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TICKET ARCHIVE -> installing new printer driver

rberman - Feb 6, 2007 - 10:24 pm

I have downloaded a new printer driver for the epson stylus color photo printer. I executed the install function yet when I go to install the printer I can not find the driver in the list of printers. Can anyone help?

LovesMacs - Feb 6, 2007 - 10:59 pm

HI Ron,

I've printed from three different Epson printers over the years... maybe I can help.

Which model Epson are you referring to? Also, are you up to date on your Mac OS? I see you have an Intel based Apple Mini... make sure you are running 10.4.8. Also, have you installed Boot Camp to work with Windows XP?

Question for you ... when you try to print anything, and you click File/Print from the Menu, when you click Printer, Add Printer... the Printer Setup Utility appears... it's not offering the Epson as a printer?????

Also... have you printed to this Epson before????

Get back to me... and thanks for choosing Macosx.com. Hopefully we can fix this!

Regards,
Carolyn :-)

rberman - Feb 6, 2007 - 11:15 pm

Thank you for your note. I am using the Epson Stylus Photo 825 running on a brand new Mac Mini with OSX 10.4.8. When I click Printer, Add Printer I am able to find the Gimp driver for the 825, but I do not see the specific driver for the 825 that all the options in it.

I went to the Epson site and downloaded the driver and when I installed it (as per directions), I could see that it had all the options. I still have the install file on my desktop.

LovesMacs - Feb 6, 2007 - 11:39 pm

Maybe this is a corrupted preference file... it happens. OK... follow this path:
MacintoshHD/Users/Library/Preferences. Open the Preferences folder and locate the following files:

com.apple.networkutility.plist
com.apple.print.custompresets.plist
com.epson.ijprinter.utility plist
com.apple.print.PrintingPrefs.plist
com.apple.print.PrintCenter.plist

Drag those files to the Trash, empty the Trash.

Now, run Disk Utility. It's in your Applications>Utilites folder. Launch DU, select MacintoshHD in the panel on the left, click Repair Permissions. An Intel based Mac takes about 3 mins to run Permissions. Ok.. now Quit DU.

Disconnect the printer. Reboot the Mini. After the Desktop appears, reconnect the printer. Launch Text Edit, type a test message and go to File>Print>Printer... see if the 825 driver shows up. If not, with the Printer Utility Setup Utility window open, click: Printer Setup Utility>Reset Printing System. Reboot the Mini... try printing again. Let me know if you have any luck with this.

Carolyn :-)

rberman - Feb 8, 2007 - 9:34 am

I am sorry for not responding sooner. For some reason, my browser locked up several times when I tried to respond. I used a different computer (windows), need I say more?

In any event, I was not totally successful. I went into the directories that you requested and unfortunately most of the files indicated in your note, just were not there. I was able to reset permissions and reset the printing system. However, I was still unable to locate the factory supplied printer driver when searching for it in the add printer menu.

By the way, when did run the permissions reset, I did notice that it did change the epson program driver.

Finally, I am not sure if this matters, but my printer is attached to a AIRLINK101 print driver (which does work correctly when I send print jobs to it).

Would it help if I first attached the Epson printer natively to my Mac Mini? Would it then somehow actually install the driver so that I would remain the in correct table?

LovesMacs - Feb 8, 2007 - 8:04 pm

Wow........ AIRLINK101 .. that certainly could be causing a glitch but I can't say for sure. Try attaching the Epson printer directly to the Mini. Apple by default ships Epson drivers pre-installed so the driver should be there.

Ummm... the .plist files I mentioned before ... make sure you are going by the correct path. Double click your MacintoshHD icon on your Desktop. Then, in the Sidebar on the left, click YOUR (Users) Home folder. Then click Library, then Preferences. I guarantee you those files are there. If you can't locate them that way, use Spotlight... the icon top left on your Desktop in the Menu with the which magnifying glass icon. Click the Spotlight icon, type in .plist A window will open with a list of all files with the .plist extension. All the ones I listed are in that list. I personally group by Flat List... anyway... look thru that list... now, when you find one.. look over to the right where it says: No date. click the whitish circle icon just to the right of that. It will give you the path to the file. It's very important to Trash those files because printer drivers get corrupted really easy... I trash mine once a month and just reinstall.

Ok... trash those files... second. Do a clean boot. Before you boot, disconnect any USB cables. When the Desktop comes up, launch something like Text Edit... type a few words and see if you can File>Print.

I hope something helps!
Carolyn :-)