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This is just wonderful. I have a relatively new HP Deskjet 460 mobile printer. I bought this a couple of months ago, and used it to print flyers at a health fair at a church. A friend borrowed the driver disk so he could print some things from his laptop. He forgot to return the disk, and he has since moved away.
I wanted to use this printer with an older 850MHZ laptop computer that only has Windows ME. I have some greeting card printing software on that computer that would not install on my newer computers.
I tried to hook the printer to the computer, and discovered that it didn't know about this printer. So I went to the HP website to find the drivers, and was greeted with this nonsense:
What a bunch of nonsense. There are plenty of usable Windows 98 and Windows ME computers. What am I supposed to do now? Throw this computer in a landfill because I will no longer be able to use it with any updated printers or other devices from HP?
Downloads of previously available drivers would not cost HP anything to provide.
What an non environmental friendly decision.
Why not just continue to provide the previously available drivers without any further updates?
 | My message to Hewlett Packard about their bogus policy If you already had drivers available for Windows ME for the HP 460 Deskjet, why don't you continue to provide them? Why are you removing those drivers from your site? I only bought the printer two or three months ago, and I need to use it with an older computer that has some special software that I can not move to a newer machine. Someone borrowed my driver disk and then moved away without returning it. Now you are telling me you're not going to provide support that you used to offer for a printer that is barely 3 months old! HP's decision on this really sucks! It's going to make an old computer and a new printer an unusable combination. Am I supposed to just throw away this computer that was otherwise perfectly usable? Either send me the drivers for the printer, or I will see what legal remedies exist for your failure to support a new product for a reasonable period of time. I understand not continuing to provide more updates for old drivers. But a driver that worked before July 2007, will probably continue to work for years with these older computers. And it would not cost anything to continue to provide the driver via a download. Also, if you do not send me the drivers that were previously available, I will also publicize this decision by HP as being very anti-environment, a decision that may force people to junk a lot of computers that could have been perfectly usable if only drivers were still available. I don't think you need the bad publicity that I will make it my mission to generate. |
BTW, their feedback system lets you review the information you're getting ready to submit. If you click the back button to revise something, then they clear all the fields. STOOOOOPID!
After sending the above, I tried their online chat to see if I could find a technician who could get me the drivers.
| Chat session Alaura. My name is Alaura. How may I assist you today? 18:48:00 Garnet Chaney: Need drivers for HP 460C Mobile printer for Windows ME. I only bought this printer three or so months ago, and I need to use it with some software on a computer that has Windows ME. A friend borrowed the printer, and did not return the driver disk. He has moved away to Montana.... 18:49:20 ALAURA: we will try to resolve the issue. 18:50:12 (still waiting....) 18:51:14 (still waiting....) 18:52:30 (still waiting....) 18:53:24 ALAURA: There are no driver softwares for win ME from hp website. Garnet Chaney: there used to be drivers. HP removed them in July apparently. Garnet Chaney: This will make this almost new printer unusable! Isn't there a duty to support a new product for a reasonable period of time? Garnet Chaney: What is your full name, and location, so that I can include it in details I am keeping about this problem. ALAURA: Do you have the Win ME cd with you? Garnet Chaney: And also the full name of your supervisor. Garnet Chaney: Did you read my original message to you? A friend borrowed the printer and CD, and then moved away to another state without returning the disk. ALAURA: I am asking you whether do you have operating system disk WIN ME. Garnet Chaney: Windows ME didn't include drivers for this printer. 18:56:58 Garnet Chaney: It includes drivers for Deskjet 400 and 500... Can I use one of those? 18:57:54 Garnet Chaney: BTW, the computer is an 850MHZ sony computer. It didn't include a Windows ME disk, it included a factory restore CD. 18:58:34 still waiting... ALAURA: You do not have the Operating System disk WIN ME. Garnet Chaney: The computer did not include a "Windows ME disk". It includes a Factory Restore CD to take it back to the original factory condition with Windows ME installed as provided by the OEM. 18:59:50 still waiting.... ALAURA: Okay no problem you can use that cd. ALAURA: Let us try to install the universal drivers ( Deskjet 550c) they are inbuilt drivers softwares. Garnet Chaney: ok, one moment, let me go and try that. ALAURA: Sure. 19:04:00 Garnet Chaney: Do I do this via add printer, or by plugging in the printer and getting the new hardware wizard? 