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General discussion

Why won?t my printers work with my new 64-bit Vista machine?

Apr 2, 2010 8:07AM PDT
Question:

Why won?t my printers work with my new 64-bit Vista machine?


I've got a new HP Pavilion loaded with Windows Vista. It is a 64-bit system, and I can't use either my Epson CX4600 or my Dell AIO 940 printers. I am computer illiterate, but one of my buddies told me that I really screwed up buying this one. He says that none of my equipment can be used with the 64-bit HP and that I will have to get all new stuff when and if it ever becomes available. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can get my current scanner/printers to work with this computer? Again I must reiterate that I am not computer smart and am just a 68-year-old retiree on a fixed income.

Thanks for any suggestions you can give me.

--Submitted by Paul H. of Cornelius, OR

Here are some featured member answers to get you started, but
please read all the advice and suggestions that our
members have contributed to this question.

It's probably in need of drivers... by Wolfie2k5
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12546_102-0.html?messageID=3280278#3280278

Pretty simple. Install the drivers --Submitted by BigGuns149
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12546_102-0.html?messageID=3280596#3280596

64 bit problem --Submitted by Steven Limbrick
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12546_102-0.html?messageID=3280804#3280804

New computer problems --Submitted by waytron
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12546_102-0.html?messageID=3284186#3284186

Printer drivers For Epson CX4600 and Dell AIO 940--Submitted by MichaelFoust
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12546_102-0.html?messageID=3280089#3280089

Thank you to all who contributed!

If you have an answer for Paul, click the reply link below and submit it. Please be as detailed as possible when providing a solution or recommendation. Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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Vista 64-bit machine with printers
Apr 2, 2010 2:28PM PDT

One must go to the Epson site and download drivers for a 64bit Vista machine. Go to Epson/support/drivers/drop-down for the printer, and download and install. I did this for my Epson/Vista 64bit and no problem. Then I upgraded to Windows 7 and no problem.

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A Possible Solution
Apr 2, 2010 2:49PM PDT

As other folks have suggested, first contact your printer vendor to see if there are 64bit drivers available.

If not, ask their Tech Support folks what language your printer driver was written in e.g. Postscript and whether they have any other printers with 64bit drivers using that same language. If they do, download them and try them one at a time. You might get lucky and save the cost of new printers.

I bought a refurbished Canon all in one printer only to find out they didn't have a 64 bit driver for that printer. They did have similar language ones and I found one that worked like a charm.

You have to ask them though. They will not offer this advice or any support.

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Printers with Vista 64
Apr 2, 2010 2:52PM PDT

Check with your printers website and see if there are any driver downloads to upgrade the printers that you are trying to use. Most likely just a driver issue.

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why wont my printers work with my new 64 bit vista machine
Apr 2, 2010 2:59PM PDT

go to epson. com and down load the lastest drivers for 64 bit vista same for dell.

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Printer drivers for CX4600 Epson
Apr 2, 2010 3:06PM PDT

Paul H.
Epson has a full line of drivers for every printer that I have ever needed. Go to Epson.com and find the support and drivers link click and their site will open, click printers then on the scroll down to find your printer CX4600 click it and next page click windows then all drivers for that model printer Win XP. Vista 32 Vista 64 Bit and Windows 7 select only the drivers you need and install them. I cannot comment on Dell because I never owned one. I have used Vista and Windows 7 drivers on two epson printers and they work.

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64 bit vista operating system and printer problems
Apr 2, 2010 3:33PM PDT

I also had a problem with the 64 bit vista talking to my old printer. I bought an HP DV7 laptop that came with Vista 64 bit operating system. I ended up buying a HP J6480 all in one printer and have not had a problem since. The printer must be able to operate with the 64 bit system or you must buy a new printer. This was the only solution that both microsoft and HP could come up with. HP even has a list of printers (if you are interested in an HP printer) that will work with the vista 64 bit operating system.

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TRY AGAIN!! EPSON PRINTERS AND VISTA
Apr 2, 2010 4:06PM PDT

I have an HP 32 bit computer. It is a Vista and runs very similarly to my old XP with all its updates, so I had little problem getting used to it. My old Lexmark printer gave up the ghost, so I got an Epson that Staples was pushing.. My computer is 32 bit, not 64 as you mentioned, but the Epson didn't like my computer any more that the other readers' machines did. I couldn't get it to print; Iit ate the paper IF it accepted it at all, and the error messages were numerous and without end. Only Machiavelli has more creativity. SO I dumped that one on my unsuspecting cousin because his wife needed a fax machine, and I got an other directl from Epson which had been vetted to go. It was only $36. It had many of the "Features" of the other one, but no fax. I didn't care; I didn't use the fax. SO I hooked it up, and immediately it told me my ink was no good. The ink was directly from the new package. SO I put in more new ink. This was not cheap. THen it wouldn't takee the paper. I went out and bought a heavier grade of paper. It didn't like THAT, either. Finally, it decided that it couldn't talk with my computer. This after talking with it for several hours.. I haven't been able to use it now for about four months. I plan to drop-kick it out a second story window.

