PCTech Forums

I have a Lexmark X75 Printer/Scanner connected to my computer via USB. It works fine and everything, but the problem is when I disconnect the USB cable from the computer to hook up another one. When I plug the printer back into the USB slot, it detects new hardware and tries to go through the installation again, even though it is already installed. I cancel everything and it takes 5 minutes just for Windows to tell me that there was a problem and my new hardware might not work correctly. But it does work, since it is already installed. How do I get it to stop detecting the new hardware everytime I plug it in?

Most new motherboards come with 4 USB ports.

Now when you unplug the printer and plug it in again in a different port, it treats it as a new device. Plus you can dasiy chain 127 devices out of one port. So you can litter-ally install that printer 4x127 times on your computer. Printers and scanners preboot before the O/S loads.

So if you forget to read the instructions on installing an HP printer scanner, you have to call me in order to get it running. You have installed it seven different ways and it is not going to run.

The first thing to remember when you install a scanner or printer, rule one. is to not hook it up, install the software first and then when it tells you, hook it up. The bad news here is that when you plug it into another port, you have just violated rule one. It gets worse, now the system thinks that there are two printers to load before the O/S loads and you get the find new hardware routine.

My suggestion is this; pick a USB port for the printer and use it only for that. Buy a USB hub with a power supply assist (the basic amperage draw of a motherboard is 500 mili amps per USB port max. Exced that and you run the risk of blowing the power supply)
and use that for the other devices, and pay particular attention as to the port you use for each device.

USB is too stupid to realize that it is the same device, hope this is of some help

My motherboard is somewhat old so I only have 2 USB ports.

Now when I go under the control panel and go to printers/scanners only the one Lexmark is listed. I don't see any multiple installs of the same printer on my computer. Unfortunately the 2 USB ports are already taken by my mouse and my printer. The printer didn't come with instructions since I got it for free from a friend of mine and I had to download the installation file off of the internet.

I'm probably just better off not using it huh? If it's going to take up space on my computer each and every time I plug it back in, it's probably just best to keep it out. I'm not sure what else to do here...

buy yourself a USB hub and plug it into one of the USB ports. Now plug the printer into one of the ports on the hub--there are usually 4. I recomend buying a USB port with a power assist cord. This keeps you from overloading the current draw from the motherboard.

First though, go into device manager in XP and click on view and select show hidden devices. You'll probably see that printer several times.

I'm guessing here, but I think that plugging in the printer after the O/S has booted would mess up a printer or scanner, since they llike to load before the O/S boots.

In any event, I would go into device manager and remove all of the USB and shut the system down. Then plug in the hub,mouse and boot up. Then plug in the printer and jump through what ever hoops it demands. It should work ok on boot after that