I use windows XP......the printer is from the original HP setup and the scanner is an HP but loaded just fine or was found upon plugging in when i bought a compaq presario tower. Well, i managed to *kill* the tower when trying a recovery for something the other day, had to take it to the shop and 85 bucks later, i am left with a machine that isnt automatically finding new hardware when it is installed and even tho i ran the installation disk for both, i get scanner cannot be initialized, cannot be found and on the printer, i got something about driver not right or not signed........... This info may be vague and i apologize for sounding stupid but i hate these computers, i'd rather be tuning up my car to be blunt, at least i have more of a chance making sense, lol.

Look up the scanner in HP support and follow the installation instructions exactly.

The driver not being signed is not critical, but the installation procedure and order is.

I never got anything else goin with the printer, just that one time....now it runs the paper thru like it will start printing and then stops and commences with the orange flashing light. No error messages or anything. The cartriges arent old, nothing broke to my knowledge. WTH??
Pretty much gave up on the scanner. Got a link to driver and stuff and it got 99% done downloading and connection died out and wouldnt get strong enough to start over.

You still have some problems with your computer besides the scanner and printer install it seems - or - you possibly didn't follow the exact installations for the printer/scanner.

Do you still have the inatallation cd that came with the printer? If so, use it. Open it using Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer) and read the "read me" before you try to install it.

Have you run virus and spyware checks?