Turbohot

Yes, that's what's happened to my printer-laptop partnership, and I will appreciate if any of you tech-educated people can help me, please.


What happened was that I tried to print something off my HP Pro 8600 Officejet via my Toshiba Satellite Windows 8-point-something i3 top notch processor laptop, but a perfectly installed printer is not showing up when I try printing. Instead it comes up with a message 'The Active Domain Directory Services is currently unavailable', so I can't even find my printer from that automatic in-built list thingy on my laptop.


I got a kind pc literate gentleman (he writes softwares for big companies) from upstairs offices to help me. The first thing he said to me at looking at my laptop was - "Get an Apple laptop". Anyway, the Apple whizzawhizz took the long way, re-installed the printer driver etc. etc. via the net and faffed about for an hour with it, but no! Then it was, like, 10 pm, so he had to go home.

After he had gone, I simply c&p-ed the message on Google bar i.e. 'The Active Domain Directory Services is currently unavailable' and it popped up several question sites, blaming Microsoft for this.

I don't really mind whose fault it is, I just want to start printing again.

Can anyone help, please?

Thank you in advance.

dpb

Is it WiFi , presumably must be .

If its there in pc devices id uninstall and then ask it to find printer again.

Have you got it switched on btw

dpb

Its got airplay , so presumably you could send something off your iPhone

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

My pc links up to my printer by wifi. And stopped working one day. Never worked since tried everything. Uninstal reinstall. delete all connections then search again. Nothing. But all oter wireless devices link up to printer fine. Its wired.

dpb

Weird ?

It maybe be router problem , I swapped routers and had to start again with the connection

Turbohot

No, I was trying to print without having it switched on. Honestly, what do you think? Of course I have it connected to the mains, and always switched on.



Well, you did ask if it's a WiFi one. Valid point. Yes, it is, but I don't use it wireless. That Apple fanboy also said that setting up as a wireless one may at least get the printing back on the tracks.



I had that with my old Epson inkjet cheapie. That's why I didn't set this HP 8600 up as a WiFi one.


Too much faffing about with these techy things, isn't it? They have minds and moods of their own. Very inconvenient, I have to say.

Still waiting to know what should be the course of action for me tbh. Maybe I should ring Microsoft? I'm asking because my internet research on the issue seems to indicate that that "directory" problem is relational to Microsoft?

dpb

Just dial it in to router , wireless

Took me two minutes and I don't even have a manual, just got instructions off the net ( bought it on eBay 22quid)

Mind you it cannon , don't like hp , had one before always trouble with drivers , and god knows what

Nothing like that wit present one . Most time I print invoice off of phone through app called printer share

Good luck

hodgy0_2

It is obviously related to Microsoft

Is your workstation part of an Active Directory Domain?

How is the printer attached USB, Network

Turbohot

It must be. To be honest, what does that mean? I was thinking that Active Directory Domain means just an in-built list of printers that a pc/laptop would recognise by itself? More efficiently, if on internet? Sorry, hodgy, I'm not computer literate. I just use them, and that's it.

I was just attaching the USB lead (coming out of the back end of the printer) to my laptop. No network business, as I never put it on any network.

Turbohot

Oh, Duncan, re. connecting my printer to a router, I don't have a router in my office room. I have the common internet connection supply via a port on the wall. Perhaps I need to buy a double socket/plug thingy, so that both my laptop as well as my printer can be connected to that Internet supply port.

Shall I try that?

I do have another port for Internet supply in my room. But that would mean buying another longer cable to attach my printer to it.

dpb

Ah , see you didn't mention you were at work*. Iv no idea about that stuff lol


I'm at work , when I'm at home if you see what I mean

Turbohot

I work from home, too, but I work from separate-to-home work places as well. The issue I'm facing is at the my purely work related office, which is away from home, and the building has its internet network, shared by all of us office bearers.

Tomorrow I will try putting my printer on network/make it WiFi, and see what happens.

dpb

I imagine the other bods must be on same network / intranet so will have similar problems and /or its something to do with your laptop

I was only thinking about your using home network/router as WiFi link up , tablet to printer .

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

pm you

Turbohot

No, no, no, no, no...........

1. My printer was NEVER connected to the Internet supply port or a router, so it's nothing to do with Internet, and other bods aren't having any prob with their wireless/ internet connected printers.

2. Laptop was actually virused last month and the man from the shops did clean it. I did think if he had uninstalled my printer in the process, or done something funny with it, but that's highly unlikely. It shows up as installed, independently, but when you get to print via tiled or regular desktop, it gives me 'no printer installed' and when I click on the option of 'find printer', it says 'your so n' so directory domain services is currently unavailable'. Sorry, 'so n' so' means what I put in my previous posts.

I'll still try connecting it to the Internet via the port.


Many thanks, riiidaa. I shall try wireless setting up procedure tomorrow. As I said above, a couple of my previous printers just stopped working as wireless ones, and this is why I didn't even bother setting it up as a wireless one. But I shall try it tomz.

Turbohot

I must say I shouldn't have to do any of that. A good printer, if fully and methodically installed as per company instructions (I did it year ago or so when my previous Lexmark one let me down) should work without any hiccups, if connected via USB port to your laptop. Not impressed. The more I think, the more I think it [is] to do with Microsoft. Let me tell you why.

