Re: Windows 7 driver for HP Laserjet Series II?

Geoff wrote:
> Hello
>
> I was able to run my Brother HL-8 PS printer under Windows XP Pro
> using the HP LaserJet Series II driver listed under XP but so far have
> not been able to get the printer working with Windows 7 Home Premium.
>
> I thought of trying the XP driver but if I attempt to get the HP
> LaserJet Series II driver from the Windows XP Pro CD (using Windows 7
> install printer and 'have disk' etc) I get the error message,
>
> "Driver cannot be installed. Access denied".
>
> Any idea of how to get round this, or any better ideas?!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Geoff

Geoff,

Not much useful from the HP web site:
"HP has a Windows Vista driver solution available for your product. This
driver will enable your product's basic functions to work. You can
conveniently find this driver in your Windows Vista operating system, today.

If your printer currently uses either a PCL5, PCL6 or PostScript XP
driver you may download the current XP driver from HP to provide
printing functionality. Windows Vista printing is very similar to
Windows XP and most print drivers supported in the XP environment for
LaserJet printers may also work in the Windows Vista operating system."

However, apparently the HL-8 has full Postscript support, which means it
should work with almost any operating system.

Here is my suggestion. Use Google to find the web page with Adobe
PPD's, Page Printer Description files for PostScript printers. The HL-8
PostScript is a clone, so Adobe won't have a PPD for it. Download the
HP PPDs, unzip the file and install the LaserJet III PPD. This ought to
work.

If you can still find a PPD for the HL-8 on the Brother web site, you
can use it. The Brother web site no longer has anything for the elderly
HL-8.

A PPD is a straight text file installable as a driver under most
versions of Windows, although I have not tried doing so with Windows 7.

.... Ben Myers

Geoff wrote:
> On Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:16:52 -0500, Ben Myers <>
> wrote:
>
>> Geoff wrote:
>>> Hello
>>>
>>> I was able to run my Brother HL-8 PS printer under Windows XP Pro
>>> using the HP LaserJet Series II driver listed under XP but so far have
>>> not been able to get the printer working with Windows 7 Home Premium.
>>>
>>> I thought of trying the XP driver but if I attempt to get the HP
>>> LaserJet Series II driver from the Windows XP Pro CD (using Windows 7
>>> install printer and 'have disk' etc) I get the error message,
>>>
>>> "Driver cannot be installed. Access denied".
>>>
>>> Any idea of how to get round this, or any better ideas?!
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Geoff
>> Geoff,
>>
>> Not much useful from the HP web site:
>> "HP has a Windows Vista driver solution available for your product. This
>> driver will enable your product's basic functions to work. You can
>> conveniently find this driver in your Windows Vista operating system, today.
>>
>> If your printer currently uses either a PCL5, PCL6 or PostScript XP
>> driver you may download the current XP driver from HP to provide
>> printing functionality. Windows Vista printing is very similar to
>> Windows XP and most print drivers supported in the XP environment for
>> LaserJet printers may also work in the Windows Vista operating system."
>>
>> However, apparently the HL-8 has full Postscript support, which means it
>> should work with almost any operating system.
>>
>> Here is my suggestion. Use Google to find the web page with Adobe
>> PPD's, Page Printer Description files for PostScript printers. The HL-8
>> PostScript is a clone, so Adobe won't have a PPD for it. Download the
>> HP PPDs, unzip the file and install the LaserJet III PPD. This ought to
>> work.
>>
>> If you can still find a PPD for the HL-8 on the Brother web site, you
>> can use it. The Brother web site no longer has anything for the elderly
>> HL-8.
>>
>> A PPD is a straight text file installable as a driver under most
>> versions of Windows, although I have not tried doing so with Windows 7.
>
> Ben,
>
> Thanks for you reply with the info.
>
> I was amazed to find that using the Add Printer wizard, selecting HP
> and then using the Windows update option listed a driver for HP
> LaserJet Series II printer!! That worked fine.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Geoff
>
>> ... Ben Myers

Did you end up with PostScript or PCL printing? ... Ben Myers

Ben Myers <ben_my...@charter.net> wrote:

> Did you end up with PostScript or PCL printing?

