[sue.words]

My PC is running Windows XP SP2 and my printer is an HP PSC 1500 series.

I realized that my printer had embarked on printing eleven pages that I didn't want so I rushed to cancel the print but in my panic I accidentally deleted not the print job but the printer.

I have been trying for the past hour and a half to reconnect to the printer. Please help!

I have tried to get help using the most relevant section of the HP Total Care troubleshooting but the advice there seems to be to uninstall the printer driver and install a new driver, and I have no reason to think this is necessary. I just need to be able to undo my deletion.

While diffidently following the start of the HP advice I opened the Control Panel and went to Printers and Faxes (where I would normally see my printer listed) but it is not there.

When I went to the next stage of the advice (Control Panel > Printers and Faxes > File > Server properties > Drivers) my printer was listed as one of the installed drivers.

I have been helped by Geeks to Go before (thank you) and so, remembering that I was then able to attach screenshots, I created Word documents showing screenshots of these two screens, but when I tried to upload them this message came up: Error You aren't permitted to upload this kind of file

(I clicked on Help with attaching files but the window that opened didn’t seem to address this.)
Please can you advise me?

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Someone on another forum sent me this just now: "Have you tried physically disconnecting the printer from the computer and reconnecting? It should then recognise it as a new device."
It worked! Hurrah.

[sue.words]

Someone on another forum sent me this just now: "Have you tried physically disconnecting the printer from the computer and reconnecting? It should then recognise it as a new device."
It worked! Hurrah.

[Digerati]

Great! I am glad you got it resolved and I thank you for posting the resolution here as that may help others with the same problem. I actually would have suggested reloading the drivers downloaded from HP, but obviously, your method was much easier.

As a side note: Support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 ended on July 13, 2010. I recommend you download and install the SP3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals (but anyone can use it) from here.

[sue.words]

Thank you, Digerati, for giving time to my problem.

Someone else pointed out that I ought to download Service Pack 3 and so I looked into it and found that I already had it on my computer but I was too dopey to realize this!

The file you suggested I download is WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe and what I already have on my PC is Office2003SP3-kb923618-FullFile-enu.exe. Is what I have good enough or would you still recommend that I download and install SP3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals?

Thanks again

Sue

[Digerati]

If you notice the file names, the file you have is for Office 2003, not Windows XP. SP3 means service pack 3. It is not a file or program name.

And note since your system is so far behind, I would urge you to backup any data files, just in case. The vast majority of users have no problems installing SP3, but with any major upgrade, there is always some risk.

You might read this and follow those procedures - which is actually Microsoft's recommended method.

[sue.words]

Goodness, I'm unobservant, aren't I!!! (about filenames, I mean)
Will follow all this up as soon as I've got time.

Thanks very much, Digerati

[sue.words]

Thought I'd just have a quick look at what you suggested and found this:

To learn if Windows XP SP3 is already installed

Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

If Service Pack 3 is listed in the System section, SP3 is already installed on your computer and you don't need to follow the instructions below.

And - to my great relief - I discovered that I have already got Windows XP SP3.

Must make a bigger effort to register the difference between Windows and Office. (Of course I understand the difference, but it's easy to muddle them up when you're not giving it full attention.

thanks again
S

[Digerati]

And - to my great relief - I discovered that I have already got Windows XP SP3.

Great! It it critical to stay as current as possible for security purposes and XP is well over 10 years old!