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Author Topic: Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7  (Read 3687 times)

walter.sk

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« on: July 03, 2010, 08:36:54 pm »

I checked the HP website and found that the Z3100PS GP is on their list for upgrades for Windows 7, supposedly in June, 2010.  I searched the software downloads and found only 3:  HP Instant Printing Utility (June 10, 2010), HP Printer Utility (May ?, 2010) and presets for banner paper.  I also found a statement to the effect that HP and Microsoft have collaborated on new drivers for the DesignJet printers, and that these are included in the Windows Update feature.

1) What the heck is HP Instant Printing Utility?  Does it supplant the Printer Utility?

2)  Is there supposed to be a firmware upgrade, or specific driver upgrade?

3) If it is included in the Windows Update feature, I was unable to find a reference to the DesignJet Z3100 by searching the Microsoft website, other than an article referring to a photographer who uses the Z3100.  Are the new drivers embedded in the MS Windows Upgrades, without being referenced in the name of the upgrades?

What do we do?  I've been using the Vista driver and there are some problems, although I am able to print from Qimage.
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billbunton

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2010, 07:12:51 am »

I hope to be proven wrong, but I've pretty much concluded that, once again, I've been royally flushed by HP.  I was reticent to buy the Z3100 based purely on past history with HP, but they seemed like they were going to really support the Z3100 (both software and hardware upgrades/updates).

I don't know exactly what the HP instant printing utility is; they wanted me to take a survey about how well it fit my needs before they'd tell me what it was.  They were supposed to provide Win7/64-bit drivers (as you noted, by June 2010), and haven't; who knows if they ever will.  I've found nothing in Windows update, though I suppose it's possible there might be if the printer was directly attached to the computer rather than sitting in another room plugged in to a network cable.  But I haven't seen any print driver upgrades at all, whether or not they reference the Z3100.
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jasdown

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« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2010, 08:19:24 am »

Quote from: walter.sk
1) What the heck is HP Instant Printing Utility?  Does it supplant the Printer Utility?

I briefly tried the HP Instant Printing utility. It is designed to be a very basic "no-brainer" type app where you can effortlessly drag and drop JPG, TIF or PDF files onto a depiction icon of a virtual Z printer (3100 or 3200), choose "profile" or "landscape", and I believe 1 of three quality settings (e.g., "fast" or "best" and one other that escapes me at the moment), and print away.
It seems to be designed with a nod to the Designjet's legacy as an engineer's reprographic tool and, perhaps, a multi-user printer on a network (as opposed to a photographer's output device).

It's sort of neat because the user is not required to own any applications (like Photoshop or Acrobat) that typically open such files in order to print them out. Also, the "Instant" Utility can still interface with the HP drivers to further tweak the settings beyond the basic "fast" or "best" outputs. But, no, it is not designed to supplant the traditional Printer Utility.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2010, 08:45:43 am by jasdown »
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chez

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2010, 02:05:01 pm »

So with little response here do I take it that most people are not using win7 with the Z3100 printer?

I find this totally unacceptable from HP.

Any other ideas or solutions of how to get the printer fully functional on Win7 would be really appreciated.
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mcbroomf

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2010, 03:56:07 pm »

There's a workaround to get the Vista 64b driver working...I use Qimage and its been fine

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=44305

See the link I put in the 2nd post.
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Sunny Kelly

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2010, 11:07:43 am »

I just came across this, looking to see if the Win7 driver was available, the link follows. I am afraid to do anything unless I am sure it is legit.
http://bstdownload.com/reviews/hp-designje...-series-driver/
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walter.sk

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2010, 01:52:36 pm »

Quote from: Sunny Kelly
I just came across this, looking to see if the Win7 driver was available, the link follows. I am afraid to do anything unless I am sure it is legit.
http://bstdownload.com/reviews/hp-designje...-series-driver/
I just checked out your link.  For Windows 7, there is no download.  There is still nothing new on the HP website, either.  I'm still using the Vista driver, with mixed success.  It is beginning to look as if HP is not going to upgrade the Z3100 drivers for Windows 7.
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Roscolo

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2010, 02:53:14 pm »

Quote from: walter.sk
I just checked out your link.  For Windows 7, there is no download.  There is still nothing new on the HP website, either.  I'm still using the Vista driver, with mixed success.  It is beginning to look as if HP is not going to upgrade the Z3100 drivers for Windows 7.

