The Dell Inspiron E521 from Hell

[Rich-M]

This started out as a simple "my printer won't work after I changed from Verizon DSL to Comcast"

Something told me not to take this call but I decided to. After an hour of trying new printer cables and drivers

on an 7 year old Dell All-in-One where I knew the cartridges were dying also, I sold her a new printer, a Brother MFC J470 to be delivered the next day.

 

I knew the 7 year old computer was slow but I was there to get the printer to work. When I arrive the next day I note that the printer software won't fully install as at the point where it should see the printer it cannot. I tried copying the file to the hard drive and installing from there, just downloading the simple printer driver with no other software but am becoming obsessed with no recognition of the printer when a light dawns on me. No Sp1 or 2 on Vista probably that later turns into never doing a single Windows Update either. I decide to bring the unit back and do the SP's, Malware removal and Windows updates. After Sp2 I start to hear usb recognition but it is amazing the computer ever ran at all. The old printer must have drawn very low power for it to work at all as only the mouse and keyboard worked, oh and my flash drive worked too as I found an original MacAfee AV never updates either so I uninstalled it and added Mse from my flash drive. Of course I ask the users when was the last time they did a Windows Update and they have no clue what I am talking about.

 

What I really don't know is with all this updating will the pc find any printer now and I have a feeling this will lead to a new pc. I really hope after all this work the damn thing recognizes the new printer. Of course there is a hard luck story to go along with it and in spite of the gorgeous home they live in, they are over their heads due to a failed operation on the husband who could no longer hold a job as a contractor afterwards. There being no way to sue the hospital for malpractice because his wife runs a health care clinic within the hospital so this cannot cost them a lot either.

[allheart55 Cindy E]

Good Luck with this one, Rich. I still have a Inspiron C 530 that came with Vista, (which has since has been upgraded to 7). It might have approximately 15 hours of use on it. Remember, I bought it a couple of weeks before my first home build?

[AWS]

Good luck as well. It never ceases to amze me how many people never update and when you ask them when the last time they did they look at you with the deer in headlights look. My father in law is like that.

[Rich-M]

Good Luck with this one, Rich. I still have a Inspiron C 530 that came with Vista, (which has since has been upgraded to 7). It might have approximately 15 hours of use on it. Remember, I bought it a couple of weeks before my first home build?

Yeah I remember that one Cindy....I thought you sold it though.

[Rich-M]

Good luck as well. It never ceases to amze me how many people never update and when you ask them when the last time they did they look at you with the deer in headlights look. My father in law is like that.

Well that fixed the issue and the printer is working fine now.....yes it is amazing 2 Service Packs and 400+ Updates the pc is putting along fine but the real question, is why did the old printer ever work? Not why did it go out. And this woman, is the head of a health care unit. Embarassed she said "but at work my IT guys do everything for me".

[IceMan37]

Job well done Rich. Did many like that too and all you can do is your best and listen to them. It was likely that the printer worked with the old driver and the new net connection if it was USB disturbed it, or the IRQ. When you did the windows update it likely pulled the new driver and new chipset driver updates and all. These types of jobs you get lifetime friends :)

[Rich-M]

That is an outstanding though William, one I never considered. And you are right when you fix "the impossible" you get a client who spreads your name!

So actually Comcast could have contributed to the issue.

[allheart55 Cindy E]

Yeah I remember that one Cindy....I thought you sold it though.

No, I sold the C 531.