I just bought an HP Deskjet 3650 printer. Whenever I try to install the driver, the installation fails. An alert with this message appears:

"Error Creating Folder... Access Denied"

Using the Disk Utility, I repaired the permissions but that hasn't solved the problem. Any ideas what I can do?

I'm using OS X 10.2.8

Are you installing as an administrator? Some programs (for some reason) require you to be logged in as root to install. If you don't have a root account enabled, you can do so by going to /Applications/Utilities and then to the NetInfo manager. In the Security dropdown menu, select Enable root User. Type in a password you want to use for root. Then log in as "root" with the password you specified. And try to install the drivers. Using a root user is NOT suggested for regular computer use.

Thanks. I got it all sorted out with the help of someone from HP.

Hello,

For completeness of the topic, can you tell us what the HP person said?

Christian

Here was HP's solution:

This issue may be the result of corrupt disk privileges. We have included some steps that outline the restoration of these privileges, as well as the installation of the latest driver for your Deskjet 3650.

In order to ensure full connectivity between your printer and your Macintosh it is necessary to plug the USB cable running from your printer directly into the Macintosh and not through another device such as a keyboard or hub.

1. Uninstalling previous printer drivers and repairing of disk privileges:
a. Open the Printer Setup Utility. This application can be found by following these steps:
1. Double-click on the hard drive icon in the upper right-hand corner of your desktop. The hard drive icon is labeled Macintosh HD by default.
2. Double-click on the Application folder.
3. Double-click on the Utilities folder.
4. Double-click on the Printer Setup Utility icon. This will start the Printer Setup Utility application.
b. Click on your printer in the list and click the Delete button at the top. If you are unable to delete the printer, please continue to the next step.
c. Quit the Printer Setup Utility.
d. Open the Disk Utility application by following these steps:
1. Double-click on the hard drive icon located on your desktop.
2. Double-click on the Applications folder.
3. Double-click on the Utilities folder.
4. Double-click on the Disk Utility icon. This will start the Disk Utility application.
e. Click on the First Aid tab at the top of the Disk Utility window.
f. Select your hard drive volume on the left of the window.
g. Click the button that says Repair Disk Permissions.
h. When finished, quit the Disk Utility.
i. Double-click on the hard drive icon again.
j. Double-click the Users folder.
k. Double-click on your home folder. Your home folder usually has an icon that looks like a house with your login name underneath it.
l. Double-click on the Library folder.
m. Double-click on the Preferences folder.
n. Locate the file named com.apple.print.printcenter.plist and drag it to the Trash. Locate any additional files that also start with com.apple.print and drag these to the Trash as well. If there are no files that begin with com.apple.print, skip this step.
o. Close any open windows.
p. Double-click on the hard drive icon located on your desktop.
q. Double-click on the Library folder.
r. Drag the Printers folder to the Trash. This will remove all printer drives from your Macintosh. Removing this folder is necessary to restore proper permissions.

2. Steps to download:
a. Connect to the Internet and in the address bar of your Internet browser type: www.hp.com.
b. Click the link titled Support and Drivers, located near the bottom right of the page.
c. Under the large black text that says 'Support and Drivers', there is circle beside the text ?download drivers and software.? Click it and ensure that a dot appears in the center of it.
d. Where it says 'for:? type in your model number (Deskjet 3650) and click the arrow right beside the dialogue box.
e. There is blue area in the center of the page with operating system choices. Find the link that says Mac OS X, and then click it.
f. The next screen displays the available drivers and CDs for the printer, and selected OS. Currently, the latest driver available for your printer is revision 2.3.1. Select this driver by clicking on it.
Note: clicking any, 'CD' option will bring you to an online order form.
g. Scroll to the bottom of that page and there will be a blue rectangle that says 'download now.? Clicking on this item will begin the download.
h. The driver will automatically save the file to the Folder selected in Internet Explorer as the default folder to save downloads to (usually the desktop).
i. Double-click the disk image to mount the installer. You may then Double-click on the mounted image on your desktop.

3. Installation of the 2.3.1 driver.
a. Double-click on the hp inkjet installer icon.
b. You will be prompted to enter in your administration password, please do so and Continue to proceed to the next screen.
c. You will be at an HP splash screen, please click on Continue.
d. Next, you will see the license agreement. If you agree to these terms, please click Accept.
e. The Read Me should appear, once you have finished with this page please click on Continue.
f. You will be given a screen with options for the components you wish to install, please click on the arrows next to Custom Install and change it to read Easy Install.
g. Click on Install.
h. If prompted to continue or restart the Classic Environment, please click on Restart.
l. If not already open, open the Printer Setup Utility by following the same steps included in Step 1A.
m. If your printer is already in the printer list, remove it by following the same steps outlined in Step 1B.
n. Click the Add button at the top of the printer list. A second dialog box will open.
o. On the second dialog box, select USB from the drop-down menu at the top of the window.
p. The printer should appear in the list. Click on it, and then click the Add button at the bottom of the window. In a few moments you will be returned to the main printer list and your printer will be listed.
q. Quit the Printer Setup Utility.
r. Print any document you wish on your Macintosh. Your printer should now function correctly.