Lexmark 7100 printer keeps reinstalling when plugged in

gregrocker · 02 Aug 2014

Friend's XP laptop I upgraded to Win7 here in Germany has a Lexmark X7170 printer which installed fine using its software package (he wants to scan). But the problem is he only wants to plug it in when he uses it, and every time he plugs it in now it tries to reinstall the drivers, making a new copy of the printer in Devices and Printers instead of recognizing the one already installed and set to default.

I have tried turning off Auto Device Installation but that only affects going to Windows Update, so it still scans the PC for drivers to install for a new Copy of the printer every time its plugged in, and for some reason doesn't find the needed drivers in their folder.

Is there a way to resolve this. It is using a Vista software package for this older printer, but it prints and scans fine if we can resolve this issue not present when he had XP.

I'm pretty sure its buggy software. The only version of the 7100 software I could get to work is the English version. Now when I try to delete the only listing in Devices and Printers it gives an Access Denied. I'm going to try reinstalling in recommended Compat Mode.

DavidE · 02 Aug 2014

Check if there are any Lexmark Services that aren't running before the printer is plugged in.
If there are, start the Service(s) before plugging in the printer and see if that helps.

gregrocker · 02 Aug 2014

The Lexmark All-in-One software which was working fine to print and scan was running in the System Tray. But when the USB cable got plugged back in it was ignored and starting auto-installing a new Copy1 of Printer in Device Manager, not finding all the drivers.

Right now I am struggling through trying to install Vista driver in Vista mode and XP driver in XP mode, fighting a buggy Uninstaller on this old hardware. Not a great way to spend my vacation.

Update: It is now working correctly after Vista driver reinstall in Vista Compatibility mode. This seems to solve the problem because no matter which USB port the printer is plugged back into the software in System Tray recognizes it and comes back to life to print or scan.

A thread complaining about this behavior in Vista was never resolved, and I can't intuit how exactly Vista compat mode would do it since it makes it more like Vista. But another thread said the Vista driver for this model needed Vista Compat mode.

gregrocker · 03 Aug 2014

After rebooting today the Lexmark All In One software disappears from tray and printer is not recognized when plugged back in, installs a second copy in Devices and Printers, supposedly loads all drivers but has no communication to the printer when attempting to print or scan.

Installing the XP driver in Compat mode went nowhere. The only workaround I've found if it creates a second copy is to unplug the printer until prompted, install the Vista printer software over the old, choose "Install a new copy" as opposed to "Update driver" which doesn't work, and then it overwrites the old software and sets it up as new. Groundhog day.

Hopefully someone will find this with a solution as my time in Berlin has run out.

TVeblen · 03 Aug 2014

It sounds to me like a bad printer Greg.

Windows creates a new registry entry for the printer when it first gets discovered and is (supposed to be) uniquely identified there. Installed drivers are pointed toward that device and that key. If Windows sees the device as a new device every time it is plugged in then there is a communication breakdown somewhere. Either the printer is not identifying itself or Windows has a major error (doubtful).

Clues might be found by looking up the hardware ID in the device properties on each new "installation".

What happens if he does not disconnect the printer? Does everything stay as is on a cold or warm boot?

(You went there to vacate! You should be vacating!! Priorities man!)