New hardware wizard finds a nonexistant printer

[anne]

PC has XP home (different one to the other thread).
On start up add new hardware wizard comes and wants to install a printer that does not exist.
How do i stop it?

[photolady]

What printer is it trying to install?

[anne]

Doesn'y say, just says

printer

[jenae]

hi, looks like the printer install never quite finished, open regedit and navigate to:-

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\LPTENUM
Right click the registry key, and then click Delete.
Click yes to confirm key delete. Reboot to effect changes.
Before deleting this key make sure you backup by exporting this reg key to desktop just in case.

When Windows XP restarts, it will detect the printer and install support for it. If you have no printer then nothing will happen (ie problem dissapears) After the printer is installed, it will no longer be detected each time you start Windows XP.

[anne]

This key LPTENUM cannot be deleted

[lgbpop]

Try logging in as Administrator and then deleting it.

[Rodney M]

Some times this doesn't work too. If thats the case, log in as admin and right click on LPTENUM and change permissions.

Try logging in as Administrator and then deleting it.

[anne]

I deleted LPTENUM ok after changing permissions.
When the pc rebooted the hardware wizard came back up same as before.
I went back to the registry and LPTENUM was back. I deleted again, rebooted and the same thing happened, it was back there

[Steve R Jones]

When you cancel the install and then look in Control Panel->Printers do you see anything there that shouldn't be there?

[anne]

That folder is empty

[jenae]

Hi, there was a known issue with HP printers and the wizard, you say no printer is installed, was there a HP printer on the machine? You could check the registry again for:-

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
look in the right pane of the Registry Editor window,for "PendingFileRenameOperations" and if it exists then right click on it and select delete (make sure you export this key first(backup). Reboot to take effect.

[anne]

"Pendingilerenamingoperations" is not there

[jenae]

Hi, Ok this printer is a pesky little blighter, lets go to device manager:-
Go to view
Select show hidden devices
Click the plus sign next to printers
Is there an ? if so select properties check and see what it says
Try selecting disable from the properties or select uninstall

You did not say if a HP printer was on this machine at some time?

[XOR]

Maybe there once was an USB printer attached?
In that case look in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB
Do a search for LocationInformation to find a trace of the printer. (press F3 to find next)

You also might look in eventviewer for more information.
(Start|Run > type in eventvwr )

[anne]

Hi, Ok this printer is a pesky little blighter, lets go to device manager:-
Go to view
Select show hidden devices
Click the plus sign next to printers
Is there an ? if so select properties check and see what it says
Try selecting disable from the properties or select uninstall

You did not say if a HP printer was on this machine at some time?

That did the trick there wasa printer there. I deleted it and problam solved.
Thanks