Windows XP and Lexmark X73

[JSSheridan]

My friend and I were looking for a fix to the problems that have afflicted the combo of Win XP Pro and the Lexmark X73. He's tried using drivers from the installation CD and the latest off Lexmark's site, and installing SP1 didn't help him any. I read that using the Win 2000 drivers instead might fix this issue. If you have any information on this, please share it with us. Thank you. Peace.

 

[deluis]

Can I ask what the question was? There doesn't seem to be a question being asked.

I have a lexmark X83, which is similar to your model, only with a little more features and I am running Windows XP and have never had a problem with the combination. The only problem people usually encounter is when they try to un-install the drivers, but can't because they need the un-installer from the Lexmark website to un-install them completely.

 

[JSSheridan]

I am trying to help my friend get the X73 setup on his Dell laptop. It isn't installing properly on Win XP SP1 with the latest drivers or factory provided drivers. We have tried using the Lexmark Uninstall utility, as well as formating the HD and reinstalling, but neither has worked. Does anyone know how to fix this or have any suggestions? (There's the question, happy deluis? ) Thanks. Peace.

 

[deluis]

Hey JSSheridan,

So that's the question, huh!

Well, that seems to be a pretty weired problem occurring. Since I am also running Win XP with SP1 also.

One suggestion you might want to do is use the Win 2000 drivers, as you had mentioned. I have heard that many other people were using the Win 2000 drivers because the Win XP drivers would not install. But this was back when Win XP had been recently released.

The second option would probably be calling up or emailing lexmark and asking them if they could probably help you out, if you haven't already. They are probably a better help than I am.

Good Luck.

 

[JSSheridan]

Bump

 

[Rav3n]

Try upgrading the firmware on the x73. I had an x83 for a while, and there was a firmware upgrade - it fixed some problems I was having with the printer itself anyway - for instance, it never kept settings I wanted to set as defaults...

 

[JSSheridan]

Thanks for the advice. Hmm, I don't know a thing about upgrading firmware. Anyone else want to chime in on this? Peace.

 

[sorehead]

I have the X73 AND Windows XP home on a Dell computer purchased last Dec by the wife. Mine came with a warning from Lexmark that it would run on XP and to ignore anything XP said about it. When installing XP let me know that it was not digitally signed and I installed anyway.Basic operation is good
but did not have any xp drivers for the printer other than what came with it. The main trouble I have had out of the machine was it started printing to slowly......wait wait and then began to print. I ended up changing the printer default to Win NT I believe and it speeded up the process of printing.

 

[Rav3n]

To upgrade the firmware, its just like a driver upgrade, only it deals with the software ON the actual hardware.... Its like a bios upgrade... anyway, to do it, go to the lexmark website and look through the supoprt section on the X73. Find a downloads page, and "firmware" should be an option somewhere. When you first turn the unit on, there are some numbers displayed in the LCD, this is the software version currently on the unit. After the firmware upgrade (it tells you exactly what to do), these numbers will change... good luck

 

[JSSheridan]

Thanks. Well, there doesn't seem to be any firmware updates on Lexmark's site. That's too bad. I'll have to find it somewhere else, or find another way to fix this. Thanks again. Peace.

 

[sorehead]

Just a suggestion but go to Dell's site and use their forum and ask if this is a common problem with the laptop and the X73.

 

[JSSheridan]

Thanks for your suggestion. My buddy has been looking and asking for info about this over at Dell's forum and Dell's tech support, but he came up empty there. Are there any other suggestions. Thanks, peace.

 

[sorehead]

If you have not already done so, email Lexmark support and ask if they have some suggestions. They will respond back, although not soon enough, but you will get a response. I think the first response will be something like make sure you have this id no. on the installation cd. If so......do this, do that, dont do that. Curious but does it, the computer recognize a printer at all?

 

[JSSheridan]

The printer is reconized by XP, but the system freezes when it tries to print something.

The folks we talked to at Dell told us to do this also. A message to Lexmark came back with the suggestion that we check Dell's forums and talk to their tech support. *Sigh* I've decided to fix this problem by suggesting that he backup everything, format, and install his old copy of Win 2000. His system is used for academic purposes in the college of business, as well as gaming, internet, email, etc. Would he lose any significant capabilities by changing the OS? Thanks. Peace.