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If your printer is incompatible with Windows 7, here's a useful workaround
Q I have upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium. As a result, my HP D6160 printer will no longer communicate with the computer, although it seems to print OK.
By this, I mean it is no longer possible to check which of the six cartridges is running dry when the printer flashes its ‘low ink’ warning light.
There are a few other functions I can no longer access as well. HP Support said the company doesn’t have a Windows 7 driver for this printer. Is there anything I can do?
Ken Barrett
A We will not contradict HP support staff because they appear to be right in saying that the company doesn’t offer a Windows 7-specific driver for this particular printer. Instead, the company’s advice is to use the HP driver included with Windows 7.
As you already know, this works for printing only – the printer-specific features you enjoyed previously are gone.
However, it seems the HP person or persons you spoke to may not have been aware of the possibility of restoring some of these functions in certain circumstances.
When we checked the company’s driver archive we found a separate ‘update’ patch that will revive the missing features – but only for users who upgraded from Windows Vista to Windows 7.
You will find the relevant on HP's support site. Click the Update link and follow the prompts.
If on the other hand you installed Windows 7 afresh rather than upgrading, sadly it seems you are out of luck: the features you mourn will remain missing, unless HP decides to release a new Windows 7-specific driver.
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Use a virtual machine with XP and HP Printer.
My HP Photosmart printer 8450 had lovely features under Windows XP, including ink levels, but these vanished when I upgraded to Windows 7. HP - still making profit from selling ink cartridges - is not interested in "old" printers - and the web-site suggests buying a new printer. (They would say that, wouldn't they?) However, using Sun's Virtual Box, I can run a virtual machine with Windows XP and access the ink levels from there, whenever I need to check them.
Posted by Dave Robinson, 18 Jul 2011