Vista and HP help needed.

[Griffin NoName]

Just installed my HP printer to my laptop running Vista.

I use Bluetooth to from laptop to printer - at least did on the old laptop - and have installed it on new laptop.

Bluetooth installed on serial port COM13.

Go into HP printer properties to add port COM13 to the list -> "add port" : get choice of adding
Adobe PDF Port
Local Port
Standard TCP/IP Port

No serial port available on the "add port" list, even though there are serial ports (COM1-5 all available but no COM13) in the existing HP port list.

Bluetooth s/w won't allow me to change COM13 so I can't force it to use one of the existing COM1-5 ports.

(It is ALL HP.... both the bluetooth and the printer. )

I either need to get serial COM13 into the printer properties list, or I need to change COM13 to COM1,2,3,4,or 5 which are all free.

I've been racketing around on HP support site and getting nowhere.

I can't see the wood for the trees.

Can anyone phrase a sensible seach phrase or whatever to get an answer on this from HP........

((Or can anyone think of a Vista approach to forcibly get the COM match I need that would circumvent the paucity of options offered by the HP interface.))

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I'm here to avoid being helpful at all.

I stopped buying HP printers when they started placing chips on their cartridges to force you to buy ink you don't need.

I wouldn't voluntarily use Vista even if it implied a monthly check for the hassle.
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But I'm intrigued about the bluetooth interface, the printer and the laptop are bluetooth capable or you had dongles? I ask because perhaps using bluetooth for the printer is better than the terrible wifi implementations I've seen so far.

[Griffin NoName]

But I'm intrigued about the bluetooth interface, the printer and the laptop are bluetooth capable or you had dongles? I ask because perhaps using bluetooth for the printer is better than the terrible wifi implementations I've seen so far.

Dongles. And they and the printer all worked perfectly together. At least they did on XP. Now, I have Bluetooth on my laptop anyway....... so one less dongle.

Except I can't get the internal bluetooth to work on my Vista laptop at present, another dull tale of tribulation, so am still using two dongles.

[Griffin NoName]

Doh!  Well maybe not so much. Found some "HP BTooth dongle" firmware update for Vista on HP site - updating drivers to Vista was not enough..... Now successfully printing.  Hurrah!

OH and a note in case anyone else tries this, ONLY the dongles work together; can't use laptop bluetooth to THAT (2 yr old) printer. I'd forgotten it had to have the truly special and wonderful HP dongles as opposod to any old bluetooth.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Doh!  Well maybe not so much. Found some "HP BTooth dongle" firmware update for Vista on HP site - updating drivers to Vista was not enough..... Now successfully printing.  Hurrah!

OH and a note in case anyone else tries this, ONLY the dongles work together; can't use laptop bluetooth to THAT (2 yr old) printer. I'd forgotten it had to have the truly special and wonderful HP dongles as opposod to any old bluetooth.

Gotta love HP  ..... at least they DID update their drivers, which was going to be my first suggestion....kudos for you for finding it, though...

I do find it odd that the printer cannot talk to your newer laptop's bluetooth built-in, though.....

On the other hand, I typically use a network hook for the printer:  I get a network dongle, run a wire to the printer....you have to get up to put paper in anyway, may as well put it next to the main router, where a short CAT5 cable and a printer server thingy connect the printer to any PC on the network.

Wireless WiFI to any portables in the house, via one of the TCP/IP printer protocols....and the printer just works.

I'm with Zono, though.  I asiduously avoid HP and Lexmark printers these days due to the chipped ink tanks.

My ancient Canon LASER printer keeps chugging along fine...it uses HP toner cartridges, but these are old enough that I can use refurbished (read:  refilled) cartridges and save some landfill space.  _{(right.  that's the reason why I use them....couldn't be because I'm a cheap b~stard, could it? no....... )}

Frankly, I did not realize you *could* print via BlueTooth...but it makes sense...sorta...I wonder if I could bluetooth my Windows Mobile Smart Fone....it has a whoppin' cool bluetooth built-in....

....hmmm.

[Griffin NoName]

I was printing via Bluetooth long before I had any wireless network...... !

It was not the drivers upgrades I was "proud" of finding..... they are a permanent pest... it was the "firmware" one for the dongle.... I'd never even considered the concept.

The ONLY those HP dongles rather than any old bluetooth dongles is probably just historic development issues with HP.... they started down the bluetooth root and then abandoned it for "real" wireles

And yes, "one" still has to get up to attend to things like paper.... but I keep mine petty well loaded and I can hear when anything goes wrong.... hence I can stay in bed and still print quite a lot without having to move...... (printer in another room but within ear distance) 

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I was printing via Bluetooth long before I had any wireless network...... !

It was not the drivers upgrades I was "proud" of finding..... they are a permanent pest... it was the "firmware" one for the dongle.... I'd never even considered the concept.

The ONLY those HP dongles rather than any old bluetooth dongles is probably just historic development issues with HP.... they started down the bluetooth root and then abandoned it for "real" wireles

And yes, "one" still has to get up to attend to things like paper.... but I keep mine petty well loaded and I can hear when anything goes wrong.... hence I can stay in bed and still print quite a lot without having to move...... (printer in another room but within ear distance) 

You need one of these:

amazon thingy

That way, you can print directly to a PDF format, send it to your device, and be reading in minutes.... no need to get out of bed at all.....



Sadly, I don't know if they will be available in the UK or no....

I do like how Amazon is couching these a a possible paper-replacement thingy...

[Griffin NoName]

I was printing via Bluetooth long before I had any wireless network...... !

It was not the drivers upgrades I was "proud" of finding..... they are a permanent pest... it was the "firmware" one for the dongle.... I'd never even considered the concept.

The ONLY those HP dongles rather than any old bluetooth dongles is probably just historic development issues with HP.... they started down the bluetooth root and then abandoned it for "real" wireles

And yes, "one" still has to get up to attend to things like paper.... but I keep mine petty well loaded and I can hear when anything goes wrong.... hence I can stay in bed and still print quite a lot without having to move...... (printer in another room but within ear distance) 

You need one of these:

amazon thingy

That way, you can print directly to a PDF format, send it to your device, and be reading in minutes.... no need to get out of bed at all.....



Sadly, I don't know if they will be available in the UK or no....

I do like how Amazon is couching these a a possible paper-replacement thingy...

Can buy Kindle Accessories on Amazon.co.uk but not an actual Kindle - they are delaying its launch in the UK.

And anyway I only print out stuff I want to actually be on paper......

But I think I might like a Kindle anyway.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Can buy Kindle Accessories on Amazon.co.uk but not an actual Kindle - they are delaying its launch in the UK.

And anyway I only print out stuff I want to actually be on paper......

But I think I might like a Kindle anyway.

I love my Kindle 1.  Wouldn't part with it willingly.

In fact, I'm seriously considering trying to purchase a 2nd one, as a backup, and a loaner.  I'll get a used one, if I am able, and I'll stick to the K1, because neither the K2 nor the DX have an extra memory slot.  I keep a ton of non-kindle (but kindle-readable) books in my memory slot.

As for the loaner?  I've currently no way to loan kindle books I've purchased, to people who may wish to "take a bite" from a new author I've stumbled across.

But, if I have 2 on my account, each may contain all the kindle books I've purchased....in duplicate.  Plus, with the K1, I can put a honkin' huge memory chip in there, and have as much as I can find if I want.

I think Amazon screwed the pooch, removing the memory slot on the K2 and DX.....time will tell, though.