Ps on the LJ-II required a 33439P or 33439Q module in a font
cartridge slot, and some additional printer RAM. This was
a rare configuration, and had the reputation of being really slow.

--
Regards, Bob Niland private.php?do=newpm&u=
http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com
NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

rjn wrote:
> Ben Myers <ben_my...@charter.net> wrote:
>
>> Did you end up with PostScript or PCL printing?
>
> Ps on the LJ-II required a 33439P or 33439Q module in a font
> cartridge slot, and some additional printer RAM. This was
> a rare configuration, and had the reputation of being really slow.
>
> --
> Regards, Bob Niland private.php?do=newpm&u=
> http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com
> NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

Bob,

Too true. But the OP is using a Brother HL-8 PS, a LaserJet II clone
with PostScript. It may or may not be slow as a slug with PostScript,
like the LJ II. I do not know. Never encountered one.

I have always found PostScript printing to be both more trouble-free and
more universally accepted than the various flavors of PCL. Networked
PostScript printers work flawlessly with Macs, all variants of Linux and
Unix, and ALL versions of Windows. For a time, Adobe Acrobat PDFs were
especially troublesome when printed with an HP PCL driver, and Adobe had
a whole list of hints for what to do overcome the PCL issues... Ben Myers

Ben Myers <ben_my...@charter.net> wrote:

> It may or may not be slow as a slug with PostScript,
> like the LJ II. *I do not know. *Never encountered one.

My recollection is that the Ps "font ctg" solution on the LJ2 and
Lj3 was slow due to processing done in the module, and wait
states and/or low bandwidth to main RAM. Ps on LaserJets
wasn't really practical until the LJ4 (which I have, w/ Ps).

> I have always found PostScript printing to be both more trouble-free and
> more universally accepted than the various flavors of PCL. *Networked
> PostScript printers work flawlessly with Macs, all variants of Linux and
> Unix, and ALL versions of Windows. *For a time, Adobe Acrobat PDFs were
> especially troublesome when printed with an HP PCL driver, and Adobe had
> a whole list of hints for what to do overcome the PCL issues...

I insist on resident Ps in any new printers I buy, and when I
break that rule, I regret it. I have a cp1700d in the basement
which simply cannot be used to print large PDFs. it "forgets"
downloaded fonts about halfway through the job, rendering the
subsequent pages as gibberish. Print-as-graphics is a workaround,
but at substantially degraded quality.

Ps isn't issue-free, either. It's usually applying a different gamma
than the PCL path (which can be a benefit or a hazard). And, at
least on the LJ4, it's really slow for large raster images. It's
almost as if each pixel is being sent as a separate vector.

But if you really want to get left behind, buy printer with a
"host RIP". I also have an original PhotoSmart iPCL printer
that is now a total driver orphan.

--
Regards, Bob Niland mailto:n...@ispname.tld
http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com
NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

On 3/23/2010 1:16 PM, Bobxxx wrote:
> Hi all. found your excellent group today.
> I also have a vintage Brother HL8 and windows 7 64bit
> Thanks to your help I now have a working printer!!!
> I did as you said and updated the printer list from the internet within
> add printer.
> As you said, the HP laserjet ii driver was then listed.
> It's only a 300dpi printer, but it now prints a photo on a full A4
> sheet.
> On win 98 and XP it always failed with memory overflow.
> Thanks again for help from a very happy pensioner.
> Bob
>
>

If you can find a memory card for a LaserJet II, you will reduce the
possibility of memory overflows. The maximum memory for an LJ II is
4MB, IIRC. It was my first laser printer.

Today, there may be a problem even finding memory cards for the LJ II,
as most of them have been scrapped, even if they still work.

Oops! Not sure what sorts of memory upgrades were amde for the Brother
HL8... Ben Myers