1. My Internet research of this issue leads me to believe that.
2. My previous printer, a cheap Lexmark one day decided to make itself redundant, just at the time of me producing an important doc. Ok, it came off the wireless mode by itself a few months before that, and that was its own fault,, but it still worked fine with any of my laptops with a wired, USB connection. The reason for it to stop printing was that I had upgraded my Windows 8 to Windows 8-point-something, which fekked it up for me. That is why I made sure I bought this hp, which is compatible to Windows 8 upwards. I do await my automatic upgrade to Windows 10, but I do think that it is Microsoft p7ssing me off by interfering with my printer device.

Turbohot

Something else has happened. Some of my rtf docs from 2013 and 2014 have become unreadable to me. They come up in strange codes. I reckon that's to do with Microsoft causing a fekk up as well. Not happy.

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

Turbohot

Let's first get a clear picture of your environment? Home or office etc

If office, how big staff wise, do you have I.T. bods? If yes, have you reported the issue to them?

'The Active Domain Directory Services is currently unavailable' smacks of your computer being or previously being a machine that is / was part of an office network, hence people asking about network

if the computer is not part of an network that makes use of Active Directory Domain Controllers then the error message itself is curious indeed and perhaps your Windows profile was set up incorrectly.

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

Did you have any backups?

Viruses are possibly responsible

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

Ok i re-read your first post. You got a chap from an office upstairs to look etc.

Are you using this laptop now ?

Turbohot

riiidaa, no, on my iPad right now. Left that laptop at work because I was p7ssed off with all this.

I have understood the method of setting my printer up as a wireless one, it's really easy! Thanks.

For that, though, I will have to wait till the office I.T. bloke comes back in. I don't know the password to my WiFi, he does, and he's off sick.

About 'Active Directory Domain Services' message, thanks for letting me know that it would mean it's showing up as a part of some network. Fact is, the laptop in question isn't a part of any network. It was never a part of any network either. I bought it brand new and never connected to any network at any of my work places (I do work at different locations sometimes). I have other work laptops at other than this location that are on network, but not this one. This one is actually my very personal one. I simply connect it to the Internet at this pls e via cable and off I surf. So, if a virus (that It recently suffered from) can be responsible for it, then I need to take it back to the man who cleaned it out, because perhaps he needs to clean it better? What do you think?

Yes, my work in my laptop is backed up alright, if that's what you mean.

I also pay, I think, £80 every year for the automatic renewal of Macafee anti-virus protection to keep stupid viruses At length but hey.

Turbohot

I'm getting suspicious now as to how come it's showing 'your Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable'?? Who has put my laptop on their network without asking me? Could it be the shared internet supply provision that has caused it? Does the 'network' mean the shared Internet supply? If so, again, I'll have to wait until our I.T. man who looks after our internet communications supply comes back from his Sick.

Turbohot

Riiidaa, your post with you informing me that the 'your Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable' is related to my laptop being on some network has been really helpful. I think I should sleep on it, and work out the next steps tomorrow on. Please continue to enlighten whenever convenient. Many thanks to you.

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

well, the thing is, windows has restore points, and sometimes you can use them to go back to the point before problems began, BUT, it's like going back in time so files n emails you've worked on or got since that point would cease to exist (unless you use your noddle and copy them to cd, dvd or other drive of course before you take such s plunge

it's AN option, don't race to it tho

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

pm me your number, we'll have a chat when i'm a bit more awake

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

your 'shared internet' port, is a network btw, so don't fret too much

Turbohot

That's great, riiidaa. Will do.

Thank you for this information. Makes it much clearer now.

Turbohot

I'm in the office room (away for my home location) now. I found one option on internet i.e. turn Firewall off for 15 mins and back on, as it worked for some. It showed up their lost printer again, and got rid of that wretched 'Active Directory' message. I gave this a shot. Alas, it didn't work for me.

About 'network', let me clarify that this laptop, unlike some other work laptops of mine isn't set for a certain network. I use it at home and on tours wireless and at my work places as I wish. I simply have a provision for the internet in this particular office room via an Ethernet connection. I do not require a wireless connection here.

At some of my work places where my laptop doesn't connect to internet even with the Ethernet connection, as it hasn't been set up to connect to their secure internet connection. I have to use other laptops that are.

This laptop is factory set as a Windows laptop. I switch it on with my own password, and that's about it. when I come in this office, I simply connect the laptop to internet with Ethernet, and/or to my printer via USB connection; if required.

I have also tried to print when the internet cable was unplugged, and only the printer was connected to my laptop with a USB connection. It still isn't connected to any router or wireless atm), but same issue. That stupid 'Your Active Directory......' message carries on, doing my head in.

So, what I don't get it is that how come my laptop is on any other network than the Microsoft one, when it hasn't been even connected to the office internet network (Ethernet cable unplugged), and still shows the same stupid 'Active Directory' bull$h1t message???

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

ok, gotca

need your number, pm me, i have visitors coming so right now is good

Turbohot

Ok, riiidaa. I'll do it now.