My hpdeskjet 656c printer ALWAYS won't print on the first try, to solve this I have to add more printing jobs then restart my com. It's as if it wants to be pushed to make it print. I've already tried reinstalling the driver more or less 10 times already, but the problem persists.
256mb RAM, win98 2nd ed.

Hey assembly, you know how this works, you tell us the problem, we ask a bunch of questions, and then we go from there :D ;)
In the 10 times of reinstalling the drivers, have you completely (and I mean completely) removed the printer and it's software from the computer? Unplug cables, clear all listings of the printer from "Device Manager" in safemode, remove any auxilary software for the printer, etc...?
After all this "Removal" you should also power down and cold boot your system, be sure things are still working proper, cold boot again and then reinstall.

A funny story some here might remember. A gal came to us with a printer that would not print. She had removed and reinstalled drivers, cold booted, and purged spooled print jobs, but the thing would not print. No errors, no notices, just wouldn't print. She finaly called manufacturers tech support and the guy there told her to unplug the printer cable from the printer and let it hang out there for a bit. This would clear the spooled jobs hung up in the cable. She thought it was rediculous but tried it. VIOLA, it printed :eek: :D

Good luck
Frank

You could try uninstalling & re-installing the printer software [not just "up-dating" the driver [to the same driver which is no up-date in practice].
When the printer software is installed, some Windows system files are updated to versions that work with the printer software. Repairing the Windows installation would overwrite these and put the original file copies back. Perhaps a Windows update would do the same. This happened to me and it was fixed by an un-install/re-install which put back the printer's Windows file copies.
"System File Checker" keeps track of file changes and you should run it frequently to confirm that file changes are correct. Then when something like this happens it might be possible to find out which file changes have recently occured, which might provide a clue.

So can you detail what happens when you tell a program to print something?

In my case I have some indication of background activity, because I have allocated sounds to the "Open Program" & "Close Program" events.
That means I can hear the print program opening.
Then I have a little program named "TClockEx" which displays the processor usage percentage [CPU=x%].
If you had this you might hear a program [module] open and see the processor usage jump to 100%. Then the printer icon might appear in the System Tray. Then you might hear the sound of a program closing and see the processor usage drop to 5%.
That would suggest that there is an attempt to print, but the program closes down, suggesting all is not well and the point at which the attempt to print is abandoned.

You beat me to it Bassman :)

to bassman: I'll try what you told me to do.

to sylvander: ...., that's exactly what happens, absolutely nothing, but in the printer window, its still saying "printing" when its not.

Thankx!!!

Another thought, sometimes when I print from my laptop to the printer in my kids room, I forget to select the proper printer. I just hit the "Print" button and nothing happens. I then remember this printer is not set as my default and have to cancel then try again selecting the proper printer. I don't know if this is the problem with your's as you say it will print after forcing the job down it's throat :eek:

Here's some Win95 advice for correcting printer problems.
See if it can be applied or modified for your situation.

I wonder if as far as Windows is concerned, printing is indeed taking place. Windows has done all that it is supposed to do and the failure is with the printer.

How is your printer connected to the PC? LPT1?
Is it configured as ECP/EPP mode in the BIOS Setup>Integrated Peripherals Setup Menu?

MY UNDERSTANDING
1. The Application asks Windows to handle a print job.
2. Windows creates an Enhanced Meta-File.
3. When that is complete, control is returned to the application.
4. The meta-file is converted [by the printer driver] to a language the printer understands and then "spooled" to the HDD [an ".spl" file in the C:\Windows\Temp" folder].
5. Batches of data are sent from the spooled file via the port configured to work with the printer to the printer itself. Data is sent at moments requested by the printer until the job is complete.

to bassman: how will I know if its set to my printer as default or not?

to sylvander: its connected to my LPT1, where can I see this ECP/EPP mode?

to all: I'm now downloading the latest driver for my printer, maybe this will fix the problem, if not then I gonna have to rely on you guys.

Start>Settings>Printers, if your desired printer had a checkmark over it, it is set to "Default". If not, R click, set as default.

Sorry, can't remember how to check port settings at the moment ;)

Originally posted by Sylvander
Is it configured as ECP/EPP mode in the BIOS Setup>Integrated Peripherals Setup Menu?

It's in the BIOS setup. ;) Possible settings include Standard, ECP, EPP, EPP+ECP, etc. ECP is usually best for printers, except very old ones that might not support that mode.

Something else you can check:

1. Start, Settings, Printers
2. Select your printer.
3. Select Properties on the File menu.
4. Select the Details tab.
5. Select Spool Settings...
6. See if "Print directly to printer" is selected. If not, choose it.
7. Select [Raw] from the Spool Data Format drop down.

I'd try changing #6 first, then reboot and see if that works. If not, try #7. You might have to experiment between these settings.

Kimbo

I've just downloaded the latest driver for my printer, now I have two printer icons in my printer window, very identical only one of them has a "(2)" on it, is this caused by the new driver? When you install the new driver, wouldn't it overwrite the old one?

No.

Especially with printer drivers, as you can more than one instance of the same printer, with customized settings on each installed occurence.

You've just installed a 2nd identical printer [are you sure they are identical?] and you could use either of them as the default, or you could drag & drop documents onto either to have them print.
One is redundant, there's no point to having both.
I think you should right-click on the 2nd and delete it.

Did you uninstall [using "Add/Remove Programs"] & re-install the printer software before this?

Oops, you got there before me MJC.

No, you misunderstood, the second one is not identical, its a driver for my printer but the latest version. Should I delete the old version?

I think you should make the new one the default and print [to the default printer] and see what kind of result you get.
Then you could make the old printer the default and compare or contrast the results.
Then keep the one you like best [because it works best] and delete the other.

Unless, as MJC pointed out, there are reasons for keeping both.

Probably the actual files that make up the driver have been overwritten by the update, so yes, both intalls are now the same....just make the new one the default, and remove the old one.