Why is Windows constantly detecting an HP 8500 printer that does not exist?

It seems that after installing the last two or three Parallels 7 updates, every time my Windows XP VM boots, it goes through a whole annoying series of error messages because it says it needs the Windows CD-ROM to install a printer driver set for a printer (HP Color Laser Jet 8500 PS) that has not now, and not ever been connected, installed, or used on my Windows XP or Mac.

Even if I show it where to find the requested library (HPCJRUI.DLL), it keeps popping up again and again.

Worse, it seems to be installing this HP Color Laser Jet 8500 PS driver as the driver for all kinds of printers that I **have** had connected and keep installed so I can use them again if I have to.

I am going to try to attach or link to a screen shot I just took to illustrate the problem.

 

By the way, the problem seems to be that the VM is falsely detecting that this printer has been connected to the USB port on the computer. If I select "Cancel" from the dialogue box, it does close out the message, but then it comes back a few minutes later after detecting this new printer is installed.

 

Glad to see the Parallels team are as alert as ever.

I've avoided updated Parallels because every time I do, I get a host of these errors. Mouclass.sys and others plagued me when I updated to ML. For some reason it's always users who work out the fixes, never the Parallels team.

So, the file Parallels is looking for, HPCJRUI.DLL is here:

c:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3

Assuming you're on 32-bit XP. That should permanently fix the HP printer issue.

 

I had a simliar problem upon first upgrading to Parallels 7. I fixed it in the following way: Go to the Virtual Machine menu, click on Configure, go to the Hardware tab, click on the Print list item, and uncheck "Add all Mac printers". The problem on my machine is that it was trying to assign this seemingly random HP printer driver to all the printers from my Mac printer list.

Instead of trying to use this "feature", I instead simply installed my ethernet and USB connected printers to my Windows XP virtual machine in Windows as I normally would for Windows.

 

The HP 8500 is a virtual printer, Parallels emulates the behaviour of whatever is the default printer on Mac to this printer on Windows.

 

Yes, but it's too stupid to know the location of the driver, which seems to be needed everytime Parallels makes a point release.

 

It's in your Windows CD/DVD. You just need to install it once.

 

If you bother reading the thread, you'll see it's actually already in the windows folder. And Parallels doesn't just ask for it once, it asks for it every time you update the Parallels app.

 

I normally prefer not to reply to bitter posts as they sole purpose is to vent their, many times, self-inflicted frustration, but because I already replied back in August (does that answer your doubts about reading the thread?).

You are wrongly assuming this happens to everybody using Parallels. Normally It doesn't ask everytime, that's not the normal behaviour, it's already in the Windows folder after being installed for the first time (for this or another HP printer), Windows should then pick it up automatically if it needs it again. This is not Parallels 'asking' this is a Windows 'asking', all Parallels does is telling the VM there's this printer, which is always the same, this is similar to connecting a printer to the computer, only needs to be set up once.

 

I've given up on updates. Same thing happens to me. Still have Parallel Tools issues and no printer installed nor will it.

 

The default HP printers print very poorly

Specimen,

I appreciate your working with us on this issue. I am a new contributor to this thread and I suspect this problem is much more widespread than you believe.

I, too, have have the problem of the HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS printer populating my printer list due to recent Parallels upgrades. I never had this problem before. Previously, clicking "Add all Mac printers" in an item named "Print" under the Hardware tab of the Config window allowed me to add my 2 desktop printers and choose their correct drivers. But the new HP printer insists on being the default and it lacks features (such as 2-sided) and uses its own font set, not even close to what I have in documents I am printing.

If I delete the new printers, the Found New Hardware dialog finds and re-installs them as fast as I can get rid of them, making one of them the default printer again.

To solve this problem, I have had to uncheck "Add all Mac printers". After a reboot, I was able to permanently delete all HP printers. Fortunately, my "good" printers never disappeared and are still usable so my system is back to normal. I only did this fix yesterday but it seems to be holding.

