Windows repeatedly "loses" Canon printer drivers

My 3-year-old Dell desktop running Vista SP2 has been working perfectly until recently, when two irritations have cropped up (hence the fact that having been registered here for some time, it's only today that I've come along to bother everyone with not one but two separate requests for help, one in this subforum and the other elsewhere on BC. Hmmmm; the cheek of it.)

The Dell is paired to a Canon MP600 printer. The printer works just fine. However. . . A couple of months or so ago, I can't remember when exactly, whenever I switched it on, the 'Found New Hardware' alert flashed on screen, viz: "Windows needs to install driver software for your MP600. Locate and install driver software (recommended) Windows will guide you through the process of installing driver software for your device / Ask me again later Windows will ask again the next time you plug in your device / Don't show this message again for this device.

Obviously, I click on 'Locate and install driver software'. Windows does exactly that, and reports that the printer is now ready for use. So all's well.

And yet, and yet. . . The installation seems not to be permanent. The next time I switch on the printer, the same warning alert appears: 'Found New Hardware'. As the driver has already been found once, I fail to see why it somehow gets lost again as soon as the printer is turned off.

I've uninstalled the Canon drivers, re-installed them, done everything I can think of but to no avail: Windows keeps "finding" the MP600 as "new hardware", and then locating the drivers, and installing 'em, and then. . . Forgetting 'em / losing 'em.

Is there anything I can do to solve this amnesia problem? Frankly, it's driving me nuts having to go through the same 'Found new hardware' process every time I want to print something.

Have you tried installing the printer found here - http://www.ehow.com/how_8313969_connect-canon-pixma-mp600-computer.html

Have you tried installing the printer found here - http://www.ehow.com/how_8313969_connect-canon-pixma-mp600-computer.html

jayhayz: Many thanks for that info -- apologies for this belated acknowledgment but we've been away for the weekend and only just returned. I'll chase up the link tomorrow and see how I get on. Again, sincere thanks for your help.

Hi,
My name is Debbie.

As jhayz said, install the drivers the way it’s mentioned in that URL and you can even install the drivers from canon’s website by selecting the correct operating system. Kindly check if you have antivirus which might be blocking the printer communication, check the firewall settings and check the printer cable connections, make sure that they are not loose.

Please reply in case you have any questions.

Thanks & Regards
Debbie_B

Quick update, if somewhat belated. Fist, thank you again to jayhayz and now, regrettably tardily, to Debbie. Since my last post we've been to-ing and fro-ing because of a family illness so schedules have been out the window for a while. All's OK now, so that's a relief.

Re my printing problems. . . We-ell. . . I Revo'd out the existing driver software, shut down the PC, booted it clean, then went to the Canon website and downloaded the latest MP600 drivers (which are, in fact, the same as those I uninstalled, but no matter: my existing installation could've been corrupt.) I then patiently went through the Canon install routine (it takes a fair bit of time for the drivers to be registered as they also include Scangear for the built-in scanner.)

The newly downloaded software was installed with the computer running bare, viz: the MP600 was physically disconnected from it, both the USB lead and even its power cord (bit paranoid, but anyway) so as to ensure correct installation. At the end of the process, the Canon screen reported 'installation complete', satisfactory, or something like that. But obviously free of any errors or glitches.

I then, yet again, shut down the PC -- not merely a re-start -- and booted up again. So-oo. . . New drivers that have installed correctly. A 'clean' PC in that it was freshly booted with the new software installed *before* the printer was then re-connected and switched on. 'Clean' in every other sense of the term, too: this machine runs Avast AV, Malwarebytes (full, registered version), WinPatrol PRO, and TinyWall with Windows Firewall. This suite of defences and protections ensures that the PC is not infected -- including, root-kits. It is scanned, monitored live, and performs perfectly. New software is added to it as and when and the new software always -- but always -- works as it should.

But not the Canon MP600 drivers. Yet again , despite everything, Windows is reporting that it has to locate the drivers for new hardware every time I switch the printer on. Oh, and something I forgot to mention last time: the printer only prints. It has long since given up on having any scan function, which is hugely frustrating at times, especially as I like to pdf hard copy for archival purposes on separate backup storage.

So what I have today is exactly what I had before. A printer which only prints but does not scan (despite the Scangear drivers being part of the Canon MP600 driver download) and a Canon software which, unique amongst all the softeware on this computer, is never recognised by Windows Vista and has to be located and re-located and re-located again and again and again.

I am very tempted to go buy another printer. But I'm fast reaching the conclusion that this isn't a hardware thing at all, but some failure in the Windows driver registration process on my machine. (Oh, before anyone asks: yes, I do know how to do a factory reset-to-default of the printer. I've done so three times. And nope. That doesn't work either.) It's definitely not a loose connection or cable issue, either: the printer wouldn't output at all were such the case.

I'm wondering if there is some Windows Vista .dll (or other system file) that for whatever reason is no longer in my Windows OS yet which plays a crucial role in ensuring a printer performs as it should, and without need of constant find / lose / find new hardware.

As before, help appreciated. And apologies both for the length of my absence as well as of this update. Thanks.

There are numerous software drivers needed to be installed according to this link http://software.canon-europe.com/products/0010396.asp such as the MP drivers 1.1 for the printer to print and scan to function properly. I wonder if you only install the MP driver first(?) or to check the difference. Might wanna start from scratch again. This may also help of any remnant installed under device manager http://www.petri.co.il/removing-old-drivers-from-vista-and-windows7.htm for the particular printer.

There are numerous software drivers needed to be installed according to this link http://software.canon-europe.com/products/0010396.asp such as the MP drivers 1.1 for the printer to print and scan to function properly. I wonder if you only install the MP driver first(?) or to check the difference. Might wanna start from scratch again. This may also help of any remnant installed under device manager http://www.petri.co.il/removing-old-drivers-from-vista-and-windows7.htm for the particular printer.

Thank you jhayz, much appreciated. Software relating to the MP600 came on the original disk and included all kinds of stuff like label printing and image print handling. That's all still functional, though of course only after the primary 1.1 print / scan drivers are recognized. Sadly, I can't find that original install disk. The issue is with the 1.1 print / scan drivers alone. A light at the end of the tunnel seems to be shining now though because that link you've so kindly provided looks very promising, lots of information there of which I wasn't aware. I'm going to work through that advice later and will report back. Meantime, sincere thanks again.