Anybody printing with an HP 2600n?

HP software install advice in the May 8 post to this other thread:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4529050&#4529050

Welcome to Discussions

Were you using this driver download from HP?
http://www.driverstock.com/HP-2600-driver-download/10-26-1174-36150/index.html

To add the printer go to: "System Preferences / Print & Fax / Printing" then click the + to add then "Select Printer in Print Dialog" box. Also use printer (Help ? mark in purple bubble) to assist you with set-up and printing.

17" iMac Intel Core Duo 1.5GB Ram Mac OS X (10.4.9) Maxtor 300GB FireWire Creative Inspire 2.1 2G Nano

I've got the 2605DN and it installed first time with the driver set from HP's website.

HTH

Hi rsnst3!

If you're using the factory installed OS X, the HP drivers were already there, and not one should have been installed, only the software.

Open System Preferences to the "Print & Fax" panel. Click on "Printing" in its menu bar. At the bottom, change the setting from:

"Selected Printer in Print Dialog: Last Printer Used"

to your printer. Then close System Preferences. Of course, your printer must first be listed in the above left box. As an example, my HP Deskjet 6840 is showing up as - "Deskjet 6800 (B0AB9F)"

If there is no printer listed in the left side box, the right side will show "No printer is selected" and the selector at the bottom - "Selected Printer in Print Dialog;" will default to show "Last Printer Used"

If there is no printer listed in the left side box, turn on your printer, click the + box that is below and when the Printer Browser opens, it will discover your printer. Next select (highlight) your printer in the Printer Browser where it shows the "Connection" as being "Bonjour" and allow it to "Auto-select" the driver for the "Print Using:" selector at the bottom.

Finally, click the "Add" button at the bottom. The printer then will show up in the left side of the box on the Print & Fax panel [at the same time the Printer Browser will close and quit] and it can be set in the "Selected Printer in Print Dialog;" selector. System Preferences can be closed.

If you don't allow the driver to "Auto-select" the driver, you might not be able to find the correct driver in the list by yourself. As an example, my "HP Inkjet 3.3" is NOT on the list of the HP drivers that are displayed when I select "HP" instead of "Auto-select"

I hope this helps.

Message was edited by: myhighway

I'm not sure why you can't "Add" it except that if it can't find an appropriate driver, it won't allow the printer access. As an example, with my printer turned off, trying to discover the printer, the Printer Browser goes through its searching routine, but not finding any printer, before long the progress indicator stops and the "Add" button remains greyed out (not clickable), as does the "Print Using:" selector. From what you describe, it appears that it just can't find a driver.

In that "Print Using:" selector, can you choose "HP" and then see a long list of printer models, just not specifically your model? If so, that would indicate that the HP drivers were installed as part of your OS X.

What I would do is download and then install the 10.4.9 Combo Update over top of your current OS 10.4.9 in the hopes that it can replace or put back in place whatever is missing or necessary. Mine is up-to-date and working, and in that list I can't find either my printer or yours, so I'm not particularly concerned about that. The proof is not whether it can be "seen" by us, but whether or not it can be discovered and applied by Bonjour.

Let us know if the Combo Update is an effective solution or not. In the meantime, I'll look into another possibility I have in mind.

I suppose if the Printer Browser can't discover the printer driver, that must mean that it is not, or perhaps never was, installed. In that case, I suppose there shouldn't be any harm in installing it:

HP Color LaserJet 2600n Printer Firmware Update Utility

as long as it applies to your printer's version - "This firmware update utility is for the HP Color LaserJet 2600n printer only. This update is recommended for HP Color LaserJet 2600n printers that have a version prior to 20061215. This utility updates the printer's firmware version to 20061215 (December 15, 2006). The firmware version can be found on the Self Test/Configuration Page which can be printed from the printer's Reports menu."

I've been looking for the driver on the HP website, and can't seem to locate it. I suppose it must be included in the software package that can be downloaded - HP Color LaserJet 2600n OS X Universal Binary Full Software Solution, available as:

hpColorLaserJet2600nv1.3.dmg (5.3 MB).

I imagine the software you received with the printer is an earlier version. I wonder if that software, which I assume you already installed, has an "update" feature that would enable you to update it to the newest version - Version: 1.3.0 (22 Jan 2007)?

Looking at the User Guide online, the installation of the printer driver appears to be a minor part of the process, compared to setting up the rest of the printer with all its features. This on page 11 appears to be all of it:

"Software for Macintosh
The printer includes the following software for Macintosh computers.

Macintosh printer driver
When you install the software for Macintosh, you can directly connect the printer to a computer by using a USB cable or you can connect the printer to the network by using HP built-in networking. For help using your printer driver, see "Gaining access to printer driver settings." [pg 57] If you are connected via the network, you can configure your printer using the embedded Web server."

So, this is starting to look as if the problem is a matter of communication, or networking between the printer and the iMac. With the printer connected and powered on, when you open the utility "Printer Setup Utility" and highlight your printer's name, does the "Utility" icon above it become bold (clickable)? If so, try doing that for setup - to access the web server.