"Looking for printer...." problem

Question

"Looking for printer...." problem

Out of the blue, all of the machines in our office are now reporting "Looking for printer...." when users try to print to our network connected HP4200. The message is appearing in the printer app.

The printer itself seems fine, and i can print to it from a windows machine. Restarting the printer has no effect on the problem.

I've already tried the various solutions I've found in the forums here. Clearing the caches, deleting and reinstalling the printer driver, etc. works for a document or 2, but then the machine falls back into the looking for printer pattern again.

This is happening on Tiger, Leopard, and Snow Leopard.

MBP, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Feb 2, 2010 10:52 AM

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Answer 1

greg sahli

Level 7

25,508 points

Feb 4, 2010 6:42 AM in response to northcascades

You should Add the printer in Print & Fax using IP > HP Jetdirect protocol. Not appletalk, not shared printer.

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Answer 2

Apr 13, 2010 4:26 PM in response to northcascades

This problem went away as mysteriously as it arrived. Sadly, today it is back again and the proposed fix didn't help any better than all the rest of the changes we've tried. The only thing that works is to delete and reinstall the printer. However that is only good for a print or 2 before we have to do it again.

No changes have happened on the printers, the network or the macs to account for the problem coming and going.

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Answer 3

KarenPS

Level 1

6 points

May 14, 2010 1:12 PM in response to northcascades

I am having the same problem with two HP printers since I installed Snow Leopard. I never know when I'll be able to print, and when my Mac will be forever "looking for printer." Resetting the router usually takes care of it, but it's terribly inconvenient and disrupts the whole network.

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Answer 4

Apr 8, 2010 5:50 PM in response to greg sahli

Worked for me...Thanks.

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