Thank you very much for your help over the telephone, riiidaa. I shall do what you have suggested, and get back to you with the result. I will try uninstalling and re-installing my printer, as you suggest. :)

any joy?

Nope, no luck, riiidaa.

That printer icon with 'driver unavailable' wouldn't get deleted, no matter I repeatedly I try.

Do you think I should get on to the hp website and download (or whatever you call it) the printer driver again? I don't think that will help, as we tried it the other night.

not yet, on your laptop's inbuilt search function of win8, just go to Devices and Printers, and then Add a Printer, and while it's searching plug the usb lead from the hp printer in...

it may automatically work out what printer it is and grab the right driver, providing the laptop is connected to the internet at the time

Done that, riiidaa. Did it the other night as well. It comes up with 'USB lead not connected' while it is definitely connected as well as it should be.

I now think that it could be the lead, but it may not be, as if it's the lead, it should be saying that 'the printer is offline' or 'not connected', when I try printing. It shouldn't be saying 'No pronter installed' and then giving me that 'Active Directory' nonsense. Honestly, I'm losing my patience now. I think I need to have a break and have a cup of tea or something. :mad:

LOL :D

yeah i went away from my pc for a comfort break and it too dawned on me your usb lead may be broken...

but, i think you do need to install the printer again cos we removed it from 'devices and printers' although you do have that ghost one that couldn't be removed...

i know you can't get the buildings wifi in the short term cos the guy with the wifi password is off sick but if you're desperate to get printing done then you could try this work around:

with your smart phone create a personal hotspot, then with the wifi key it generates or allows you to set.

1. Get your laptop to connect to said personal hotspot
2. get the printer to connect to said personal hotspot

Ok, before I do the hotspot business (my iPhone has it on), I will stick the printer's software CD in the laptop, run it and follow the instructions; in order to re-install it.

Just to let you know that I ran the authentic 'hp Print and Scan Doctor software' (I have it on my computer with the courtesy of hp) with the hope to fix the problem. it said that my printer driver wasn't fully installed. The hp Print and Scan Doctor tried installing it twice but the installation failed. It could have been due to we taking the pervious one off, I think. Anyway, I will try putting it back on via the CD.

Let's see what happens.

riiidaa, I have run the software CD/DVD once again, in order to re-install the printer, but it only goes as far as me wanting to connect it via a USB cable, and then provides me with no option, but to go BACK. when I click in a little box, meaning, 'hey, carry on installing without having to connect the USB lead', offers me SKIP option and then it comes up with a FINISH message. This FINISH message contains: ' The software has been installed successfully. However, your new HP printer (which it isn't, we know that, but it is, because we have re-installed it) has not yet been fully connected to your computer (we know that, too. How can it, as we disconnected the USB due to the software giving us no option but to go BACK). Then it says: On the Windows 8 Start screen launch the HP printer software. I don't even know where the Start thingy is, on this Windows 8 laptop with stupid tiles etc.. Then it says: click the utilities menu. Then it tells to: Click Printer set up and Software.

I wonder if you could tell me where this Start screen is, to begin with, or shall I just search for it? Thank you, riiidaa. :)

Right, I reckon the 4 tiled icon is the Start button for Start screen on this laptop. It's located on the bottom left. I went into Programmes and Features and I found a couple of HP updates, HP Help and my printer's Basic Device software still hanging about there. So, the printer that we removed from the Control Panel isn't really fully gone, by the look of it. Do you think I should uninstall these things, in order to re-install the printer via its DVD/CD software again?

You see, I tried 'repairing' (I didn't touch 'change' on 'uninstall' at all) the Basic Device, and the messages I got were 'Error 1722. Failed to add Port Monitor HP Discovery Port Monitor (HP Office Pro 8600)' and eventually, 'Fatal Error during installation'.

What's all that about? :wonder:

Do you think I should try to uninstall everything to do with my HP, and then start from scratch again?

Something else to put into your notice that when I connected this printer to another independent Windows 7 laptop (it was knocking about as a reject in my house as my daughter's A Levels/Uni assisting one), it still comes up with that 'Active Directory...' message. That laptop never has been to this office, and it has nothing to do with any network. Doesn't that kinda support the doubt that it could be the Windows messing about? :confused: Only one benefit of doubt. This HP printer isn't methodically installed on that old laptop, but that laptop should have automatically recognised it via the Directory, at least.

yes use the search thing in windows 8 for finding those things...

this poxy lead;
unplug the lead from back of printer and refit it, ensuring it slots home nicely

hey, do you always plug this lead into the same usb port on your laptop? try it in a different one and see if things spring into life (audible noise followed by FOUND NEW HARDWARE type messages)

I just found on the tinterbet that:



1722 Error Code is caused in one way or another by misconfigured system files in your windows operating system.

Meaning of "Error 1722"

"Error 1722" is the error name that contains the details of the error, including why it occurred, which system component or application malfunctioned to cause this error along with some other information. The numerical code in the error name contains data that can be deciphered by the manufacturer of the component or application that malfunctioned. The error using this code may occur in many different locations within the system, so even though it carries some details in its name, it is still difficult for a user to pinpoint and fix the error cause without specific technical knowledge or appropriate software.