19:05:00 still waiting.... 19:07:00 Garnet Chaney: this is a USB printer. If I use the add printer wizard, it asks me to select a port, and I don't know which port to select. 19:07:40 still waiting.... 19:08:30 Garnet Chaney: One of the choices is "USB001 Virtual printer port for USB". Should I select that? ALAURA: Please follow the below steps. Double-click the 'Add Printer' icon; to open The 'Add Printer Wizard' dialog box. Select 'Local printer' in the Local or Network Printer dialog box, click 'Next' butt 19:09:30 Garnet Chaney: Um, your instructions were truncated.... ALAURA: Select from hp manufactures list then select Deskjet 550c. Select 'USB001' or 'USB Virtual printer port' from the list of ports and click 'NEXT' button. The Printer name will be highlighted on the next window. It asks for the Printer name (LEAVE IT AS IT IS) The Printer Sharing dialog box will open. 19:12:00 Garnet Chaney: I never got the "printer sharing" dialog. Mine went from making the printer default directly to print test page. I said yes to print test page, and then I get a dialog "HP Deskjet 500 Series - Invalid Data. Aborting print job." ALAURA: Please follow the steps given to you. Garnet Chaney: Click close on the error dialog gives another message box "Printers Folder - There was an error writing to USB001 for the ptiner (HP DeskJet 550C Printer): There was a problem printing to the printer due to an unknown system error. Restart Windows, and then try printing again. 19:14:00 Garnet Chaney: I did follow your exact steps, except for the printer sharing dialog, which was never presented to me. 19:16:22 ALAURA: Please go ahead with restarting the computer and then try again installing driver software. Garnet Chaney: Should I plugin in the printer before those steps, or after those steps? Also, I have just removed the printer for 550 and 400 to start over.... So do I plugin the printer before or after the steps? 19:17:30 waiting.... 19:18:43 still waiting.... 19:20:00 ALAURA: Disconnect the printer know , after restarting the computer then you connect the printer and then install the software. 19:20:15 Garnet Chaney: OK, doing that now. 19:22:10 Garnet Chaney: When I plugin in the printer, the "Add hardware wizard" will notice the printer. Do I cancel out of that dialog in order to do the "Add Printer" button? 19:24:46 ALAURA: Did you restart the computer. Garnet Chaney: Yes, I just plugged in the printer, and the add hardware didn't come up.... OK, doing your steps now. |
To cut a long story short, I was on the chat with them for another two hours. Chat support eventually agreed, after three times through the above steps, that I was right, the drivers weren't available, and the above was only a "work around", that doesn't work. They then suggested that I should upgrade the operating system of my computer!
What a bunch of nonsense? Would any sane person expect a Windows ME computer to be able to upgrade to Windows Vista without losing all the software on it? And what if Sony doesn't make drivers for this old laptop to work with Windows Vista? And would this old laptop even be fast enough to support Windows Vista? No, that's goofy. The computer works perfectly fine with the software that is installed on it, on the operating system that Sony designed it for.
Eventually chat support told me to call phone support, as if phone support would help. Phone support did not help. In fact they were rude and hung up on me. I called back, and miraculously got the same support agent, a girl named "Jen" who apparently had not been at HP a very long time. She felt that she hsd been taught to hang up on people who assert any kind of moral or legal right to support on a product that is still under warrantee, support that was easily available just a month ago.
She offered to escalate the issue into a black hole. Who knows if anyone will return my call.
I have the full transcript for the two hours, showing the run around that I was given by the phone and chat support people. Amazingly, the chat support person stayed online for the whole time I was also trying the phone support, and they also filed an escalation incident about the poor support I was receiving. So HP somebody is going to get a couple of chances to make the right decision.
What do you think?
Do you really believe that Microsoft is behind some nefarious plan to strong arm hardware vendors into removing from circulation drivers for older operating systems that Microsoft doesn't want to support any more? Did Microsoft have a poison pill in the licensing for the device driver SDKs that manufacturers used to create drivers for their hardware products?
Do you think what HP is doing is right? Do you think it is fine that they take a "blame the owner" attitude about a lost CD for a printer that is only a couple of months old, and whether or not you can make their products work with an older computer that is running just fine with it's original software?
Let me know....
