Member Avatar for troverman

I setup a brand new Windows 7 Pro PC a few days ago, and connected an HP LaserJet 1022n via a network connection (TCP/IP Port). The printer worked fine.

After a couple of days of successful printing, the user asked me to add a Dymo labelwriter, which I successfully did. However, that printer uses an add-in to print labels from a contact management program, and I had a difficult time making the add-in work. I kept receiving errors that I did not have permission to access certain windows folders. Frustrated, I used the "take ownership" command on the entire C:\ directory. Subsequently, the add-in worked, but now the Laserjet will not print.

Printing a document (or a test page) results in the job appearing in the printer window, sitting for awhile, and then a print error occurs. Nothing ever prints. Stopping the print spooler, I go into the spool folder and see the job files sitting there, which I delete, and then restart the print spooler.

I have removed and reinstalled printer - but its crazy, because I know the printer worked before! I know the driver is fine for this reason as well.

How could taking ownership of everything in C result in this problem? Why can I print to other networked printers from this machine, or the local label printer?

Help!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by JorgeM

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Short version: ’s suggestion to try a built‑in/generic driver was exactly the right diagnostic — it proved the OS could print but the factory driver or its package/permissions were the real fault. Changing ownership of C:\ can quietly break exactly the bits the print subsystem needs (spool folder access, driver store, INF files), so a driver can "work before" and stop working after permissions are changed.

Why that happens and what to check first: the Print Spooler runs under the system account and needs read/write access to the spool folder and the driver files; when those ACLs are altered print jobs can queue but never be processed. Look in Event Viewer (Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → PrintService → Operational) for driver or spooler errors, and start with the standard spooler reset steps (stop spooler, clear %windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS, restart), then test with the generic driver. (support.microsoft.com)

Practical repair steps (work carefully and make a restore point first):

  • Stop the spooler and clear the queue:

    net stop spooler

del /q "%windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*"

net start spooler

  • Inspect/reset the PRINTERS ACLs and make sure SYSTEM and Administrators have full control:

    icacls "%windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS"
icacls "%windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS" /grant "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM":(OI)(CI)F "BUILTIN\Administrators":(OI)(CI)F /T

  • Remove stale/corrupt driver packages (use Print Server Properties / Print Management where possible). To enumerate/remove driver packages from the driver store use pnputil (Windows 7 uses the legacy switches shown here): 

    pnputil -e
pnputil -f -d oemX.inf

    then reinstall the latest vendor package locally (not from a protected share). (learn.microsoft.com)

If you can’t fix permissions selectively, prefer System Restore or a full image rollback rather than blanket security-template fixes; tools like secedit /configure are not guaranteed to replay the original install-time ACLs on Vista/7 and can cause side effects — Microsoft documents caution here. Run sfc /scannow if system files may be damaged and verify the spooler/dependency services (RPC/DCOM) are running. ()

Prevention: avoid taking ownership of entire drives; target only the folders that need it, keep restore points, and when a printer breaks use a generic driver as a quick diagnostic (as suggested) before deeper ACL surgery.

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Member Avatar for troverman

By the way, no specific print error was given, unless it showed up in the event viewer which I didn't see.

Member Avatar for JorgeM

Try assigning a generic (built into the OS) HP LaserJet driver just to test if this is driver related.

Member Avatar for troverman

OK, I will try that (user goes to lunch in about 10 minutes), but this same driver worked before!

Member Avatar for JorgeM

I understand. Without have obversing exactly what occurred, its hard to tell exactly what the problem is. Just taking modifying the permission of ownership on the directory structure would not cause this type of problem.

If you apply a generic driver and it works, then there is a problem with the driver performing as expected.

If it doesnt work, there is some other Windows related issue with the OS. At that point, I may try a system restore in hopes you can get it back to the point before you had this issue.

I would then try a re-attempt on a test machine where you are more at liberty to make changes to the system without worrying about impacting the users.

Member Avatar for troverman

Hi Jorge,

Sometimes you can't see the forest through the trees. I used a generic driver and it works! Somehow, the factory driver I was using must have become corrupted (I was installing it over a network, not from a CD). I just assumed, hey, it worked 2 days ago, it should work now. Thanks for this suggestion.

Member Avatar for JorgeM

Not a problem. glad to hear you resolved your issue.

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