Can not close printer wizard, cannot open other programs

[Seastar]

Running Windows XP on an iMac with Parallels 5.0. Was trying to add a printer driver with the printer wizard when at the end of that process Windows XP locked up. I am unable to close that window and am not able to run any other programs. I am able to quit XP and quit Parallels then reopen; however the locked wizard cannot be closed.

[jkolak]

That is quite interesting that the wizard remains open after quitting XP and Parallels. Parallels must be saving a snapshot of the machine state upon exit. You might check your Parallels options and see if you can turn off snapshot saving on exit.

Also, with XP running, open the Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) and terminate the wizard.

Be aware also that many printers use a custom install CD rather than the Add Printer wizard.

[Seastar]

I logged in as another user, deleted the printer then restored  to a point at the start of today. That corrected the problem and I am now happily back to where I began. I was using the HP CD for my HP Laserwriter 4600dn and must have fracked something up. A printer was already installed (HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS) and it seems to work OK.

Trying to add a printer now anyway so as to figure out how to do this. The wizard says it does not detect any plug & play printers even though it is on my LAN nor do any printers show up when selecting look for a network printer.

Any suggestions?

[jkolak]

So do I understand that you have the HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS installed and it is working well, but that you cannot get the HP Color Laserwriter 4600dn to install and work?

Is either of these connected directly to your Mac? Or are they both on the LAN?

If they are on the LAN there are multiple issues to address. I'm really straining my memory to remember what issues I had when having problems with multiple OS's on my LAN. Someone might correct me on this, but it seems, for example, when Vista tells me I can't print to a printer attached to an XP machine on the LAN, that the problem is in the driver installed on the machine hosting the printer, not on the machine that you created the document on.

Secondly, in dealing with a LAN trying to integrate a PC with Macs, there are multiple issues involved. You can read about it more here and possibly find some solutions:

http://tinyurl.com/ybgaxeq

You might find it easier to configure Parallels to share a folder on the Mac partition, save your work there, and then print it with the Mac application. Alternatively, use a "tennis shoe net" by saving your file to a thumb drive and take it to the print server.

[Seastar]

A driver already existed for a HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS and it happens to work OK with a my HP Color LaserJet 4600dn.  I was only trying to install the correct driver for the 4600dn.

I was also attempting to install drivers for Labelwriters to see if UPS labels I am printing on the iMac could  be formated any better. Printing UPS labels were printing small and not filling up a 4x6 to it's edges.

All these drivers are now deleted and I am aprehensive about trying again. You know the saying let sleeping dogs lie.

[jkolak]

I see. It's hard to say what caused the initial problem. Why would the Laserjet driver work okay, and the Laserwriter not? Virtualization is not perfect either, and it could be a factor here.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try one more time, and if it doesn't work, just remove the bad drivers again. Start with the UPS label printer. If successful, try the Laserwriter again. If it hangs again, you might have to be satisfied with the working, if not correct, Laserjet driver.

[Seastar]

Thanks!

[jkolak]

My pleasure. Best of luck with your computing.