How can I prevent PC from forgetting type of printer attached when printer is switched off?

[Black Panther]

The printer is an HP LaserJet M1522 MFP Series PCL 6.

Here are the rest of the pc's specs:

I've got this strange issue at work where I have to power on the printer first, and only afterwards start up the connected computer.

If the computer is powered on first, the printer won't work unless the computer is rebooted with printer powered on. Which shouldn't be a big deal, but the computer then won't recognize it as the printer was connected to before and re-installs it as a new printer. It changes the printer's name to be another printer of the same type while keeping the original printer still 'installed' as a phantom printer.

So all of a sudden the 'new' printer would be HP LaserJet M1522 MFP Series PCL 6 (Copy 1).

I'd want to solve this since I'm not alone in the office, and there's always someone who forgets to turn on the printer before turning on the computer. I'd have been working remotely for some 2 hours, then all my print-outs would get lost because they would be stored in the memory of the 'phantom' printer.

See image below to give you a better picture of what's happening:

I had been using Copy 6 (yes there had been 6 other phantom copies of the printer before so I deleted them!)
Someone powered on the pc before the printer... so one with the original name got created. (If I hadn't deleted the other 5 phantom copies it would've been Copy 7 instead).
Note how Copy 6 is now offline... with 17 pending documents. And there's no way I can get it online since it's physically the same printer which is actually online...

 

[Black Panther]

Anyone got a clue how I can solve this?

 

[RCoon]

Anyone got a clue how I can solve this?

A hammer?

 

[flmatter]

ummm I am not trying to be a smartazz but don't power off printer.... leave it on and just boot computer every morning or just log off computer and leave everything on in sleep mode. I sorta had similar problem with my brother mfp at home. But after I went to website and dl'ed driver and utility for 2nd time I have not had the problem since. I have not cleaned up/out the copy of the printer in my devices yet but it still works fine I just do not power off printer.

 

[kenkickr]

Is this a network printer, shared printer, or a standalone for that system? Have you tried uninstalling the driver, going into Print Management in the Administrative Tools in Control Panel, and make sure all printers are removed in the All Printers folder and make sure there are no other drivers for that printer in the All Drivers folder.

 

[Black Panther]

ummm I am not trying to be a smartazz but don't power off printer.... leave it on and just boot computer every morning or just log off computer and leave everything on in sleep mode. I sorta had similar problem with my brother mfp at home. But after I went to website and dl'ed driver and utility for 2nd time I have not had the problem since. I have not cleaned up/out the copy of the printer in my devices yet but it still works fine I just do not power off printer.

Yes, that's the only solution which works apart from having the printer powered on before the computer every morning. And according to Murphy's law there'd always be someone who forgets...
However the management (myself included) is against it since the offices are very close to storage where there's flammable material, and as a safety precaution we don't leave anything powered on while there's nobody there.

Is this a network printer, shared printer, or a standalone for that system? Have you tried uninstalling the driver, going into Print Management in the Administrative Tools in Control Panel, and make sure all printers are removed in the All Printers folder and make sure there are no other drivers for that printer in the All Drivers folder.

It's standalone, and yes I tried that.

It's getting more complicated by the minute. After I deleted 6 copies of HP... whateverthename, the default printer is "HP..... (Copy 6)" but that doesn't work. I have to choose just the original HP now. But in Devices and Printers it doesn't show up, only the Copy 6 does. And I'm not gonna delete that one... just in case..

 

[95Viper]

BP,

Have you installed the latest firmware for that printer?
HP LaserJet M1522 Firmware Update Utility

Have you tried...
Remove the printer from the port (computer).
Delete all software and drivers from HP.
Re-boot.
Install the Full solution software package for your country's language ( this one contains English, Greek and others -->HP LaserJet M1522 MFP Series Full Solution EMEA2 ) and follow the instructions on how and when to connect the printer.

Then you can install any other optional software/drivers.
Microsoft Windows 7 (64-bit) downloads for HP LaserJet M1522nf Multifunction Printer

There have been a couple of postings in the HP forums about the problem, however, there has been no definitive answer, as of yet.

Some have gone back to the Version 4.X software/drivers and others have stated they installed the printer to the lpt1 port then changed it to the correct port after the install.

I had the same type of problem with my multi-function printer from HP when Windows 7 (64 bit) first came out; however, software updates fixed it for me.