I guess I don't understand why Parallels docs say that we should only user the HP printers and not to install our own drivers. This doesn't currently work and doesn't make a lot of sense, either.

 

I've had the same experience as budsmirin, and I'm sorry to report that, no, the "8500" does *NOT* properly emulate whatever real HP printer is out there. The 8500 doesn't even know what double-sided printing is, and therefore doesn't offer it as a possible option (i.e., it's not even half-there greyed-out!). So, I can't queue documents from my Windows 7 applications to my HP Photosmart Premium 410a (connected via Ethernet) and have them come out double-sided. And, the same problem exists for the photo tray on the '410a - there's no such thing on an 8500...

I'll go back and make sure that my Mac-sharing of printers is turned off. It may explain why Windows thinks that my Cyan cartridge isn't compatible, but Mac OS X does. (And, yes, it is a Genuine HP cartridge, thank you).

So, yes, there are a lot of bitter (and/or skittish) users out there that were (badly) burned by the recent Parallels 8.0 update debacle. Perhaps some thorough regression testing in the future might placate us.

 

Sadly, I have to confirm that the issue was seen here as well. I was able to mitigate it by switching off "Synchronize the default printer" option under Hardware -> Print in VM configuration. Also for the record, I do not get the idea of using HP printer to represent ANY printer connected to Mac.

 

One of the users here actually sent me a private message asking me for my attention to this thread, first and foremost I don't think that is reason enough to send private messages.

Secondly, I actually had already seen the thread and decided not to comment because I have nothing else to add, but since for some reason people want so hard for me to comment here's what i have to say:

*The HP 8500 is supposed to be a generic printer, a placeholder for whatever is the default printer on the mac, it's an emulation only useful if you share your USB printer(s) between Mac and Windows AND want to use it simultaneously on both sides.

*If you are using network printers there's no point in using the printer sharing capabilities in Parallels, connect to it directly.

*I haven't personally witnessed the referred problems of having this printer installation constantly popping up, for those I suggest you contact Parallels Support directly, the forums are not actually Parallels Support.

*What Parallels does is simply emulating the existence of the HP 8500, when you have share mac printers with Windows turned on, it's a virtual printer, the rest is up to Windows, if you don't like it, turn it off.

I'm not really saying anything new here besides what I had already said before.

 

You do realize that the people you're talking to here are your customers, not some random internet trolls? Rather than being sniffy in your response, which was actually helpful, maybe you could take the moral high ground and drop the sniping comments. Parallels Desktop is a really great product, but the support is really not that good at all.

 

I don't work for Parallels, you are not my 'customers', I'm a Parallels Product Expert, meaning, Parallels recognizes me as an expert user. In other words, I'm just like you and I might actually know what I'm taking about.
If I help you in anyway, it's because I like to help, not because I have any responsibility to do so, if I help you I'm doing you a favour in exchange of nothing (most of the time people don't even thank me).

 

Because of your avatar and signature, I thought you were an employee. Knowing you're not is a mixed blessing -at least I now know that Parallels Staff aren't rude, or even lack knowledge of their own product and at the same time, apologies to you if you're just being helpful.

You could still drop the holier than thou attitude, especially when your solution doesn't work for some versions of Windows (notably XP). It does work for Win7 and Vista.

 

I don't see the point of trying to pick a fight with me and at the same time killing a thread that was supposed to be useful for you?

 

Let me take over, guys.
@MarkH - I've sent you a private message. Please email me, I'll take care of the issue.
@Specimen - Thank you very much for explaining what virtual printing is!

 

Besides all the confusement, unfriendly messages and the fact that the "Parallels Team" found it in their hearts to finally post a response after half a year, is there a solution to this annoying problem yet? We also have a Windows XP installation that has been running fine for month until a Parallels Tools update decided to keep asking for the imaginary 8500 printer and prevents our invoice software from starting properly. Is there a way to revert back to the previous Parallel Tools?