
>
> Please tell me in simpleton language what you need to know and how I can
> find it out and tell you what you need to help me to sort out the problem
> of
> why my printer don't work.
>
> And please remember... it's ME that's the simpleton. I wish I had been
> born
> in the steam age.
>
> --
> The Earl, Dubai, UAE
>
>
> "Cal Bear '66" wrote:
>
>> In Device Manager > Computer: "ACPI x86 based PC"
>>
>> In this case the x86 merely means that your PC processor is based on the
>> XXX86
>> (CISC -- complex instruction set computing) architecture as apposed to
>> the old
>> Motorola processor or the RISC -- reduced instruction set computing (IBM
>> Power
>> PC, Sun, etc) processors.
>>
>> It does not mean that the processor is incapable of handling x64
>> instructions or
>> that the operating system in use is 32-bit (x86).
>>
>>
>> I Bleed Blue and Gold
>> GO BEARS!
>>
>>
>> "R. C. White" <rc@xxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:61B36DFB-E288-4013-9D4E-138712B1BA74@xxxxxx
>> > Hi, Earl.
>> >
>> >> it says "ACPI x86 based PC". Does that mean I have a 32-bit
>> >
>> > Yep. In Microsoft-speak, x86 means 32-bit.
>> >
>> > The first IBM PC used an Intel 8088 CPU, which was an 8086 with an
>> > 8-bit bus,
>> > rather than a 16-bit. (I'm an accountant, not a techie, so this might
>> > not be
>> > technically correct, but it's close enough for today.) Then the Tandy
>> > 2000
>> > and one or two other computers used an 80186 in the mid-1980s. This was
>> > followed by the 80286, the 386 (Intel dropped the 80 along about here),
>> > the
>> > 486 and the - no, not 586 - the Pentium. The whole family of CPUs came
>> > to be
>> > referred to as x86, and that's what MSFT adopted a couple of years ago
>> > to
>> > differentiate the 32-bit WinXP and Vista from the 64-bit.
>> >
>> > In a 64-bit WinXP or Vista installation, 32-bit applications (which are
>> > still
>> > almost all apps on the market) are installed into the
>> > new-and-only-in-x64
>> > folder "C:\Program Files (x86)", while new 64-bit apps (when there are
>> > any) go
>> > into the familiar "C:\Program Files". I don't know why they didn't
>> > just keep
>> > the old name for 32-bit and use (x64) for 64-bit. When we dual-boot
>> > both
>> > 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, this creates a LOT of confusion!
>> >
>> > But none of that concerns you for now - except that x86 = 32-bit.
>> >
>> > RC
>> >
>> > "The Earl" <TheEarl@xxxxxx> wrote in message
>> > news:B3223048-0676-45CE-80F5-9C8B53883A55@xxxxxx
>> >> Following your instructions, it says 32-bit operating system.
>> >>
>> >> How do I find out if my hardware is 32-bit or 64-bit?? Under "Device
>> >> Manager"/Computer it says "ACPI x86 based PC". Does that mean I have a
>> >> 32-bit
>> >> PC also?? It is an HP a6130.me (Whatever that means).
>> >> --
>> >> The Earl, Dubai, UAE
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "The Earl" wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> I have a Canon Pixma 530 Multifunctional Printer/Scanner/FAX which I
>> >>> am
>> >>> trying to connect to my new HP computer with Vista (I think it is 32
>> >>> bit, if
>> >>> that is what "32x" means) - it dont work, a total of 1,200 worth of
>> >>> kit
>> >>> that
>> >>> is TOTALLY USELESS!!!!!!! (I have been messing around with this for a
>> >>> week
>> >>> now which is why I am a tad irritable and about to chuck the lot out
>> >>> the
>> >>> window).
>> >>>
>> >>> There is nothing wrong with the printer - it works fine on my laptop
>> >>> with
>> >>> Windows XP and other devices (camera, external drive) work fine on
>> >>> the USBs,
>> >>> I have already recieved a first response from the Canon Helpdesk and,
>> >>> following their advice, downloaded, unzipped and installed the
>> >>> "appropriate"
>> >>> driver... my PC even tells me that it has installed it correctly -
>> >>> super!!!!
>> >>>
>> >>> Until I connect the MP530, only to recieve the "USB Device not
>> >>> recognised"
>> >>> message. I have tried every bit of advice I have been able to glean
>> >>> from
>> >>> googling the problem to death and scouring this forum - still no
>> >>> good. I
>> >>> have
>> >>> deleted INFCACHE.1, reinstalled it, unplugged the PC, plugged it back
>> >>> in,
>> >>> rebooted with the printer plug in, rebooted with the printer plug
>> >>> out, tried
>> >>> to manually point the "unknown device" to any drive anyywhere that
>> >>> the
>> >>> drivers may have been secreted to and many, many other totally
>> >>> fruitless
>> >>> exercises.
>> >>>
>> >>> I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that this is either something
>> >>> totally
>> >>> dumb that I have done (quite possible) or a major problem with Vista
>> >>> that
>> >>> urgently needs sorting (Are you reading this Bill???), and this is
>> >>> reinforced
>> >>> by the sheer volume of similar pleas for help you can find on forums
>> >>> all
>> >>> over
>> >>> the internet.
>> >>>
>> >>> I need a response to this quickly, I have too much work piling up and
>> >>> need
>> >>> to use the new machine urgently. This is starting to affect my bottom
>> >>> line
>> >>>
>> >>> PLEASE SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT TO DO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>> >>> --
>> >>> The Earl, Dubai, UAE