Comments (13)
Oct 12, 2007
Anonymous says:
Mr Chaney - I too ran into this issue with HP, over the continued use of a DeskJ...Mr Chaney - I too ran into this issue with HP, over the continued use of a DeskJet 5440 on a machine running ME. If you decide to take this to the mat, please let me know I can be of assistance in some fashion.
You are totally correct -IT'S COMPLETELY ABSURD!
Mike Fontenot
Nov 22, 2007
Anonymous says:
I agree this is a waste, I have perfectly good hp pavilion xe783 desktop, which ...I agree this is a waste, I have perfectly good hp pavilion xe783 desktop, which is now useless thanks to no access to needed video driver updates, plus it's the only machine I had capable of playing broken sword & some other old games i love harvester ect... It would have been nice to get a heads up on this so I could have downloaded what they had before they stop sharing & put it on a cd so I could still use my pc.
Nov 22, 2007
Anonymous says:
At the very least hp should offer its customers what they have on a last update ...At the very least hp should offer its customers what they have on a last update driver disc they can buy or something if they are so concerned with the extra bandwidth that they can't allow us to download the updates anymore. I'd buy a disc for my hp products if it had everything they had in updates for it.
Nov 24, 2007
Anonymous says:
I could understand not supporting older operating systems. However removing th...I could understand not supporting older operating systems. However removing the drivers that have already been developed is just stupid. They should remain available with a "use at your own risk" caveat.
I'm sort of in the same boat... an old Dell computer my Grandparents were still using. I've just changed my home setup to use a shared Cannon printer so had planned to give them my not too old HP 932 C. Of course it isn't supported on Windows 98, which they are still using.
I wasn't about to upgrade their O/S because it is sluggish enough on 98. Suffice it to say I'll not buy HP again. Their cartridges are too expensive anyway (almost cheaper just to buy a new printer every year).
May 03, 2008
Anonymous says:
i have the same problem. an on line search finally presented me with drivers for...i have the same problem. an on line search finally presented me with drivers for win me but all were in foreign languages and when i tried to install one of these, the computer does not recognize it. i now know that i will never ever buy another hp product again. nor will i buy a premade computer again i'm tired of all this proprietary bull.....
May 04, 2008
Garnet R. Chaney says:
Some large companies are avoiding this problem by buying Lenovo laptops that hav...Some large companies are avoiding this problem by buying Lenovo laptops that have Windows XP installed. There are almost no machines available at retail stores that still have windows XP vista, and that is a shame. I really hate how slow my Windows Vista HP machine is, and how I couldn't get the drivers for the Konica Minolta Laser Printer to work with it, but I'm not pained enough to want to lose a couple of days going through installing a copy of XP, and reinstalling all my software. I just suffer each day with the slowness of Vista.....
Nov 30, 2007
Anonymous says:
Although they try to blame MSFT, I don't buy it. HP is currently the number one...Although they try to blame MSFT, I don't buy it. HP is currently the number one PC provider (US) by some rankings. They have enough weight to make Steve Balmmer s*** his drawers. I spent 30 minutes on phone support with HP and am waiting for an email reply. There is no way that is cheaper than the $0.0001 it would cost to download a driver. Not to get all trollish, but this is the likely fate and support level of XP in 3-7 years. Good thing for Linux.
Jul 31, 2008
Anonymous says:
I have the same problem too! I have a very spensive software in my old PC with w...I have the same problem too! I have a very spensive software in my old PC with windows ME, and I need to reinstall my printer driver. HP have to upload again the driver, it doesnt matter if Microsoft dont want to give support!
Oct 20, 2008
Anonymous says:
Like other users I have been confronted by HP's "total care" only to be told in ...Like other users I have been confronted by HP's "total care" only to be told in gobbledegook that replacement drivers for Windows ME are no longer availsble. Pity as I have inherited a basically unused hp deskjet 940c with no disk to install it.
If anyone could provide me with one, or the loan of one, I would be most gtateful. I myself have a disk for hp deskjet 3820 if anyone would like it.
Dec 03, 2008
Anonymous says:
Same problem here. Trying to install a old 832 C HP printer on Windows ME. No ...Same problem here. Trying to install a old 832 C HP printer on Windows ME. No luck. Odd thing for me is that I found drivers on line but ME won't list the 830 series printer so thus far I cannot install the printer even though device manager says the drivers are installed and working properly.
What a mess. Ahh the good old days.