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Vista 64bit with CX4600
Apr 2, 2010 5:13PM PDT

I also have an Epson CX4600 and it worked beautifully on my HP laptop that also ran Vista 64-bit. I had to download the latest Epson driver from this website in order to get it to work, but everything worked great! http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?oid=41663&infoType=Downloads. The installation disks that come with the CX4600 will not work so you will have to download this driver.

As for the Dell, I can't speak directly to this, but your vintage 2003 Dell AIO A940 has served you well for 7 years and probably won't work with Vista 64 (or Vista 32-bit for that matter). I would recommend that you donate this to the charity of your choice and treat yourself to a brand new, much much faster All-In-One device. You'll enjoy the speed, performance, lower cost of ownership of any of the new All-In-One devices on the market today.

Lastly, you've made a good purchase. I've run Vista 64-bit on my HP machine and have loved the performance, speed, security and reliablilty. Just make sure you have Vista Service Pack 2 installed and at least 4GB of Ram and you should have a great user experience. I run more than 100 HP Vista machines running both Vista 32-bit and 64-bit at our company and both versions just work great with very little support required! (I also have more than 100 Mac machines on our network, so you can see, I'm not just another fan boy blowing smoke.)

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Possible solution
Apr 2, 2010 5:22PM PDT

Have you checked for driver updates on the printer and pc manufacturers support sites?
Those updates are usually at no cost,and as far as i know,the companies usually update their drivers for new systems.

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Vista with 64-bit
Apr 2, 2010 5:55PM PDT

Dear Paul,
Please, connect to Epson web site and download CX4700 driver for Windows Vista 64-bit. It should be work!

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Printers not working
Apr 2, 2010 7:17PM PDT

If you run into problems while installing a printer, or if you've added a printer but are unable to use it, you might need to install or update the printer driver so that it is compatible with the version of Windows you're running.

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It's probably in need of drivers...
Apr 2, 2010 8:00PM PDT

A driver is a piece of software that tells the computer how to access a given device. More than likely, you don't have the appropriate drivers installed on the computer.

Your friend is also quite wrong. There appear to be drivers available for Vista 64 for both devices.

For instance, the Epson drivers can be found on this page:
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=41663&prodoid=46048266&infoType=Downloads&platform=All

The Dell's drivers can be found here:
http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cat=sup&cs=19&rpp=12&p=1&subcat=dyd&rf=all&nk=t&sort=K&nf=19019%7e7%7e161370&navla=19019%7e7%7e161370&ira=False&spf=Printer&ssysid=PRN_ALL_A940&ssysn=A940+(Personal+All-in-One)&~srd=False&ipsys=False&advsrch=False&~ck=anav

Alternatively, you can simply get the service tag from the back of your Dell printer and type into the search box on Dell's home page and you'll be taken to a list of search results. It should guide you to the appropriate drivers.

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printer driver
Apr 18, 2010 1:57AM PDT

I bought a Dell E520, Dell printer together from Dell. The Dell came w/Vista. But the printer driver Dell sent was the wrong driver for Vista and it took Dell service almost a year to address the problem. I have a Dell service contract but worthless with printer-driver problem. I ended up taking it to a local repair service, and no problems since.

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ve got a new HP Pavilion loaded with Windows Vista. It is a
Apr 2, 2010 8:02PM PDT

I'm equally ancient but it's not a massive deal... as far as the Epson is concerned. I don't know of a CX4600- did we mean a CX3600 or a CX6400 I wonder. Anyway there are drivers on the Epson site for either of those- and a host of others- so it's a matter of going to the Epson site and grabbing them. I transferred to an HP 64 bit about a year ago and went windows 7 about 2 months ago and was pleased to find that counter to a lot of stories I've had no problems getting 64 bit drivers- and I've got quite a bit of kit. I've had more problems with (ancient) software. I'm not conversant with Dell but I'd be surprised if they can't offer 64bit Drivers. Colin Gooch

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Check out websites
Apr 2, 2010 8:22PM PDT

Before you do anything drastic like getting all new equipment you should check online to see if there are any 64 bit drivers available for your current equipment.

