Why is my printer broken?

[LibraryLady]

I had my carpets steam cleaned a couple of weeks ago, and in anticipation I powered down and unplugged everything.

When I brought the computer back up and turned on the printer I got an error message that the software was not installed. I got out the disk and tried to reload the software but it tells me it has a compatibility issue.

It worked before! Why does it hate me?

[Vic Vega]

It hates you because it's evil. Try an exorcism. If that doesn't work...

Go to control panel then printers. Right click the printer and delete it. Go to the printer manufacturer's web site and download the correct driver and install it. Let us know how you do.

[Skeptic Ginger]

Built in obsolescence. I think I've had multiple printer and copiers fail. Cheap crap. :(

[Skeptic Ginger]

Just an uneducated guess, go to printers and see if you can either delete the old driver and reinstall it.

For some reason my printer arbitrarily decided to choose a different default driver for a printer that was no longer connected. Took me a while to see what had occurred.

[LibraryLady]

I followed Vic Vega's directions and successfully reinstalled the printer, and sent two documents to the queue, but although it shows the documents waiting to be printed, it still doesn 't print.

[~enigma~]

I followed Vic Vega's directions and successfully reinstalled the printer, and sent two documents to the queue, but although it shows the documents waiting to be printed, it still doesn 't print.
Need I say it....Microsoft Windows is a virus.

[Denver]

That now sounds like a cabling problem. Is it possible something got re-plugged in wrong?

[Molinaro]

Blame entropy.

By creating a greater degree of order in your carpet, the universe was forced to create disorder elsewhere.

It chose inside your printer. :D

[Skeptic Ginger]

I followed Vic Vega's directions and successfully reinstalled the printer, and sent two documents to the queue, but although it shows the documents waiting to be printed, it still doesn 't print.That's exactly what my printer did when it switched itself to a different default printer.

Go to the printer control file and check which printer shows up as the default printer.

[Justin39640]

That's exactly what my printer did when it switched itself to a different default printer.

Go to the printer control file and check which printer shows up as the default printer.

i was just gonna say that
it will have a little white check mark in a black circle on the icon to signify which print device is set as the default

[Lensman]

Also check to see if the printer is set to "offline".
See the picture, if there's a "tick" or check-mark against it, click on it to set the printer "on-line".
(I've been caught out that way myself, now it's the first thing I check)

[Vic Vega]

I concur with some of the other posts. Check the printer folder in control panel and make sure the printer appears and that it is the default printer and that it's online.

[Foolmewunz]

LPM is highly recommended.

Lateral Percussive Maintenance, e.g. slap it on the side like we used to do with old Philco TVs, and they'd always kick in with the picture.