clicking Find Printer shows error "The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable" i am on a home network

Last night I tried a solution offered in the HP forum, which seemed to consist of manual clean up of prior printer installations.  When I finished and reinstalled the printer, I still was unable to print, and I got the message about the Active Domain Directory Services being currently unavailable.  On top of that, I found out my kids cannot use Flash 10 and several other programs in their non-administrator user accounts.  I couldn't find out how to fix that, so I gave them administrator permissions, which means the time limits are now ineffective.  I will have to police them myself or they will be up all night on youtube or something.  Great.  

I am getting fat, unhealthy, and stressed out by spending so much time trying to fix all the computer issues.  My family  has no one else to take this job, but too bad.  I'm giving up.  I guess we will just have to wait for a fix.

Here is the text, copied and pasted from HP support forum and this site with the latest installment. 

Photosmart D5360 Not Printing

09-20-2011 04:11 AM

Problem:  This happened after I tried to reinstall the printer after not using it for several months.  The printer behaves like it is going to print, it says it is printing, but nothing happens.  It will print a test page, but not a diagnostic page.  It will not print a pdf or anything from MS Word, or Wordpad. 

My computer is a Dell Studio 1536 laptop with Vista Home Premium.  All upgrades to Vista and the printer have been installed.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the printer 7 times, so I am sure I am doing it correctly and not connecting the USB too soon.  I tried it with another USB from another printer.  So I don’t think the cable is defective.

There is no flashing warning message on the front of the printer.  No cartridge obstruction, no paper jam.

I have run the diagnostic utility, it detects no problem.

It is selected as the default printer, USB001 virtual printer port for USB. 

When I try to print a test page from the Properties dialogue box, it doesn’t work.

Note:  I doubt if this is relevant, but I should mention, the black ink is empty, although the cartridge is still in.   I didn’t want to buy another cartridge until I find out if the printer can be fixed.   

Helen

Re: Photosmart D5360 Not Printing

09-21-2011 03:31 PM

Hi Helen-C,

You have done quite a few things on your printer. I just have to confirm a few things:

·        Is it the print diagnostic utility that you've used? If it is then everything passed, you should be able to print from the computer

·        The test page that was printed, was that from the printer or from the computer?

·        Did you use the CD to reinstall the sw? If not, try downloading this drivers - Win Vista 32 Bit or Win Vista 64 Bit

·        When you're using the USB cable during install, is your computer recognizing it as "New Found Hardware"? Have you tried installing on another computer?

Low on ink may affect your printing, but if you can do a standalone print (e.g. test page) then most likely it's the connection causing the print problem.

There are still some things you can do, you can check this article - Can't Print? Print Jobs are Stuck in the Print Queue

Let me know what happened. Hope this works for you!

Re: Photosmart D5360 Not Printing

09-21-2011 07:09 PM

Yes the diagnostic utility 4.1 says it is okay, but will not print a test page from the diagnostic utility.  However if I go through the HP Solution Center to the Toolbox, it will print a test page from there which comes out beautifully.  What does that indicate?  Yes it has been installed most recently with that software suite and driver that you gave the link for.  The correct port is selected.  The print queue has been cleared dozens of times. The computer does recognize New Found Hardware.  The ink levels are not low anymore since I got the new cartridge.    I just stopped and started the print spooler service.  It did not print after restarting, but this might be a clue.  When I click “find printer” a box pops up that says “Find in the directory:  The active directory domain services is currently unavailable.” Is that related to the printing problem?

Re: Photosmart D5360 Not Printing

Options

09-21-2011 08:30 PM

Hi again!

I've done a little bit of research on the error and it's more like admin rights on the computer. Check this article from Microsoft.

Hope this works!

Re: Photosmart D5360 Not Printing

Options

09-22-2011 09:59 AM

I uninstalled the printer from the HP menu, restarted, ran a registry cleaner.  I turned off Malware bytes and MS Security Essentials, and also the internet connection.  I ran the set-up program as administrator (the complete package which had been downloaded from HP).  It appeared to go well, "device driver installed successfully, ready to use, etc..."  I left the security off and attempted to print.  Nothing. 

This question is also running on http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_vista-networking/clicking-find-printer-show...

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Home-Web-Printing/Photosmart-D5360-Not-Printing/m-p/907129#M4662

I also seem to have a printing problem related to administrative rights.  See the link above for details.  I think I've already done this before (I've been fiddling around with this a long time), but I'm going to uninstall the printer again, remove the other user accounts, turn off all the anti virus and anti malware stuff, then attempt to reinstall the printer.  This computer used to be networked wirelessly with another.  I wonder if there are some leftover setting that need to be changed back now that it is not networked anymore.

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.  If and when I solve this issue, I will be sure to let the forums at Windows and HP know about it.

By switching Comodo's Defense+ service to off and restarting Word, the printer automagically appeared.  There was no mode in which Defense+ allowed me to print using Word 2010 ONLY.  I could print in any other application.  This is strange, but then again why Word needs access to virtual drives like Q: is strange. Sorry Comodo, but problem solved for me.