OS X Mountain Lion Print Drivers seem to be nonexistent. HELP!

Question

OS X Mountain Lion Print Drivers seem to be nonexistent. HELP!

I have a MacBook Pro from May 2012. I recently upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion. I need to connect my computer to a printer at work (it is an HP LaserJet1320n). My computer can find the printer wirelessly. Yet, when I try to add it, the computer starts to look for the driver through the apple software update. However, it is not finding the driver update and I'm recieving this message:

Can't install the software for the hp LaserJet 1320 series because it is not currently available from the Software Update server.

When I go to do the Apple Software Update manually I get a message that says no software updates are available.

Also, I've checked the HP support website and it doesn't have any drivers available for download. They just state that my computer will automatically download the drivers when needed, which it is not doing.

Anyone else have this issue or know the answer to it?

OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Jul 31, 2012 9:44 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 31, 2012 10:10 AM in response to rbrownrocks23

Well this means there is currently no new drivers for your printer yet.

Question, what are the steps you are taking to "add it"?

if my computer sees the printer in System Preferences>Print & Scan it means all my other applications can see it as well...

is that not the case for you? have you tried just printing it?

have you tried plugging it in wired?

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Answer 2

Jul 31, 2012 10:34 AM in response to TheSmokeMonster

To "add it":

System Preferences -> Print & Scan -> ➕ sign in the bottom left hand corner -> click on the printer i want -> click add -> then it says "Setting Up 'my printer that i selected' (its trying to find software) -> then i get the error "Can't install the software for the hp LaserJet 1320 series because it is not currently available from the Software Update server."

Well I originally tried printing from an application and tried adding the printer through the application but either way it takes you to system preferences. So i guess all my applications can see it.

And I cant print because no printer is selected so i can't even attempt to press print. When I try to select the printer (whether it be from an application or system preferences) and I click add, it looks for the driver install through the apple software update, but it is not finding any drivers. I haven't tried plugging it in because I'm at a university and the printer is in an office that I can't to plug into.

I guess I just have to wait until a driver becomes available.. Very frustating though.

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Answer 3

ShlomiL

Level 3

774 points

Jul 31, 2012 11:18 AM in response to rbrownrocks23

Hello rbrownrocks23,

As you may find listed as HP LaserJet 1320 series, in here, the drivers for the printer do available through Apple Software Update:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669#HP

You may try temporary plugging the printer with a USB, click the Apple icon and then Software Update.

Now check if any HP Printer Software Update becomes available.

If that is not possible, download and install the HP Printer Drivers 2.9:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL907

After completing the installation, go to System Preferences > Print & Scan.

Click the Plus button and add the printer.

It should be added with no issues now.

Regards,

Shlomi

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Answer 4

pengtao

Level 2

280 points

Aug 1, 2012 11:05 AM in response to rbrownrocks23

Since Apple Software Update server does have the driver for this printer at present, your experience indicates that you've already got driver installed on your disk but somehow your system has problem find it when you are trying to set up the queue. Please run the command "cupsctl LogLevel=debug2 MaxLogSize=100M" in Terminal, then try to set up the queue again. After it fails, please send me (or upload it somewhere and post the link here) the /var/log/cups/error_log, /var/log/system.log and /var/spool/cups/cache/ppds.dat, from there I may get you some more advice.

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Answer 5

Aug 2, 2012 8:38 AM in response to rbrownrocks23

I fixed the Issue. Thank you for all the help. It was actually because the printer was a generic post-script printer and the type of printer that was automatically selected wasn't working.

So instead of selecting the HP LaserJet 1320 Series as the type, i had to change it to Generic Post-Script.

Thanks for the help anyway.

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Answer 6

pengtao

Level 2

280 points

Aug 2, 2012 11:28 AM in response to rbrownrocks23

You will lose some of the vendor specific features if you use the generic PS driver. There is driver from HP available on the Software Update server. And, as your experience indicates, you've already got the HP driver installed on your disk. Your experience indicates a problem in your printing system which may have other effects. I would suggest you to do what I mentioned in my last post, we might figure out the actual underneath problem in your system.

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Answer 7

Nov 6, 2012 7:49 AM in response to rbrownrocks23

I encountered a similar problem with my Brother DCP-7065DN and had to "reset the printing system" to resolve the problem. Instructions to do this are located here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1341

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Answer 8

jmaclurg

Level 1

0 points

Nov 16, 2012 6:02 PM in response to rbrownrocks23

To Pengtao Re: opening driver for HP 1320.

I also have a MacBook Pro with OSX 10.7.5 and am trying to add an HP Lazerjet 1320 printer and get a message that the drivers are not available.

I found and downloaded the driver from Downloads/HewlettPackardPrint2.12.dmg. I opened the box icon, it installed but when I went to add the printer, I again got a message that the driver is not available.

I do not understand your instruction to rbrownrocks23 :

Aug 1, 2012 11:05 AM (in response to rbrownrocks23)

Since Apple Software Update server does have the driver for this printer at present, your experience indicates that you've already got driver installed on your disk but somehow your system has problem find it when you are trying to set up the queue. Please run the command "cupsctl LogLevel=debug2 MaxLogSize=100M" in Terminal, then try to set up the queue again. After it fails, please send me (or upload it somewhere and post the link here) the /var/log/cups/error_log, /var/log/system.log and /var/spool/cups/cache/ppds.dat, from there I may get you some more advice.

how do I command "cupsct...."?

#

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Answer 9

wadlmac

Level 1

0 points

Jan 4, 2013 2:43 PM in response to jmaclurg

I had the same or similar problem and solved it.

I wanted to add two HP printers (Color LaserJet 2605dn, LaserJet 1320). Both printers are connected via LAN. When trying to install the drivers I got this message "Can't install the software for the xxx because it is not currently available from the Software Update server."

How I solved the problem?

I just reset the printing system as proposed by CSTech2010 and the drivers could be found.

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Answer 10

Jan 7, 2013 9:05 AM in response to CSTech2010

After 3 grueling hours of trying to get my Brother QL-570 printer to work with the new mountain lion operating system, this solution ultimatley did the trick - thx.

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Answer 11

jsumlin

Level 1

0 points

Mar 3, 2013 4:04 PM in response to CSTech2010

I had the same issue with a Laserjet 1012 and it not finding any drivers on the HD. I reset the printing system as suggested and it found all the drivers!

Thanks

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Answer 12

DTM82

Level 1

13 points

May 4, 2013 2:57 PM in response to ShlomiL

Spot on! Thanks for posting.

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Answer 13

gkvaughn

Level 1

0 points

Oct 23, 2013 4:57 PM in response to CSTech2010

The fix suggested by CSTech2010worked for my Epson 4000. Thank you for posting.

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