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64 Bit software.
Apr 2, 2010 8:29PM PDT

I had the same problem with my Epson PX700W. I went onto their website and it recognised my system as Windows 7 64 Bit and directed me to the required software. So try that and you should get what you need.

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Similar problem with windows 7
Apr 2, 2010 9:02PM PDT

My HP Officejet J4680 did not work with my new Windows 7 Compaq laptop. I contacted HP and they sent me a CD which fixed the problem.
phelpsbill

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reply
Apr 2, 2010 9:11PM PDT
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re:Why won?t my printers work with my new 64-bit Vista machi
Apr 2, 2010 9:24PM PDT

Epson site have all-in-one 64bit Vista drivers&programs

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wrt54g linksys router problem
Apr 2, 2010 9:31PM PDT

why i cant connect to internet with my wrt54g router? is there anything i can do to connect to internet? please help me.

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64-bit HP drivers
Apr 2, 2010 9:36PM PDT

Check the Hewlitt-Packard website. First, see if there is a 64-bit version of the driver for your particular printer and if not try to look for a driver that HP came out with a little while ago. It's supposed to be a 'universal" driver developed for people encountering driver problems with Vista & I believe that it may have been aimed at folks with older HP models but it should work on yours also, if I correctly remember the advertising blurb about it.

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Do you qualify...
Apr 2, 2010 9:55PM PDT

Hi Paul,
since its introduction, Vista has been a real pain for drivers for older peripherals, particularly the 64 bit version. However, all is not lost with the two printers you mention, there are updated drivers that support 64 bit Vista. I see another poster has supplied the links so I won't repeat but a Google search for, for example, "Epson CX4600 64 bit driver" (without the quotes) will find the Epson support links you need - it came first in my Google search. You can try the same technique for any other peripherals you have that are giving you grief. The driver downloads are free. Quite often, the first time you encounter this kind of issue, you may not know where to start, so I included this preamble.

What I was actually going to say was that depending when you bought this machine (you say it is new) you may be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7. If so, you should take it (get a friend or family member to help you install it) since it is a much better operating system than Vista, some say it is what Vista should have been, and the device manufacturers are all writing any new drivers for 7, rather than Vista, though 7 came with a much more compatible driver set anyway. Check with whoever you bought the machine from or HP Customer Services to see whether you are eligible for the free upgrade.

Good luck.

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If someone has got solution !!!!!!!!!!!!
Apr 16, 2010 2:32PM PDT

Just recently I have upgraded my system & have installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64bits. It is like a nightmare to me that I could not install my Canon MP390 (Multi Function Device) in it. However, windows searched the driver for printer & installed it automatically, scanner + Fax is still unistalled & it did not find driver of it.
I also have Canon LBP2900 Laserjet printer which too could not be installed. Even marathon search on various websites did not provide sulution.
Can someone help me provide solution ?????????????????

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Getting your printer to work with new operating systems.
Apr 2, 2010 9:59PM PDT

This is less daunting than appears. This (or something quite similar) will work with most any system.

Go to your peripheral's web site. In the Epson CX4600 case, go to www.epson.com.

There is an option for drivers and support. A drop-down menu will give the option for printers.

Enter CX4600 into the product box. You will get one option. Click on it.

You will see a line for "Download the latest drivers for: Windows | Macintosh | All". Select Windows.

The newest driver is Windows 7 compatible. From the web site:
Epson EasyPrint v3.10
Windows 7 32-bit Edition compatible, Windows 7 64-bit Edition compatible, Windows Vista 64-bit Edition compatible, Windows Vista 32-bit Edition compatible, Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit Edition, Windows 2000

Download it. The site will guide you through the rest of the procedure.

You should be able to go to Dell's web site and get the other printer driver from their site. Good luck.

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64 Bit system
Apr 2, 2010 10:02PM PDT

I am 70 years old. No problem re age!

Go to the web sites of your printers and other hardware. Download and install the 64 bit drivers. Your older equipment will then work.

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64 bit drivers
Apr 2, 2010 10:25PM PDT

A very simple task, go on line and search for Epson CX4600 64 bit driver, do the same for the Dell AIO 940 64 bit driver, they are both self extracting programes and will install easily. 64 bit Machines are much more stable than 32 bit and almost anything will run as long as you have a 64 bit driver. The altenative is to log on to Epsons web site and search for the printer driver you require for your model of printer.
Happy printing

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Should Be Under "Easy Questions, Easy Answers"
Apr 2, 2010 10:27PM PDT

With a 64-bit O/S, whether XP, Vista or Windows 7, you will need to install the appropriate 64-bit printer drivers.

