[Boomshadow]

I have an HP LaserJet 1012 that works fine in Windows XP (and networks just fine with Ubuntu and Mac laptops), but will not work with Windows 7. I tried installing the drivers first, and Windows 7 recognized the device by name...but not as a printer. So it wouldn't print. Then I tried uninstalling the drivers and just plugging the printer in on its own--same result.

Any suggestions? I've been told that the 1012 is a host-based printer and that it does not use PCL, which I find hard to accept because PCL came out several years before the 1012 did. It's embarrassing that Windows' vaunted backward compatibility isn't working in my favor here.

[tek101]

Keep in mind .....Wds 7 is still in BETA (FREE version).........You will have some limitation on Old devices ....

Try either Vista ...or Vista 64 bit OS drive see if it works .....Not many choice right now ...Untill HP comes up a new firmware for your printer ....

h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=306510&prodSeriesId=377934&prodTypeId=18972&swLang=8&taskId=135

[mjd420nova]

This seems to be a recurring case as with Vista. Microsoft refuses to update the drivers for their new platforms or provide the proper source codes to manufacturers so users can continue to use their peripherals with the new OS. That's what drove so many users to roll back to XP from Vista when they sould no longer use their printers, scanners and other hardware. WIN7 looks to be more of the same faults that Vista had.

[smax013]

Boomshadow said:

I have an HP LaserJet 1012 that works fine in Windows XP (and networks just fine with Ubuntu and Mac laptops), but will not work with Windows 7. I tried installing the drivers first, and Windows 7 recognized the device by name...but not as a printer. So it wouldn't print. Then I tried uninstalling the drivers and just plugging the printer in on its own--same result.


Any suggestions? I've been told that the 1012 is a host-based printer and that it does not use PCL, which I find hard to accept because PCL came out several years before the 1012 did. It's embarrassing that Windows' vaunted backward compatibility isn't working in my favor here.

Just because the PCL language was out does not mean that your printer supports it. Many "cheap" laser printers were host based printers. This is because PCL (and other printer "processed" languages) cost more to implement...it requires more hardware on the printer, which makes the printer cost more.

As a result, you cannot likely use a "generic" HP PCL printer drivers...you need one that can handle the host based functions.

When you say that you tried installing a driver first, which driver was it? The Vista driver? Or the drivers that came with the printer (i.e. likely XP drivers)? In other words, have you tried downloading and installing the Vista driver?

[Boomshadow]

It was the Vista driver. One would think that, coming from HP and everything, it would just work.

[smax013]

Boomshadow said:

It was the Vista driver. One would think that, coming from HP and everything, it would just work.

Yes, but a Vista driver is not a Windows 7 driver. While some Vista drivers will work with Windows 7, not all will.

That is the price of using a pre-release OS (i.e. either Beta or RC)...not everything will be there and work properly. That is why Betas (including Release Candidates) always include a "use at your own risk" and "do not use with mission critical uses" warnings. Since Windows 7 is not officially released, you cannot knock HP for their driver not working with it.

[Boomshadow]

That would be a marvelous point--except that it works no worse with 7 than it did with Vista.

[smax013]

Boomshadow said:

That would be a marvelous point--except that it works no worse with 7 than it did with Vista.

So, are you saying it does not work with Vista?

If so, then "bash" away at HP...they would deserve it if they put out a Vista driver that does not work with Vista. I was merely thinking you were having problems getting it to work with Win 7.

[Boomshadow]

Sorry for the delayed response. The HP driver never worked with Vista, except by jumping through a bunch of hoops. The hoops have apparently been moved for Windows 7. I did, however, find a kludge that will allow me to share off an XP box in the house, which while counterintuitive minus zero no limit, works.



Unfortunately, it looks as though I'm out of luck with my (admittedly off-topic) HP 5200C scanner. Ah, well...there's always Ubuntu and Sane. ;)

[smax013]

Boomshadow said:

Sorry for the delayed response. The HP driver never worked with Vista, except by jumping through a bunch of hoops. The hoops have apparently been moved for Windows 7. I did, however, find a kludge that will allow me to share off an XP box in the house, which while counterintuitive minus zero no limit, works.

Then HP deserves some "bashing" for not putting out a Vista driver that actually works. Ironically, I would have said that they potentially would have deserved less bashing if they never bother to try putting out a Vista driver (while nice of them, they are not really under any obligations to put out drivers for products past some age...we, of course, could debate what that age is...and whether your printer is past "that" age).

Since Windows 7 has not officially been released, they do not deserve any bashing for your printer not working with Windows 7.

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Unfortunately, it looks as though I'm out of luck with my (admittedly off-topic) HP 5200C scanner. Ah, well...there's always Ubuntu and Sane. ;)

As much as I would like to say that it is unfair (and it is unfair), that is life. Companies will not support everything for an indefinite period of time.

FWIW, you could likely use VueScan with Vista (do not know if it works with Windows 7...again Windows 7 has not been officially released, so ANY product that works with it is just "luck" and the choice to use it is purely on YOU or anyone else that uses Windows 7). It supports an HP ScanJet 5200C.

