Here's the fix:
* First uninstall your current HP installation.*
Step one: Uninstall the printer driver and software
1.
Disconnect the universal serial bus (USB) cable from the computer.
2.
Insert the printer software CD into the computer.
3.
A prompt to uninstall the software displays. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the software.
4.
Restart the computer.
Step two: Turn off the Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs and other background programs
When the computer is turned on, a software group called the Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs automatically loads. These programs activate some of the computer utilities such as the anti-virus software but are not required for the computer to function. Occasionally, TSRs prevent the printer software from loading so that it does not install properly.
In Microsoft Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows XP, use the MSCONFIG utility to prevent TSR programs and services from starting up.
1. Click Start and then click Run. The Run window opens.
2. In the Open: box, type msconfig, and then click OK. The MSCONFIG utility window opens.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Select Selective Startup.
5. If there is a check mark next to Load Startup items, click the check mark to remove it.
6. For Windows XP systems only - Click the Services tab and place a check mark in the Hide All Microsoft Services box. Select Disable All.
7. Click Apply and then click Close.
8. Click Restart to restart the computer.
Unplug your USB printer cable and reinstall. That's it!
Visit the
HP Help Documentation Page for this error.
Here's the text from their page in case the URL for this changes:
Issue
The printer software installation stops and the Printer Driver Unknown error message displays on the computer. This document applies only to products connected with a USB cable.
Figure 1: Printer Driver Unknown error message
Solution: Follow the steps below to resolve this issue.
NOTE: These instructions do not apply to Windows 2000 because the MSCONFIG utility used in Step two does not exist in Windows 2000.
Step one: Uninstall the printer driver and software
1.
Disconnect the universal serial bus (USB) cable from the computer.
2.
Insert the printer software CD into the computer.
3.
A prompt to uninstall the software displays. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the software.
4.
Restart the computer.
Step two: Turn off the Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs and other background programs
When the computer is turned on, a software group called the Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs automatically loads. These programs activate some of the computer utilities such as the anti-virus software but are not required for the computer to function. Occasionally, TSRs prevent the printer software from loading so that it does not install properly.
In Microsoft Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows XP, use the MSCONFIG utility to prevent TSR programs and services from starting up.
NOTE: This step does not apply to Windows 2000 because the MSCONFIG utility does not exist in Windows 2000.
1.
Click Start and then click Run. The Run window opens.
2.
In the Open: box, type msconfig, and then click OK. The MSCONFIG utility window opens.
3.
Click the General tab.
4.
Select Selective Startup.
5.
If there is a check mark next to Load Startup items, click the check mark to remove it.
6.
For Windows XP systems only - Click the Services tab and place a check mark in the Hide All Microsoft Services box. Select Disable All.
7.
Click Apply and then click Close.
8.
Click Restart to restart the computer.
Step three: Install the product software
Listed below are several options for installing the product software. If the product software CD is not available, HP recommends downloading and installing the product software from the HP Website at www.hp.com.
Method one: Install the product software from the CD
1.
If the product software CD is still in the computer CD drive, remove it and re-insert it in the CD drive.
2.
If the software installation does not start automatically, follow the steps below.
1.
Click Start and then click Run. The Run window opens.
2.
In the Open: box, type D:\setup.exe, where D is the letter of the CD-ROM drive.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the software installation.
Method two: Download the software from hp.com
1.
Go to www.hp.com and click Software and driver downloads.
2.
Type the model number of your product in the Search box.
3.
Select the operating system of the computer to which the device is connected.
4.
Click the downloaded software to start the software installer.
5.
Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
Step four: Use the MSCONFIG utility to enable the Startup software
1.
Click Start and then click Run. The Run window opens.
2.
In the Open: box, type MSCONFIG and then click OK to start the MSCONFIG utility.
3.
On the General tab, select Normal Startup to automatically enable all features the next time the computer is started. In Windows XP, click the Services tab and select Enable All.
4.
Click Apply and then click Close.
5.
Click Restart to apply the changes to the computer.
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