Vista - HP & Microsoft won't give me my printer driver!!

My OEM version of Vista doesn't have the driver for my HP printer. HP says
the driver should be in Vista, and won't give me the driver. Microsoft says
they don't support OEM Vista, so I can't get the driver from them. How
ridiculous is that?

Can anyone recommend a solution for me?

Thanks,
Rob

What is the model and model number of your HP printer?

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows System & Performance

---------------------------------------------------------------

"RobB" wrote:

My OEM version of Vista doesn't have the driver for my HP printer. HP says
the driver should be in Vista, and won't give me the driver. Microsoft says
they don't support OEM Vista, so I can't get the driver from them. How
ridiculous is that?

Can anyone recommend a solution for me?

Thanks,
Rob

Who supplied the OEM version of Vista? Was it Pre-installed?
If so, you will likely need to contact the OEM for the computer directly.
Actually this is an old issue that has occurred over several windows
versions.
For instance, at one time a popular OEM mfr only included drivers for it's
own branded devices.
In most cases, this was considered a violation of the license agreement,
unless the OEM was a very high volume mfr.
Then the rules went out the window.

"RobB" <RobB@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:173F013C-646D-46F5-8ADC-5523C1795C2F@xxxxxxsays

All the print driver files should reside under

\windows\system32\driverstore\filerepository

all the prn??001.inf_######## contain the inf and the dlls required

01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnao001.inf_e323fc2d
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnbr001.inf_d6fed16b
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnca001.inf_c4b22fbd
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnci001.inf_2d8ec5b5
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prndc001.inf_ab71723c
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prndl001.inf_21699af3
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnep001.inf_226002f0
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnfu001.inf_3071fdac
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnfx001.inf_57c4b5e9
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prnge001.inf_2b40eebd
01/19/2008 02:41 AM <DIR> prngt001.inf_efde87ee
02/16/2008 03:59 PM <DIR> prnhp001.inf_2db1d33e

--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"RobB" <RobB@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:173F013C-646D-46F5-8ADC-5523C1795C2F@xxxxxx

Thanks Alan. I opened up the prnhp001 folder, then the .inf file and did a
search for 6540, since my printer is a HP Deskjet 6540. I found the following
entries:

HPF6540T.GPD.ICM_LH_PHASE5,HPDeskjet_6500818D,HP_Deskjet_6500_Series ;
Hardware ID

[HPF6540T.GPD.ICM_LH_PHASE5]
CopyFiles=HELP_LH,HPC_COMMON_LH,HP_PRNPROC,HP_ICC,@HPZ3RLHN.DLL,@HPZ3ALHN.DLL,@HPZSSLHN.DLL,@HPF6540T.GPD,@HPZ3CLHN.INI,@HPZSMLHN.GPD,@HPZ3MLHN.GPD,@HPF6540T.XML,@HPZSCLHN.DTD,@HPFRES50.DLL,@HPFIME50.DLL,@HPFIGLHN.DLL,@HPZPRLHN.DLL,HP_LANGMON
DataFile=HPF6540T.GPD
LanguageMonitor="PCL hpz3llhn,hpz3llhn.dll"
PrintProcessor="hpzpplhn,hpzpplhn.dll"
CoreDriverSections="{D20EA372-DD35-4950-9ED8-A6335AFE79F0},UNIDRV.OEM,UNIDRV_DATA"

Do you know how to get Vista to install these drivers?
Thanks,
Rob

"Alan Morris [MSFT]" wrote:

It's an HP Deskjet 6540. Vista actually recognizes it correctly, but won't
install the drivers.

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

Open your Control Panel and click on the "Add Hardware" iconÂ*.
The "Add Hardware Wizard" will appear.

1. Click on Next and place a dot next to "Yes, I have alreaÂ*dy connected the hardware".
2. Click Next and scroll all the way down to "Add a new harÂ*dware device".
3. Click once to highlight it and click Next.
4. Place a dot next to "Install the hardware that I manuallÂ*y select from a list (Advanced)".
5. Click Next and scroll down to "Printers", click once to Â*highlight and click Next.
6. Place a dot next to "Use the following port" and click NÂ*ext.
7. In the "Install Printer Software Screen", on the left siÂ*de scroll down to "HP"
and click once to highlight, then in the right-side scrÂ*oll down to
"HP DeskJet 6500 Series", click on it to highlight, then Â*click Next to install the software.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows System & Performance

---------------------------------------------------------------

"RobB" wrote:

It's an HP Deskjet 6540. Vista actually recognizes it correctly, but won't
install the drivers.

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

Unfortunately, this didn't work.

In the Install Printer Software Screen, there are only a couple of Deskjet
models listed, and the 6540 is not one of them. However, given the info I got
earlier in this thread, I clicked on the "have disk" button and pointed the
installer to the .inf file in the HP printers folder in the Windows folder.
Now the "Deskjet 6500 series" is (like many other HP printers) shown in the
Install Printer Software Screen. Sadly, however, when I double-clicked on it,
I got this error message: "Printer driver was not installed. Unable to find a
core driver package that is required by the printer driver package."

Is it possible that the "core driver package" is not in my OEM version of
Vista?

Thanks,
Rob

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

you need to install SP1. There was an issue in the core OS setup functions
where a file did not get regenerated properly after the manufacture deletes
it in their setup program as Microsoft recommended in XP. Here's the QFE
link for RTM Vista

..
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937187



--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"RobB" <RobB@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:FB9FBF6F-B094-4963-ABA8-15ACF5EF4D19@xxxxxx

Well well well... I just installed the latest updates for Vista and it then
installed the drivers for my printer. I don't know if I installed SP1 or not,
but whatever, it works.

Thanks,
Rob

"Alan Morris [MSFT]" wrote: