Errors when installing ANY printer driver

Question

Windows 7 Home Premium SP1.  When installing any printer driver the driver install fails with, "Unable to install printer.  Some Driver Files are missing or incorrect.  Reinstall the driver to try using the latest version."

This happens when trying to install any printer driver.  Tried installing an HP LJ4 on LPT1, tried installing HP Desktop software, tried installing XPS Prnter driver via New Local Printer method and selecting "XPSPort" Microsoft/ XPS Document Writer Version 6.1.7601.17514 (also tried an older verison of this driver)

CutePDF driver install also fails in the same way.

Install of other (non-printer) drivers and software works fine.  New camera was connected and installed for instance.

MS Security Essentials was installed and a system scan was run.

Event-viewer doesn't record any events when this error happens so I'm not sure what it's looking for that it's not finding.

Anyone have any thoughts?  I'm pretty stumped.

Answer 1

Wow, I didn't know about either of those tools.  Very nice, thanks!

Unfortunately no joy on either of those.  SFC reported, "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations"

The Print Reset tool did restore the Fax printer and the XPS printer to the list of printers but the XPS printer still doesn't work.  When you right click on XPS and select Printer Properties you get a pop-up saying "The Microsoft XPS Document Writer printer driver is not installed on this computer ... Do you want to install the driver now?"

  When you try to install the driver it doesn't give any errors anymore, however in the printer properties window that opens after the driver install; if you hit "Print Test Page" you get "Test page failed to print .. Access is denied"  Closing that window and trying to open Printer properties again gives the "driver not installed on this computer" message again.  So the driver isn't getting installed.

Answer 2

This is a stand-alone computer in a home.

After running the Pritner fixit full the following icons are in Devices and Printers; Fax, XPS Document Writer, HP Deskjet 1150 (with a yellow bang).  Before running fixit there was nothing in here.

Opening Printer Server Properties I see the XPS document printer and Remote Desktop Easy Print.  Both are listed as Type 3 User Mode.  Confirmed that this is an Administrator user.  And that the Administrators group has all permissions (except special).  "Everyone" also has all permissions except (except special) which seems strange.  I didn't know about this screen at all , thanks for pointing me at that.

I checked that the user in question is a member of the Administrators group via net user USERNAME

Answer 3

When you try to install the driver it doesn't give any errors anymore, however in the printer properties window that opens after the driver install; if you hit "Print Test Page" you get "Test page failed to print .. Access is denied"  Closing that window and trying to open Printer properties again gives the "driver not installed on this computer" message again.  So the driver isn't getting installed.

If you can't print (save) the .xps file you may not have proper permission to the save location, are you trying to save the file in somewhere in your profile directory likr your Documents or your Desktop where you have full control and permissions?

If the printer is not installing properly you may also not have proper permission on certain registry keys.  Try installing again with elevated privileges, open an elevated Command Prompt (Rus as administrator) and at the command prompt issue the following command:  control printers  this will open the Devices and Printers applet with the inherited elevated administrator security token where you should not get "Access denied" errors.

John

Answer 4

Let's go back to the beginning.  What happened to your system before this issue arose?  For example, power failure, malware attack, malware removal, used a registry cleaner/system tuner, added software, removed software, etc.

Is this a stand-alone computer?  On a home network? On an organization network?

Is the account you're using to install the printers a "Standard user" or an "Administrator"?  If you're not sure go to Control Panel > User Accounts and look.

Do this:

• Open Devices and Printers
• What icons are in the "Printers and Faxes" section?
• Select (click once) on any icon in the "Printers and Faxes" section
• Click on link for "Print server properties" that now is in the tool bar at the top of the screen
• Click the "Drivers" tab
  • What drivers are listed?
  • Are they all "Type 3 - User Mode"?
• Click on the "Security" tab -- in the list of "Group or user names" you should see Everyone, CREATOR OWNER, Administrators, Guests, and (probably) INTERACTIVE
• All the boxes in the "Permissions" will be dimmed, but you can read them
  • Click on Everyone and confirm that the "Allow" boxes for "Print" and "View server" are checked
  • Click on Administrators and confirm that all of the "Allow" boxes are checked except "Special permissions"

Answer 5

Two thoughts (neither guaranteed to help).

1.  Look for missing or corrupted system files

Open an Elevated Command Prompt window (Start > cmd > right-click on cmd.exe and select "Run as administrator") and type

   sfc /scannow {Enter}

2.  Reset the printing subsystem

Direct link to Print Reset Full Mode - http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9829711

This automated routine requires a reboot after running and will remove ALL currently-installed printers.  Read about it here --> http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2012/02/24/microsoft-fixit-for-printing.aspx?Redirected=true&PageIndex=1

A third thought:  what happened to your system shortly before this behavior started?