Dec 31, 2008
Anonymous says:
I apologize if I sound rude; however, this is article is just a nonsense rant. ...I apologize if I sound rude; however, this is article is just a nonsense rant. Read the original article posted to the HP website a year ago. It is not their fault. Microsoft will not allow them to provide the drivers. Stop pestering the poor lady that works for HP chat and take your grievance up with Microsoft. Yes, this is ridiculous, but don't kill the messenger.
Also, Windows ME was the worst operating system in history. It has security holes larger than Texas. I am surprised you even have a system safely standing. Microsoft discontinued ME faster than any OS known to man. This is also Microsoft's problem due to negligence.
You are living in the computer age. While it is not fun, not fair and not forgiving, equipment is constantly outdated. Suck it up and get over it. We all have to deal with this constantly changing world. My recommendation, switch to Mac. They upgrade less frequently, work with older versions of their own OS, Microsoft's OS and last longer. There is more greeting card software out there. Or just go to the Hallmark Store like the rest of us.
Also, do not use words like "sucks" when filing complaints. No one will take you seriously. Take some time and purchase a thesaurus.
Jan 01, 2009
garnet says:
There was a similar "Microsoft is making us do it" attitude in regards to the la...There was a similar "Microsoft is making us do it" attitude in regards to the lack of recovery CDs not being shipped with many major brand PCs. New PCs missing recovery disks
When I contacted the manufacturers, some claimed that Microsoft was making them choose between a restore partition (with buggy make your own CDs/DVDs utility) or physical recovery cds shipped with the computer. I contacted Microsoft and found that was not true. Since the recovery disks, whether self made or shipped from the PC manufacturer, are usually well locked to the hardware they are shipped with, there is no problem to provide both methods to the customer. Microsoft was not in fact making any such limitation. It was a bogus attempt by the manufacturers to save the cost of a couple of 50 cent disks at the cost of a laborious make your own CDs process foisted off on the consumer who often doesnt know they are supposed to do this task, and is then up a creek when the hard drive (along with the recovery partition) fails.
Did the licensing of the old SDKs force HP to put "can not run after xyz date" poison pill in the device drivers? No, they admit the drivers will still work if you can get ahold of them without their assistance. So while Microsoft might not support them to make new drivers using the previous SDKs, (in an absurd ploy to force operating system upgrades on people, and force older PCs into the landfill) there probably is no honest reason they couldn't continue providing the old drivers.
Notice that my complaint involved a new printer, one that was only a couple of months old. So its not like I dont occassionally buy new hardware to support the manufacturers. All I ask for is some reasonable support period, some reasonable level of standing by the claims they make on the outside of the box that the device is shipped in.
Sure I could hassle with installing Linux, although that would invalidate the greeting card software that has worked just fine for years. And how would spending a ton of money on a MacIntosh help me? I'm trying not to abandon an old system that amazingly is still working just fine, and that certain people I know are perfectly happy using. My point is to continue using hardware and software combination that works just fine for its intended purposes.
I still stand by my original thesis: Manufacturers colluding to remove previously available support for perfectly fine hardware SUCKS! (My thesaurus and command of the English language developed in travels across three or four continents shows this word is universally understood!) But here are some synonyms: terrible, horrible, egregious, unconscionable. But I prefer to escew 25 cent words when a 5 letter word will do. Or in Russian, this policy is OOJAS! We need to rise up and protest environmentally unfriendly policies that are forcing us to either landfill, or waste a lot of extra time retrofitting, older hardware.
I'm not normally one to worry a whole lot about green issues, I'm more concerned about accomplishing what I need to do. But I am very concerned about the "what isn't broke shouldn't be treated as if it is broke." When an older machine works perfectly fine, and individuals are trained to productively use the older machines and their software, it is a real shame on the manufacturers to force us to throw away solutions that are working just fine.
Rampant consumerism of replacing what aint broke might be great to support the global economy, but for the personal economy of many people who are now strapped by lost jobs, mortgage pressures, decayed 401K savings, riing rents and falling incomes, many of us are taking a fresh look at how to make do with what we already have.
Sep 15
Anonymous says:
Try getting drivers for devices, in this case printers at 3rd party web sites. ...Try getting drivers for devices, in this case printers at 3rd party web sites. A good free driver site is Drverguide at www.driverguide.com Free membership allows you to search and download drivers for older devices. Great site, but you have to be selective to find a driver that is appropriate for your hardware as there are several software versions of each driver.
Happy Computing! John W
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