My printer vanished and I can't get it back

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Grifman
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My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Grifman »

Ok, this morning, I printed out a receipt for a payment from a webpage, no problem. I then needed to scan something, but my printer/scanner disappeared from Devices under the Control Panel. I use the Troubleshooter but it doesn't find a problem. Even stranger it asks me what printer I want to troubleshoot and it shows my printer. Displaying the troubleshooter details shows all this stuff that it checked on my printer - low paper, low ink, etc - so it sees my printer but it doesn't recognize it in the Control panel. WTH? I really need to scan and email something today - can anyone give me any idea of how to fix this. The printer is on, I just used it from my PC ten minutes ago by printing something directly without going to the printer itself, so I have no idea why my PC isn't recognizing it in control panel!!
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions. – G.K. Chesterton
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LawBeefaroni
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by LawBeefaroni »

WiFi or wired?
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Grifman
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Grifman »

Wired - and weird. I downloaded the drivers and re-installed and rebooted the PC. That still didn't seem to work because it could not find that the printer was connected. I switched the USB ports and there doesn't seem to be a problem there because the mouse worked with either one. I tried to run a test page but that gave me an message saying that my printer was in an "error state". I got rid of the error state by deleting the print job in the queue but still got the message when trying a test page. Finally I turned the printer off and the printer was now recognized as online and I could get it to print and scan. I still get an error when trying to print a test page but everything else works so I guess that is all that matters.
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions. – G.K. Chesterton
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Smoove_B
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Smoove_B »

There was a Windows update from a few months ago that was seemingly related to this. I had it happen and needed to uninstall/remove the printer from Windows as a option, then power it back up and let Windows auto detect it and auto configure. It was...weird.

SEE: here.
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Zitterbacke
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Zitterbacke »

Boot from a Linux Live-DVD/USB Stick (e.g. Mint Mate) and see if it can be found. That way you know at least if it is Windows, or the printer.
Gaming? Nope, I'm into Bitwig.
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Pyperkub
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Pyperkub »

Are you printing with invisible ink?


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Smoove_B
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Smoove_B »

Zitterbacke wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2019 4:33 pm Boot from a Linux Live-DVD/USB Stick (e.g. Mint Mate) and see if it can be found. That way you know at least if it is Windows, or the printer.
I gotta be honest. If I'm a Win10 user, my printer disappears and you tell me to boot into Linux to figure out a solution, I'm going to glare at you disapprovingly.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
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Alefroth
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Alefroth »

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2019 6:12 pm
Zitterbacke wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2019 4:33 pm Boot from a Linux Live-DVD/USB Stick (e.g. Mint Mate) and see if it can be found. That way you know at least if it is Windows, or the printer.
I gotta be honest. If I'm a Win10 user, my printer disappears and you tell me to boot into Linux to figure out a solution, I'm going to glare at you disapprovingly.
Sing it, sister!
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Zitterbacke
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Re: My printer vanished and I can't get it back

Post by Zitterbacke »

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2019 6:12 pm
Zitterbacke wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2019 4:33 pm Boot from a Linux Live-DVD/USB Stick (e.g. Mint Mate) and see if it can be found. That way you know at least if it is Windows, or the printer.
I gotta be honest. If I'm a Win10 user, my printer disappears and you tell me to boot into Linux to figure out a solution, I'm going to glare at you disapprovingly.
Helping grandpa!
Gaming? Nope, I'm into Bitwig.
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