Now, it does look like a fekk up by the Windows, doesn't it?

hmm just read your most recent post, submitted while i was replying to post #40

might be time to call hp printer support number

that offer sounds like $bs

if it was direct from hp it wouldnt charge you 'le monies'

Well, tbh I didn't even know what they were, or if they existed at all. Now I've seen that they exist, and where exactly they are, and as that 'Programmes and Features' offers the option of uninstalling them, I can get shut of them there and then, I suppose?

Done about 4 times, riiidaa. No change.

Yes, and I have tried changing the USB port location (I mean, I used a different USB port) about 6 times since the day it became non-responsive, riidaa. No change.

You know, I deleted that offer, because I'm not buying anything like that on the internet, no chance. I don't want any more virus on my laptop. I think I need to put a stop now, divert my attention to something much more rewarding and relaxing, wake up fresh with a clear mind tomorrow, and start with another strategy to sort it. :)

Yeah, will do tomorrow, riiidaa. I'm done with it for now, I reckon. Have a relaxing evening. You have been a great support with all the options you have provided in order to help me, and for being there throughout. :top:

Throw the hp out the window , get a cannon , job done

No.

You know why, though? :)

It's because how often will I have to keep throwing my perfectly good printers away because Windows start to reject them as soon as they fekk up their own code or upgrade themselves, eh? I've had it twice before, and gave away my last two printers to others with brand new unopened back up cartridges and all! Last time it put me on a whitey when someone was waiting in my room for their final report, and 8.1 upgrade decided not to recognise my printer. Come on.

I remember everyone then was slagging off my Lexmark for not having good enough/modern drivers to be compatible to Windows 8.1, but now I can see that it's the Windows that piss about, not the printers.

I'll ring HP tomorrow and then I do know that I may have to contact Microsoft to$$ers to get their stupid 'Directory' fixed.

Right, I rang HP yesterday from home and they suggested to uninstall all HP stuff from Programmes and Features, and re-load/re-download/re-install the driver via the printer CD or by getting the driver from HP website. I uninstalled stuff yesterday, and I tried re-installation via the printer's CD this morning. It failed the installation and gave me an app via Internet to run it. When I tried running it, it said: 'Your PC can't run this app. Contact the software provider'. So, thinking that it could be the pc/laptop issue due to some silly, pending upgrade, I rang up Toshiba. They've been at it for last 90 minutes. Let's see what happens. It's like watching the paint dry! :rolleyes:

what about using phone as wifi hotspot temporarily , link laptop and printer

mind you its apple phone :Suspiciou

could be impossible

I already suggested this and it's far from impossible

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...%2004%2035.png

I know, I know! I'm aware of this hot pot business, and that's what I have been using meanwhile. I wasn't born yesterday, you know, dee pee bee! :mad: :D but I still need to get it sorted.

So, the summary of today has been that Toshiba tech doctor called Ronaldo was at it from 12:30 pm to 7:30 pm, and it's still not resolved. What he's doing is that after doing millions of Imitation Game sort of codes, he's downloading Windows 10 first, and after that's been done, he's going to re-install my printer on it.

By the way, he was no Ronaldo. He is some Rohit or Roshan Lal from some HP Indian call centre, but he was awfully helpful. Let's see if he fixes it all for me.

riiidaa, Ronaldo said it's a laptop software problem, caused by the Windows mucking about with coding or whatever.

Let's see what happens.

Right. After 3 days/23 hours faffing about, the Toshiba sorted my laptop-printer synch. According to them, one of the Windows components got corrupted by the fault of the Windows itself. Mr. Roshan Lal eventually fixed it, hurray! Then he successfully re-installed the printer driver. He was hopelessly trying to download Windows 10 as well but eventually worked out that it happens in batches, so I'll just have to wait for it. Now, if the Windows 10 download 'to be' ends up rejecting the printer again, I'll have to call Roshan again to sort it for me.

Stupid Windows. Anyway, all's well for now, as it has ended well. :)

Im not going to bother updating windows 10 ,from 7 pro

Yeah, don't bother. If you do, you'll have to go out and get a new printer, and you're Scrooge as it is. :D

I can ( also) print off my windows tablet ( when they deliver the replacement for the one that went wrong ) this has windows 8.1 , but could also have windows 10 :p

Can print off phone but not off blackberry playbook . So i emai invoices from playbook to phone .

Suits me , dont even know why bother with laptop or windows tab - both too much bother

Very good, but what I'm saying is that don't have Windows 10, even when you can. Anyone can, if they like.:D That's because it may reject your precious Canon printer after the Windows upgrade, then you'll be crying. :D

I did in fact upgrade to windows 10 on tab briefly decided just didn't like it so went back to 8.1
Must admit didn't even attempt the printing