Using Hewlett Packard devices with Mac OS X 10.2.2

Under Mac OS X 10.2.2, Hewlett Packard devices have exhibited a wide array of problems - the most significant being an overall slowdown of system performance caused by the "HP Communications" and "ScanJet Manager" processes.

We've published a short guide on the issue, including a number of viable workarounds until HP and Apple deliver a patch.

After MacFixIt reported and confirmed the issue, Hewlett Packard posted a technote detailing problems, which affect All-in-One, PSC, Scanjet, Photosmart models under Mac OS X 10.2.2. The note states:

"When the driver for any of these products is installed on Mac OS X v.10.2.2, overall system performance will continually degrade over time. Under certain conditions, a "kernel panic" may result, forcing a restart.

"Apple and HP have identified the causes of the incompatibility and are working closely together on a solution at this time.

"When using Mac OS X v.10.2.2, only uninstalling the HP driver will return system performance to previous levels. There are currently no workarounds available for Mac OS X v.10.2.2 users. Restarting the computer or reinstalling the driver will not fix the issue. Using HP Photosmart, Scanjet scanner, PSC and Officejet All-in-One products with earlier versions of Mac OS X (for example, Mac OS X v.10.2.1) will not produce this behavior."

Until HP and Apple finish a fix, four viable workarounds for the processor drain issue have presented themselves:

• AppleScripts that can automatically kill and restart the "HP Communications" process
• Reversion to Mac OS X 10.2.1
• Reversion to an earlier version of the IOUSBFamily.kext file
• Complete removal of the included HP software and use of an alternative driver

AppleScripts Adam Christianson's small script, called DealWithHP, starts and stops the "HP Communications" process, and can be easily added to the dock for quick access. Chistianson has made the script available as "donation ware."

Reverting to Mac OS X 10.2.1 The easiest, and probably least problematic solution for reverting to Mac OS X 10.2.1 is to apply a fresh install of Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) via the "Install and Archive" option, then re-apply the Mac OS X 10.2.1 update, which is available as a standalone download.

As allows, it is advisable to perform a full, exact backup of your current volume before proceeding in case important data is lost (such as preference settings), or you decide that Mac OS X 10.2.2 wasn't so bad after all.

The first step is to locate your Mac OS X 10.2 install CD set and insert Disc 1. After going through the license agreement and selecting the drive with your current installation of Mac OS X 10.2.2, select the "Archive and Install" option. (Note that users who received an upgrade CD in lieu of the full release will not be able to use the "Archive and Install" feature.)

Apple's installer takes care of some dirty work for you ? it can automatically transfer your network settings and user set-ups to the new system providing you select the "Preserve Users and Network Settings" option at the time of installation. And, most of your previously installed programs will be transferred to the new "Applications" folder.

After your fresh Mac OS X 10.2 installation is completed, download the Mac OS X 10.2.1 updater, available in Knowledge Base article #120147 and apply it.

The last step is to go through the new "Library" folder, and transfer over any items from your "Previous System" folder that you feel are necessary ? such as kernel extensions required by some input devices, and contextual menu items. But be careful, as some of these components may be the root of problems you are having with Mac OS X 10.2.2. It is advisable that you instead re-install individual applications and utilities that lose functionality after your re-install one by one, and watch for problems.

Reversion to old IOUSBFamily.kext file This procedure, which was originally published to resolve some issues with Palm synchronization, involves using an older version of the USB input/output kernel extension that resides in the system Library folder.

Version 1.9.2 of IOUSBFamily.kext can be downloaded from: ftp://ftp.apple.com/developer/Development_Kits/Mac_OS_USB/IOUSBFamily-1.9.2DDK.dmg.bin.

Removing the HP driver software Hewlett Packard's default software can be removed by using the "uninstall" option on discs included with the device, or less permanently by simply deleting the HP Communications alias from Mac OS X's "StartupItems" (located in the root Library folder).

Once the HP drivers have been disabled, an open-source mechanism such as gimp-print 4.2.4 can be installed. gimp-print's installation procedure is fairly straightforward, and the development team offers an FAQ to help ensure things go smoothly.

gimp-print supports a number of HP DeskJet, DesignJet, and LaserJet models.

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