I reinstalled Lion and printer drivers are gone

Thank you, I already did all that and more. Was with the Epson people on the phone for a long time. They couldn't help me. Software Update can't find the drivers, and I even installed them from the Epson site but the computer refuses to recognize them. I even went to Time Machine and restored the printer files and it didn't work either. And, to make things more difficult, the older print files refuse to be deleted, even though they're not locked, I used the "option" key and restarted in safe mode. In this last instance the trash started to throw away some of the files but stopped at the middle and won't continue doing it. Is another Lion reinstallation in order?

The computer connects with the printers. They appear when you "add" them, but the system (and Software Update) can't find the drivers, which were there before reinstalling Lion, and Software Update can't find them either. All this even though I installed them from Epson's site. Thanks for the other advice, I will try that.

Will report tomorrow. Thanks a lot guys.

I was with Apple for about two hours yesterday. Couldn't solve the problem. I'd done everything they told me to do, and re-did it again. Even reinstalled Lion. No luck. The printers are recognized by the computer (since when they're connected, their names appear), but it doesn't find the drivers, nor in the computer, nor in Software Update, even though I've installed them from Epson's site AND from Apple's site again and again. I even substituted files from Time Machine when everything was working fine.The only thing I haven't done is reformat the disk and recover everything from the backup, which obviously would be a huge headache. The printers data appear in the SupportPrinters (Microsoft?) in the Epson folder in the Library. Their icon (Epson.app) also appear in user's Library. If you have any other ideas, please...

Thanks again for the help. I did as you said, but the Trash refuses to empty most of the files in the Epson folder. It seems I'm stuck with the problem unless I reformat (aaaaargh!). But the, if I recover from Time Machine, can I do it with an update from, say, two weeks before and not the latest? If a file is corrupted or something like this is the culprit, then recovering from the latest backup will copy that file again, won't it?

BTW, I did what you instructed me even as the trash bin kept part of the folders, and when in Print and Scan, the update was performed, but when I select any of the printers, the computer can't find the drivers. So, the problem is not that the computer doesn't recognize the printers (the names appear), but it's the software it can't find, even though a new Epson folder is added in the Library with the update. So, apparently the problem is directing the computer to the drivers (which most probably are indeed installed).

Thanks again. Sorry for bothering you so much, but Apple technical support apparently can't help me.

The thing is: the dirvers ARE installed physically in the computer, and obviously they're available through the internet, but the computer can't find them usind the Print and Scan with the "Select printer software" field, and even when a Software Update is performed and it does update, they still don't appear. They do not appear under the "Select printer software" list (in fact, only generic Epson drivers - which are not made by Epson and don't work anyway, such as "Epson Stylus Color" and others do appear, as well as CUPS drivers for a Brother printer I have at the office). So, the problem is not that the drivers aren't there -at least supossedly since I've downloaded them several times, including all the Epson drivers in the "Epson Printer Drivers v.2.10 OS X"installer, the problem apparently has to do with some other software (a manager or something) that won't let the system find the drivers. Since I don't know which piece of software is that one (or even if it is a Pref file), I can't recover it from a Time Machine backup of weeks ago, when everything worked just fine. Also, again, there's an Epson folder that I took away from the Library-Printers folder and have tried to trash it and it won't empty, so I have to keep it in the desktop, lying there precisely because I can't erase it. Very frustrating the whole thing.

Do you know if I can do a recover form Time Machine from a previous date (and not the latest, since I suppose that the damaged software will copy again if I do it from the most recent one)

Thanks a lot again. I will be calling Apple again and see if this time another technician has a different solution since none they have suffested has worked so far.

Good news. Case solved. Talked to Apple again. This is the procedure: Trash the entire contents of the Printers folder inside the Libray folder (not just the Epson folder). Do not trash THE PRINTERS FOLDER, trash the contents (the system won't allow you to trash the Printers folder - just the contents). Empty the trash. The computer will tell you that it can't delete the PPD folder inside the Printers folder. Do the same: trash the contents of the PPD folder. Restart the computer. Add the printers in the Print and Scan system preferences and the computer will locate the drivers and install them. If any of the drivers do not appear, download them from the manufacturer's site. This time it even let me trash the folders I had in the desktop that wouldn't delete. Apparently there was something inside the Printers folder that didn't let me find the printers. I'm guessing it was a folder called InstalledPrinters.plist which I had tried to recover with Time Machine when everything was working fine, but that hadn't worked either. The funny thing is... That file is not there anymore now. Everything's working again.

It stills leaves with the quation of where exactly are the printer drivers. I downloaded the whole drivers package, v.2.10, but only the Epson folder appears inside the Printers folder. It may be that the other folders won't show unless I add a printer form another manufacturer, while keeping those drivers invisible? Anyway, when I told the senior advisor that I had recovered the entire Printers folder from a previous Time Machine backup (when everything worked fine) he told me that it didn't work now most probably because of a recent system update which I had performed. The InstalledPrinters.plist folder is not there still, even though I've used the printers. I can't even find it with the Finder's "Find" command. If this was a system file, it's gone (because of the system update?). If it was a file from a manufacturer, apparently it was not from Epson, and, as you suggest, it might have come from another source. BTW, I had to re-install Microsoft Office after all this, it just stopped working. Would that file come from Office (I have printed from Word since yesterday)? There's no way of knowing since, as I say, it's not there anymore but everything's working fine. Thanks a lot again.