Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Printer Drivers

0 helpful
3 replies

by crisbastap

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
I have a Panasonic KX-FMC230 Fax/Scanner. It's a couple of years old and Panasonic no longer supports it. When I upgraded from WinMe to WinXP, the Panasonic printer drivers no longer worked. I searched the net and found some drivers for this device with software called Pana Link. I installed them and they worked fine for awhile. At some point they stopped working, and I don't remember why. A couple of days ago I decided to re-install the Pana Link software (this is an auxillary printer; my mainprinter is an Epson Stylus Scan 2000 on a USB connection). Everything seemed to install correctly, but when I tried to print on the Panasonic I got the error message that this document has failed to print. I went into the Device Manager and clicked on Ports, and then double clicked on COM1, which is the port I had assigned this printer to (the Panasonic is connected to the computer with a serial cable). I clicked the Driver tab and then Update Driver. I then selected Install From a List or Specific Location. Then I selected Don't Search. I will choose the driver to install. There were two choices under Model. Both of them were labeled Communications Port. I selected the lower of the two and clicked OK. Now when I tried to print on the Panasonic, everything went fine. The problem is, I have to go through this every time after I turn the computer off and then on again (every day). Apparently, WinXP defaults to the driver that doesn't work. Is there a way to avoid this?

3 replies

by dave.osborne

Find the file in the windows/system32 dir and find the INF file that XP keeps looking at "wrong driver file" and just delete that INF

This file can be found by going into the Device Manager and viewing the driver file details for that printer

*warning - if you by accident delete the wrong file, you'll have to install whichever device corresponds to the INF you accidently deleted*

Make sure you pick the correct INF file before doing this. You can always double check by opening the INF file and looking to see what device it is associated with (usually towards the top of the file)

by crisbastap

Hello Dave,
Thanks for your response on the Tech Republic site to my question about printer drivers

I'm sorry, that first sentence just doesn't make any sense to me. I went to the windows/system 32 directory and did find an INF file that had Panasonic in its name, but I don't understand how to determine if that is the file that XP is choosing. I thought drivers were DLL files anyway. Why am I looking for an INF file? I did go back into the Device Manager and looked at the driver file details for the Panasonic printer. There are two listed: windows\system 32\drivers\serenum.sys, and windows\system 32\drivers\serial.sys. I assume the problem is with one of those, and the other is the one that works. I don't know how to tell which is which, since there is no message or sign that says "wrong driver file" as you said. Should I save one of these files in another location before I delete it, and then if it doesn't work I'll just restore it?
Thanks for your help! -Chris Haller

This discussion is closed to new replies.