For your Epson you can find them here: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=41663&prodoid=46048266&infoType=Downloads&platform=All

For your Dell things appear a bit bleaker. It does not seem as if Dell has chosen to develop 64-bit drivers for this particular piece of "legacy" hardware and indeed has not produced a driver update for this product more recently than 2003. Evidently it's from the era when they were still using that little topologically impossible "E" in their trademark.

It is possible that a rudimentary driver that permits you to use print functionality on that unit may be available as part of the O/S distribution. Have you tried? The system might find it automatically.

Unfortunately, failure to support their legacy hardware under newer operating systems has become rather common even among more reputable manufacturers, a fact that became uncomfortably clear to me when I discovered that my perfectly serviceable and thoroughly adequate for my every need HP C6350 scanner was not usable even with 32-bit Vista.

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YES YOU CAN! (use your printers)
Apr 2, 2010 10:42PM PDT

They will work if you get new drivers from the printer manufacturers web sites. Your original CD won't work, Epson say so, but the printers will. I think you also need a more informed "expert" - who researches and reads things versus pick's them up at Mo's Bar.

You need:

TWAIN Driver and EPSON Scan Utility v3.04A

epson12294.exe - 21.1MB - posted on 06/01/07

From Driver downloads on http://www.epson.com/

The full link would not work for me but in case:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=FAQ&oid=41663&prodoid=46048266&foid=103775&cat=31023&subcat=30974

, it seems to time out so you may have to navigate there yourself using the driver details above in the search string.

It took me 10 minutes to find this, starting with little knowledge. There are a load of drivers for this printer with 32 and 64 bit XP, Vista and 7. Etc.

I have an old Epson DX7400 and had no problems installing it on a Pavillion 64 bit with Vista.

BTW DO take up the 7 upgrade offer if you bought this recently and follow the destructions carefully, most importantly creating the restore disks from Vista before upgrading, which you MUST do anyway if you want to rebuild after your HD fails. Balmer won't let you create a set of Windows 7 Restore disks direct in Windows 7, you have to restore Vista and Upgrade it all over again. But it is a PC and therefore broken - so serve you right Happy:

I imagine with a small amount of searching you can get appropriate drivers from the Dell site also, once you overcome the autistic PC Techies version of intuitive web site design (A GUI version of multi level nested menu structure taking you to descriptions only they can understand vs. the stuff most people want under big buttons). Just be patient and save links as you go like unrolling a ball of string in a maze and you may get even to the thing you want...

As for share and freeware, Do NOT go to one of the independent sites offering drivers unless desperate or they are highly reputable, like CNET or ZDNET. They will try to sell you stuff, upload all sorts of noxious cookies, etc. Just say NO, the real deal is usually free from Kosher sources.

Enjoy, and be careful out there........

Brian

A Mac User by choice (Age 67 and 3/4 and also retired on fixed income)

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You May Need a New 64 Bit Printer Driver
Apr 2, 2010 10:53PM PDT

I recently purchased a new HP desktop with a 64 bit Windows 7 operating system. I have an old HP printer that was originally used with a computer using Windows XP. I went to the HP support website for my printer model and downloaded a new driver developed to work with 64 bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. After installation of the software the printer works better than ever. Recommend you check the support websites of your printer manufacturer and see if there is a new driver available -- call the company if necessary.

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Support for Printers in Win 7(64 bit)
Apr 2, 2010 11:20PM PDT

First ... have to agree with your friend who said getting Win 7 was an error, but you are where you are...

The Epson Printer - apparently is supported with the latest software available here :
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/Supportdlsurvey.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&download=http%3a%2f%2fsupport.epson.com%2feasyprint&pn=Stylus+CX4600&pc=Epson+Stylus%3csup%3e%26reg%3b%3c%2fsup%3e+Series&ft=utility&returnpage=%2fsupport%2fsupDetail.jsp&returnparams=%26infoType%3dDownloads%26oid%3d41663%26prodoid%3d46048266&licenseoid=17774

Just accept the Epson Software License Agreement(also select whether or not you wish to be bugged by them with e-Mails.

As for the Dell AIO A940 Printers ....... the DELL site does not appear to support that printer on that OS