Windows 7: HP Photosmart Driver

Hi I could not print with my HP photosmart on windows 7. HP have a driver now, so I plugged in the printer and started trouble shoot, it fixed it, and now I can print directly onto DVD CDs. I had previously asked HP to let me know when a driver was available, but they have not.

Firstly, your problem is not caused by Windows 7.

If you want automatic updates from HP you should have specified that during the software installation and you may need to register with them as well.

Registration means they will e-mail you if any updates are issued, which you'll then need to download and install.

HP Support & Drivers | United Kingdom if you're from the UK.

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/support-drivers.html if you're from the US.

Hi there, it was windows 7 that were not compatible with the printer, as HP had not made any drivers. I registered with HP and they did not want to know, just said there was no drivers at present, and I requested that they informed me if they had a solution.
And now I am out of warranty they will not even speak to me unless I pay them.

I found out about the driver when I went to buy a new printer, the shop gave me a link to download the driver, but I did not need to, I just had to unplug the printer, reconnect it and troubleshot to get the driver installed.

The way I understand the situation, your actual problem has been successfully solved, you're just complaining about the difficulty of solving it, right?

To be fair - there are millions and millions of different printers and other devices out there. HP itself produces more printer models that one would think possible. Therefore it is a bit unrealistic to expect, that any operating system (including Windows 7) will contain support (i.e. generic drivers) for all of those devices.

As far as your printer goes - you said it yourself, HP did not have a driver for Windows 7. I do not understand why people think that this is the problem of the OS or Microsoft's fault. When a new OS comes out it is up to device manufacturers to provide drivers. Naturally they do it on their own schedule and most often they don't make this schedule public.

Basically, all of the above should be taken into consideration *before* you decide to upgrade your OS or buy a new computer (which would likely come with a new OS). Will the new OS be compatible with your printer, scanner, and other devices? It's up to you to find this out (it's not hard, just go to the support page of your device and check out available drivers). Then it's up to you to decide whether it's worth to upgrade the OS.

Finally, if you own a mainstream home printer, then most likely the price of a new model is comparable to the price of the new set of ink cartridges. If you have such problem again in the future, you might want to check out the newer printer models - sometimes it makes sense (there may be a special deal at your friendly retailer) to get a newer printer instead of new cartridges.

That's HP's problem, not Windows 7. HP is notorious for being slow to release drivers for new OSes, and as a former employee of HP, I can tell you it isn't because Microsoft doesn't try working with them. The blame falls squarely on HP...and that's one of the reasons I now use a Kodak printer.

Kodak printers are far more economical with ink too.