Like most, HP likely waits for kinks to be worked out with Windows 7 or any other new OS before updating. I would say be prepared to wait anywhere from 6-18 months with any manufacturer of anything before getting new drivers for a new OS. Not saying it will necessarily take that long, but Microsoft is notorious for releasing beta versions of Windows as final versions to get your $$$, then they come along in a few months when all the problems pop up with updates and fixes and Service packs and that can just muck things up again. This is why so many of us multi-boot many OS's and one of those OS's you multi-boot should definitely be XP just for this reason. I still use great equipment (some SCSI)  that I guarantee if I jumped on a new OS and expected those manufacturers to be updating their drivers, I would be SOL and still waiting 'til the cows come home! Instead I just boot into XP Pro and everything works fabulously.

Very reasonably (uh, cheap!)  program I highly recommend to multi-boot as many OS's as you want clean and easy, to ALWAYS have your computer bootable no matter the situation, (even a completely destroyed HD), not to mention the best way I've ever seen to back up everything: BootIt NG http://www.terabyteunlimited.com

Easier than waiting on manufacturers to respond to Microsoft's every whim!



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Sunny Kelly

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2010, 03:48:19 pm »

Thanks for looking. It just didn't seem right when the HP site still said "June". I am having trouble with the utility, not being able to profile paper. I too am using the Vista version and for the most part not much or many issues. Just aggravating things already mentioned.
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chez

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« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2010, 04:10:14 pm »

Roscolo, that is a pile of BS. They have WIN7 drivers for the Z3200, Z2100 and the lowly Designjet 130. They just don't give a rat's ass about the Z3100 since the Z3200 replaced it. It has nothing to do with Microsoft...it has everything to do with HP.

Quote from: Roscolo
Like most, HP likely waits for kinks to be worked out with Windows 7 or any other new OS before updating. I would say be prepared to wait anywhere from 6-18 months with any manufacturer of anything before getting new drivers for a new OS. Not saying it will necessarily take that long, but Microsoft is notorious for releasing beta versions of Windows as final versions to get your $$$, then they come along in a few months when all the problems pop up with updates and fixes and Service packs and that can just muck things up again. This is why so many of us multi-boot many OS's and one of those OS's you multi-boot should definitely be XP just for this reason. I still use great equipment (some SCSI)  that I guarantee if I jumped on a new OS and expected those manufacturers to be updating their drivers, I would be SOL and still waiting 'til the cows come home! Instead I just boot into XP Pro and everything works fabulously.

Very reasonably (uh, cheap!)  program I highly recommend to multi-boot as many OS's as you want clean and easy, to ALWAYS have your computer bootable no matter the situation, (even a completely destroyed HD), not to mention the best way I've ever seen to back up everything: BootIt NG http://www.terabyteunlimited.com

Easier than waiting on manufacturers to respond to Microsoft's every whim!
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John.Murray

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2010, 04:47:51 pm »

I agree that the characterization of Microsoft and Windows releases is inaccurate and grossly misstated.  If anything, it's MS attempt at backward application support that has caused much of it's pain.  

Back to topic; perhaps the best solution is for us all to submit a support request with HP:

http://www11.itrc.hp.com/service/mcm/count...53475&cc=us

You'll need an HP profile to submit a ticket.  In mine, I specifically asked for Windows 7 23 and 64 bit drivers . . . .
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Roscolo

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Z3100 drivers, firmware for Windows7
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2010, 01:03:15 am »

Quote from: chez
Roscolo, that is a pile of BS. They have WIN7 drivers for the Z3200, Z2100 and the lowly Designjet 130. They just don't give a rat's ass about the Z3100 since the Z3200 replaced it. It has nothing to do with Microsoft...it has everything to do with HP.

Read my advice about multi-booting OS. My point wasn't to defend HP, or slam Microsoft, or any other manufacturer who doesn't issue drivers for every piece of hardware for every version of every OS. My point was more to offer a really cheap, insanely easy solution (BootIt NG, there are a few others, I love BootIt NG,...it is the best in my opinion) so even when a manufacturer doesn't "give a rat's ass" about offering drivers for WHATEVER piece of equipment you may have purchased in the past, it literally won't affect you in the least. BootIt NG installs in a few minutes and makes running XP, Windows 7, 32 bit and 64 bit OS's, Linux, and up to 200 different OS's on the same computer a breeze. Has saved me on more than one occasion when I had hard drive failure or boot problems with an OS.

Or you can wait around and complain on the web. I know which solution is faster and easier. The choice, however, is yours.
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