QUESTION POSED ON: 06 September 2001
I have run into a problem in Windows 2000 that I cannot seem to resolve. I recently purchased a new computer running Windows 2000. The machine
contains a Pentium 4, 1.5 GHz, processor with 256 Mbytes of RAM, and a
60 Gbyte hard drive. The problem appeared when I attempted to install a
network printer. The new computer is replacing a Win95 machine which I
have networked to the Win2K machine using NetBEUI.
During the "add printer" process I selected a network printer, then
browsed to the Epson printer on the Win95 machine. After selecting
next, I received a message that stated that the printer driver on the
server(Win95 machine) was not correct and asked if I would like to
install the printer driver on the local machine (Win2K). I selected OK
and up came the manufacture's list of printer drivers. I selected Epson
but could not locate my printer (Epson Stylus color 600), I did not find
a driver for an Epson Stylus Color 600 ESC /P2 but was unsure that this
was compatible with my printer. Since I had the printer's driver on CD,
I decided to install that driver. I chose 'Have Disk' and installed the
driver. After the driver installed, I received a message stating that
the driver was incompatible with Win2K and that I should choose a
different driver from the list.
This message box only gave me an OK selection. Upon clicking the OK
button, I was returned to the dialog box where I selected the printer
from the network. After selecting the Next button, Win2K went off and
attempted to install the same driver that I was just informed was
incompatible. Since the driver was incompatible, Win2K removed the DLL
files from the hard drive and so I received errors that the OS could not
locate certain files. I manually loaded the necessary files from the
CD-ROM and just ended up going through the same loop.
After contacting Epson, I was told that the Epson Stylus Color 600 ESC
/P2 is the correct Win2K driver for this printer.
THE PROBLEM:
I cannot get back to the manufacturer's printer driver selection screen
to select the correct driver. I have renamed the printer share on the
Win95 machine in an attempt to 'trick' Win2K into believing that the
printer was a different printer, but to no avail.
SOMETHING INTERESTING:
Taking a different approach, I proceeded to install the printer as a
local printer. The allowed me to get to the manufacturer's printer
driver screen. At the bottom of the list of Epson printer drivers was
the incompatible driver that I installed earlier. I know that this item
in the list was not previously present when I installed the incompatible
driver from the CD-ROM.
MY THEORY:
Somewhere in the bowels of the operating system, Win2K has made an
association between the shared printer on the Win95 machine and this
particular driver. To make this association, Win2K added this driver to
the list of drivers. Unfortunately when Win2K determined that the
driver was incompatible, it removed the DLL files but did not remove the
association. I believe that I can make a disconnect of this association
if I can remove this driver from the list of printer drivers, but I do
not know where this list is maintained. I have looked in the registry,
but could not locate the list.
I have contacted several people, in particular the support team for my
new machine and have stumped all of them. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE
THIS PROBLEM OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT I CAN ATTEMPT? Other than
reinstalling the operating system, I do not know what to do.
Thanks for your time.
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