Network printer cannot be found

[Russ in Vancouver]

Hi,

sry if this is a no no, but I am really stumped with my printer.
I uninstalled and reinstalled the software, the scanner via usb works but the printing fuction via usb and network are not.... does anyone know if this is a simple issue or if its time to buy another one.

thanks

running vista 64 bit
printer is a brother MFC 8840D it was printing fine last week, then I dismantled the whole office to reno and just putting things back together........and now it wont work :(

[billbenson]

I kind of wonder if you didn't do a vista update and that caused the problem. Do you have a computer that wasn't part of the move that you can test it on? I'm not very familiar with windows, but I know Vista never had a very good reputation.

You might try to download the latest Vista drivers for your printer as well??

[vangogh]

Russ are the printer and computer directly connected or is the connection over the network? The first thing I would do is connect them to each other directly and see if the computer can find the printer. If not then the issue is likely with the OS. Perhaps you do just need updated drivers. If the computer can recognize the printer fine when connected directly, the issue is likely how the network is set up.

Try to eliminate possible causes for the failure to recognize the printer. Discover what is and isn't working to point you to where the problem is. Once you've narrowed it down you can better search for a solution.

[Russ in Vancouver]

hi guys,

thanks for replies.
I called brother support and waited 68 minutes =(
they resolved the problem on the first try with methods I had already tried multiple times over. Its funny how it works like that lol
and then 1 hour lated the printer was not recognized by my pc again....
I think its time to upgrade to win7 from vista 64bit and get a new all in one as well.

thanks again!!!

[vangogh]

Weird that it stopped working again. Maybe it is time to upgrade. Definitely from Vista to Windows 7. You might want to first upgrade the software and see if the old printer works, unless you'd really like a new printer. It's not like they're all that expensive anymore.

Hopefully there are no problems with the new.

[billbenson]

I agree with VG. Upgrade windows first and then look at the printer issue. Its time to upgrade anyway.

[MyITGuy]

What steps did Brother Tech support try that worked the first time around (Might provide some insight into whats going on).

Personally, I'd say try replacing the printer first before upgrading the OS (I would recommend an HP OfficeJet/LaserJet depending on your needs). At the time Vista was released, allot of hardware had issues, especially since most didn't support the 64 bit platform that was starting to become adopted with Vista users.

The only reason I would suggest upgrading to 7 is if you purchase a new laptop/PC that comes with it...there honestly isn't much that has changed between the two platforms from my experience.

[Russ in Vancouver]

thanks for the suggestions

brother was pretty helpful once i got a human on the other end.
we did everything i did the night before except uninstall/reinstall. It just weirded out and everything worked and was discovered when the techy was on the phone lol.
Then a little later on it went back to the same buggy bs and lemoned out on me.....