Mac Software Update/HP Drivers: PS driver for Z3100 no longer an option

[Colorwave]

I'm still sorting through my problems created by foolishly letting Software Update load new HP drivers on my system.  I have a 44" Z3100ps that I was hoping HP might have improved by getting rid of a few annoying bugs in the printer driver.  Wrong.

For starters, it seems like they have removed the PS driver for the Z3100, as the update removed it as an option.  I decided I'd see what the PCL3 driver was like, if it might be a viable option, so I reinstalled my printer with that driver (the previous installation was already voided by the PPD being removed anyway).  When I went to print from Photoshop, I noticed that the HP portion of the interface was radically different.  If anything, it now seems more cumbersome and poorly laid out.  Most troubling, though, is that I couldn't find a setting for the gloss enhancer anywhere.  I had a matte paper loaded, so perhaps it is now smart enough to hide that choice, I thought.  I told it to print, and after ten minutes of grinding away, I got an error message saying:  "Unable to send trailing null to printer.  Broken pipe."

Deciding that I should just return to my old driver setup, I tried reinstalling it with Time Machine.  When I went to print again, I got an error message saying that printer software was missing, even though the Z3100 postscript driver was installed.

I then decided to download the software from HP, and as you might expect, they haven't updated their site with the new software yet, so I thought I was good.  I first tried uninstalling the new drivers, but the uninstaller only saw my LaserJet software.  I installed the old software over the rest, and when I went to choose a new printer, it saw the correct PPD/driver. 

Telling it to print this time, though, brought up the new interface, even though it was using the old driver (according to System Preferences).  I tried printing, and the dialogue box said it was connected to the printer, but it never spooled the file.

I'm still trying to get back to where I was, with the known problems, instead of a whole new set of problems.  As usual, I'm kicking myself for trusting HP's software division again.  If you venture into the new updates, be very careful.

-Ron

[Mark D Segal]

I sympathize with you. After three printers and two scanners from Hewlett-Packard, never again. Their software and firmware are dreadful and as far as I'm concerned, deal-breakers for buying anything they make. I'm sure lots of people will come back here hollering that it's all fine and I'm full of *....*, but I'm just relating my experience over 10 years and five pieces of HP equipment, NOT bottom of the line stuff. All that said, whenever I have gotten into trouble with HP software that became unresolvable on my own efforts, I phoned their tech support, usually located in service centers in the Philippines or elsewhere. They have been excellent - polite, knowledgeable and concerned to make sure the problem is solved before they let you off the phone line. I recall for one particular uninstall and reinstall, the steps needed to disembowel all their garbage from all over my computer, by the time it was all done, and the new install and testing of a shaken-down driver they don't put on their website, it was well over an hour of time, but they were patient and friendly through the whole process. So there is hope. Give them a call.

[Ernst Dinkla]

With 22 years working with computers I stick to some rules here:

a major OS upgrade will always be installed on a new computer system that slowly replaces the old one
have more computers that can do the job
never be an early adopter
never change a winning team

in that order of importance.

Windows here, Qimage to print from, + HP printers. With the above approach software is usually not the thing that gives me stress, hardware could like in the past but it isn't happening with the HPs that I have.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst


New: Spectral plots of +250 inkjet papers:

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

[deanwork]

I agree with Ernst. I've had more trouble with Mac OS updates and Epson printers not having the drivers ready than I ever did on my HP on a PC with QImage. And I'd also agree that I'd trade a few software update glitches for the endless headaches of hardware cloggs and defective ink carts anyday.

[Colorwave]

Well, my problem was ultimately rectified with a permissions repair that produced at least 300 HP related items in the report that were fixed by it.  The list just kept scrolling.

I'm finally back with my familiar bugs and annoyances, but able to print again.  I think HP's website is a microcosm of how efficiently they handle bits and bytes, and their support for the Mac platform could not be more half hearted and begrudging.

[Clearair]

I clone my OS and apps from their partioned bit on the HD to a small external firewire HD.
I keep it about a month behind the active OS on ANY updates.

Works.

regards