Printer install makes XP keep rebooting

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mde83 - 12 Apr 2004 22:01 GMT

When I bought my new HP 2 weeks ago with Windows XP, I installed the box software for my Brother MFC 3100C without realizing that the drivers/software was not compatable with XP. So, when the printer refused to work, I went to Brother's website and downloaded the instructions to COMPLETELY remove the software and drivers, and the UPDATED drivers that would work with XP. Problem is, when I plug the printer in and boot the computer, the computer detects the USB printer, but instead of giving me the wizard to install my downloaded drivers, it reboots, and reboots, and reboots. The only way to stop it is to unplug the printer from the computer. Can anyone help me?

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Cari \(MS MVP\) - 12 Apr 2004 23:35 GMT

Let's make sure Brother's uninstall software works as well as a human can...

Disconnect the printer fron the PC and follow Bruce Sanderson's instructions
at
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

Since it's a multi function unit, after completing Bruce's workthrough, go
into the Device Manager and ensure the scanner part has completely gone from
the section called Imaging Devices as well.

Now try restarting and see how it behaves.

Signature

Cari (MS-MVP Windows Client - Printing, Imaging & Hardware)
www.coribright.com

> When I bought my new HP 2 weeks ago with Windows XP, I installed the box software for my Brother MFC 3100C without realizing that the

drivers/software was not compatable with XP. So, when the printer refused
to work, I went to Brother's website and downloaded the instructions to
COMPLETELY remove the software and drivers, and the UPDATED drivers that
would work with XP. Problem is, when I plug the printer in and boot the
computer, the computer detects the USB printer, but instead of giving me the
wizard to install my downloaded drivers, it reboots, and reboots, and
reboots. The only way to stop it is to unplug the printer from the
computer. Can anyone help me?

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mde83 - 13 Apr 2004 01:51 GMT

Cari - I followed the instructions in Bruce's workthrough exactly, but I am still having the same problems. I also checked to make sure that there are no scanner files in the Device Manager under Imaging Devises. When the computer reboots and reboots and reboots, when I unplg the USB cable on the printer, it stops, and I get a Windows - Recovered from a Serious Error box. I have the code written down for that if it helps. Also, I did a search for files and folders containing the name or phrase "Brother". My computer found the following
c:\windows\I386\Driver.Cab\brother.dll
c:\windows\I386\Driver.Cab\brother.in
c:\windows\Driver Cache\I386\Driver.Cab\brother.dl
c:\windows\Driver Cache\I386\Driver.Cab\brother.in
c:\windows\KB824105.lo
c:\windows\setupapi.lo
c:\windows\I386\DOSNET.in
c:\windows\I386\DRVINDEX.in
c:\windows\I386\LAYOUT.in
c:\windows\I386\NTPRINT.in
c:\windows\system32\TCPMON.in
c:\windows\I386\compdata\MFPBR.ht
c:\windows\i386\compdata\MFPBR.tx
c:\windows\I386\compdata\NTCOMPAT.in

I also did not say, but I am running xp home edition, and my printer is a Brother MFC 3100

Any other suggestions? PLEASE>>>>

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Bruce Sanderson - 13 Apr 2004 02:44 GMT

See if the info at http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/AddNewFails.htm helps.

Signature

Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing

It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.

> Cari - I followed the instructions in Bruce's workthrough exactly, but I
> am still having the same problems. I also checked to make sure that there
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> Any other suggestions? PLEASE>>>>

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mde83 - 13 Apr 2004 03:16 GMT

Thanks Bruce. I have already deleted all the OEMxxx inf and pnf files that had to do with Brother. There were approximately 12 sets of these files that I deleted earlier today. I also followed all the instructions on your page to delete the printer drivers, but I still have my problem. When the computer is booted up, I plug in the USB cale into the back of the printer. In the bottom right part of my desktop, it says new USB device found, then says MFC 3100C ..., then it reboots. What else is there that I could have missed? Thanks

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Bruce Sanderson - 13 Apr 2004 05:39 GMT

Well, I'm at a bit of a loss. I don't have any Brother printers, so some
guess work is required.

