Hi all,

I asked this in the older "Another Z3100 Firmware Update" thread, but I think it got buried.

After upgrading to the latest firmware, and after synchronizing the paper types as prompted by HP Easy Printer Care, when I attempt to access the printer properties, I get a fault popup and cannot get to the properties set up screens.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the printer driver several times with the requisite computer reboots. I did the same with the HP Easy Printer Care. I am on Win XP Pro SP2.

The bottom line is that all my custom paper types (with calibrations) that are on the printer cannot make it to the printer driver and therefore cannot be selected as a paper type. I can make new ones, which is what I've done once so far, but I really would like to save the paper needed for calibrating new papers.

Anyone else with this issue? I'll wait to hear if anyone here has a solution before I call HP support.

Thanks,
Jim

You are using Windows and this is a know (annoying) bug. I reported it long time ago and HP is working on it.

You have to reinstall the drivers. Search this forum for more info. This was reason enough for me to switch to Mac.

Uwe

Hi Uwe,

Thanks for your response. I did not have this problem until the latest firmware update last week. As I stated in my previous post I have tried reinstalling the Z3100 driver several times with the same result.

I'll search a bit more on this forum, but it appears to be a new issue with this firmware.

Thanks again,
Jim



You are using Windows and this is a know (annoying) bug. I reported it long time ago and HP is working on it.

You have to reinstall the drivers. Search this forum for more info. This was reason enough for me to switch to Mac.

Uwe

[/quote]

Jim,

If you find a fix, please update the Wiki accordingly (address below).

Will do.

Jim

Just spent about an hour or so on the phone with Chuck at HP support to try and diagnose the paper sync issue. He had not had a report of the new firmware/paper sync issue yet.

We ended up reinstalling the previous version of the firmware, reinstalling the HP Easy Care Software and the Color Center Software. The problem went away.

I'm still not exactly sure if it was a problem with the firmware or corrupted Color Center software. I had never reinstalled the Color Center software during all the uninstall and reinstalls as I was under the impression that the Color Center installed with the Easy Care Software. I never noticed that there was a separate download for the Color Center software on the HP support site. My bad! We had already done the firmware install before I found that out.

If I get the urge to experiment, I may upgrade the firmware again and see what happens. Or, most likely, I will await the next firmware which is not too far away. I can do without the two new paper definitions in the new firmware for now.

Anyway, all is working well and Chuck was a pleasure to work with. He seems to be the best trained guy on the Z3100 in the BC, Canada tech center. Athough his experience with the Z3100 is still a bit limited, he has plenty with the other LF printers in the HP lineup so he can sometimes extrapolate. If you need help with anything, and your call is routed to BC, ask for him. He may not know the answer right away, but he'll do his best to find a solution. He was going to fire off an email to the frmware development guys in Boise (I think) to make sure they were aware of the issue.

I'll post any other updates.

Jim

Well, at least someone in a country other than the US had a positive experience with HP tech support on software. As I previously posted, the software tech support for HP in the US was rude, arrogant, entirely non-responsive and didn't have a clue. And that was from a SUPERVISOR. Read my other posting for the astonishing statements made by an HP SUPERVISOR and his assertions that the interaction of the HP software with the windows operating system is not an issue that should be or will be addressed by HP. Despite that fact that HP has hundreds of postings on their web site that cover exactly those topics.

Sean had a similar experience, although I don't know if he is dealing with US tech support.

The tech support for the APS, by contrast, was very courteous, professional and responsive. APS tech support flatly told me that there are no confirmed plans to upgrade the APS to correct the issue of it not working on papers less than 24" wide with the largest target. (Based upon that, I continue to recommend that no one shuld invest $700 in the software until and if the problem is fixed. See posting on that.)

Robert (Panascape) said that this report, even if delivered promptly and in a professional fashion, is just plain wrong! So my best experience with HP tech support is that when it is professional and courteous it is also inaccurate. Go figure.

Robert, any news on when or if revisions/upgrades to the APS software might be released? (I do realize that these things take time, I'm must curious, and assume that HP still intends to fix the problem.)

I did upgrade to the new firmware on Windows XP and did not have problems requiring reinstall of the software or drivers. See my thread on the software. I suspect that there is some other issue that causes this problem for some windows PCs but not all. I listed some of my theories in that posting.

The only issue I've had is errors when too many page sizes are listed under custom. As previously reported, if you delete some of those, the driver works OK even after errors, and doesn't have to be reinstalled.

What I've done is to create a page size called TO MODIFY. I then change that one page size over and over for any unique custom sizes, and thereby don't create new page sizes. That works.

But it would be nice if HP would fix these problems. They haven't issue a new driver since the original release in December.

It is time for them to turn their attention to the software issues in addition to the firmware.

Of course, why should they -- with supervisors stating that the interaction of the driver and software with Windows and operating system is not their problem and not the responsibility of HP?

An obvious and self-evident recommendation to HP -- reprimand supervisors who make such astonishing statements.

Marty,

I live in Arizona and when I call the support number I get someone in Canada...go figure. Maybe the western US is supported by these guys near Vancouver.

Jim


[quote=marty m,Mar 30 2007, 07:58 PM]
Well, at least someone in a country other than the US had a positive experience with HP tech support on software.