While it sucks that HP did not update drivers for it, I understand it (not sure if I "agree" with it or not though). After all, to them it is just a "business" decision. In reality, how many people are they likely to piss off enough by no providing drivers for older products. The percentages are likely small. So, they instead choose to spend their time and resources working on other stuff that they perceive (rightly or wrongly) to better help their bottom line. While this mentality sucks, it is part of the world...consumers get hosed all the time.

[mikemaxton]

Boomshadow, on 04 July 2009 - 05:55 AM, said:

I have an HP LaserJet 1012 that works fine in Windows XP (and networks just fine with Ubuntu and Mac laptops), but will not work with Windows 7. I tried installing the drivers first, and Windows 7 recognized the device by name...but not as a printer.

I've been told that the 1012 is a host-based printer and that it does not use PCL, which I find hard to accept because PCL came out several years before the 1012 did. It's embarrassing that Windows' vaunted backward compatibility isn't working in my favor here.

I just chose the HP 1015 driver for my 1012 and Win 7 install. Seems to be working fine, no issues that I have found yet, after 2 weeks.

mike maxton

[Whiznot]

mikemaxton, on 04 October 2009 - 06:10 PM, said:

Boomshadow, on 04 July 2009 - 05:55 AM, said:

I have an HP LaserJet 1012 that works fine in Windows XP (and networks just fine with Ubuntu and Mac laptops), but will not work with Windows 7. I tried installing the drivers first, and Windows 7 recognized the device by name...but not as a printer.

I've been told that the 1012 is a host-based printer and that it does not use PCL, which I find hard to accept because PCL came out several years before the 1012 did. It's embarrassing that Windows' vaunted backward compatibility isn't working in my favor here.

I just chose the HP 1015 driver for my 1012 and Win 7 install. Seems to be working fine, no issues that I have found yet, after 2 weeks.

mike maxton

Hello, Mike Maxton

Please help. I found three 1015 drivers (pcl5 pcl6 and postscript). Since the 1012 is not a pcl printer am I correct in assuming you used the postscript driver? Could also describe the install routine you employed. Your response would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance

Mike Sandstrom

[btuftee]

I wasn't able to find any way for my Win 7 x64 machine to "see" the 1012 Laserjet that I was trying to share from a machine running XP. If I directly attached the 1012 to my Win 7 machine, I was able to make it work, but only by "tricking" it by telling it that the 1012 was really a 3055 PCL5. Apparently, this just works because the 1010 series LaserJets can be driven by the 3055 drivers. However, I was never able to get it working as long as the 1012 was installed on the XP machine as an 1012.

So, my inelegant fix was to uninstall the 1012 from the XP machine, and then reinstall it as a 3055 PCL5 on the XP machine. The XP machine didn't seem to care one bit. Once the XP machine was up and running with the 3055 drivers, I made sure file and printer sharing was turned on. Then, it was a simple matter of adding the printer to the Win 7 machine by searching for it as a network printer. The Win 7 machine found it as a "3050 Series PCL 5e", and was able to automatically install it.

So, until HP actually releases a true Win 7 driver for the 1010 series Laserjets, you can at least trick it by setting up the 1012 as a 3055 PCL5 instead.

[smax013]

btuftee, on 21 November 2009 - 07:01 PM, said:

I wasn't able to find any way for my Win 7 x64 machine to "see" the 1012 Laserjet that I was trying to share from a machine running XP. If I directly attached the 1012 to my Win 7 machine, I was able to make it work, but only by "tricking" it by telling it that the 1012 was really a 3055 PCL5. Apparently, this just works because the 1010 series LaserJets can be driven by the 3055 drivers. However, I was never able to get it working as long as the 1012 was installed on the XP machine as an 1012.

So, my inelegant fix was to uninstall the 1012 from the XP machine, and then reinstall it as a 3055 PCL5 on the XP machine. The XP machine didn't seem to care one bit. Once the XP machine was up and running with the 3055 drivers, I made sure file and printer sharing was turned on. Then, it was a simple matter of adding the printer to the Win 7 machine by searching for it as a network printer. The Win 7 machine found it as a "3050 Series PCL 5e", and was able to automatically install it.

Who cares if it "inelegant"? It works for you right? That is the key thing.

Thanks for posting a possible solution for the others.

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So, until HP actually releases a true Win 7 driver for the 1010 series Laserjets, you can at least trick it by setting up the 1012 as a 3055 PCL5 instead.

I suspect you might be waiting for a while.

[rgreen4]

Looking on the HP website for drivers for the Laserjet 1012 and following all the links, this printer falls in the category 6 class of printer and they state it will not be supported. There is however Vista 32bit and Vista 64bit drivers available and the same driver is listed for the 1010, 1012 and 1015 mono color entry level host based (non PCL) drivers. During my experimentations with Win 7 RC, I found that you can use some HP Vista drivers by not using the front end loading program which looks for the version numbers associated with Vista, and manually pointing to the driver folder from within the add printer routine.

The HP website also states that the 1015 drivers are included with Windows 7, and if you have problems, use the update feature of Windows 7 to make sure the drivers are the most recent. You can try installing the 1012 as a 1015 and see if that works as well.

One advantage of the HP PCL laserjets is that you can use any PCL driver for any PCL based laserjet, and universal printer driver on the website will support even the 20+ year old Laserjet II (if any are still working) as well as the current printers. Of course the UPD does not have all the bells and whistles programs that come on the printer driver disc.