From your initial post, sounds like you have already downloaded the XP
driver and an uninstaller from the Brother web site.

Are these the pages you got those from?
http://solutions.brother.com/Library/faq/printer/prfaq0772/prfaq0772.html?
http://solutions.brother.com/mfc3100c/download/drivers.html#xp.

The Brother web site implies that the MFC-3100 can be either USB or Parallel
connected. Have you tried using the parallel (LPT) connection instead of
USB?

Do you have anything else that is already USB connected?

Have you installed Windows XP Service Pack 1 and the various subsequent
updates?

Signature

Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing

It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.

> Thanks Bruce. I have already deleted all the OEMxxx inf and pnf files
> that had to do with Brother. There were approximately 12 sets of these
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> device found, then says MFC 3100C ..., then it reboots. What else is
> there that I could have missed? Thanks

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mde83 - 13 Apr 2004 22:16 GMT

Bruce. Actually, I did not use the uninstall tool in the first link. I used a manual process that was on Brother's website. I guess I will try that tool and see if it deletes anything else. As for the second link, yes, I used the driver that you provided the link for

Quaoar - You asked if I actually INSTALLED the drivers. That is the funny thing, when you download the exe file from Bother's website, it tells you to download the exe file to the desktop, then click it to decompress the files. When you do that, it guides you through creating a folder on the c drive called BROTHER, then copies 78 files to that directory. I looked through the 78 files and none are programs, just files with extentions dll, inf, cat, gpd, ini and bin. Then the instructions tell you to plug the printer into the computer with the USB cable, and then the new hardware wizard will come up. The instructions direct you to choose the location to install the drivers from as c:\Brother. So there is no exe that actually installs the drivers. Is there someplace that I should put the drivers manually so that Windows will find them automatically without me having to direct the new harware wizard...because I never get the wizard...the computer reboots just before the wizard would come up

Any more suggestions would be very welcome...and thanks for your help..

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Quaoar - 13 Apr 2004 15:53 GMT

> When I bought my new HP 2 weeks ago with Windows XP, I installed the
> box software for my Brother MFC 3100C without realizing that the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> drivers, it reboots, and reboots, and reboots. The only way to stop
> it is to unplug the printer from the computer. Can anyone help me?

This is a silly question, I know, but it must be asked: did you actually
install the XP driver after downloading it? Sometimes the driver comes
as a driver.exe which when run just unpacks the setup files to some
folder C:\driver, and the setup must then be run from that folder
setup.exe (or something) to actually do the installation (with the
printer disconnected). Normally, the driver should be installed before
the printer is connected to give the hardware installer something to
work with, and if that is done, the manager recognizes the printer by
name when it is plugged in the first time.

Q

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mde83 - 13 Apr 2004 23:01 GMT

I finally seem to have this thing working! I used the uninstall tool that Bruce gave me the link to and that seemed to do the trick. Funny thing, when I first went into the Brother website, a page came up that gave me step by step instructions to COMPLETELY ininstall the old drivers and everything. The only thing that I can see that the uninstall tool did differently was to remove the generic windows media printer that comes pre-installed in XP.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help me...I really appreciate it.

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Bruce Sanderson - 16 Apr 2004 04:18 GMT

Good that you have solved your problem.

What do you mean by "generic windows media printer"? I've installed Windows
XP many times and don't recall ever seeing something that called itself
that. If Windows XP was already installed when you purchased the computer,
that may be something that the computer vendor installed.

Signature

Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing

It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.

>I finally seem to have this thing working! I used the uninstall tool that
>Bruce gave me the link to and that seemed to do the trick. Funny thing,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Thanks to everyone who tried to help me...I really appreciate it.

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