Devices and Printers Dialog Box Empty

Anonymous
2009-10-30T22:04:54+00:00

When I open my "Devices and Printers" dialog box, it is empty; nothing shows up and the item listing says "0 items". 

The devices and printers showed up in the Devices and Printers dialog box earlier, but now are gone from the dialog box.  However, they are still in the system as everything seems to work.  The problem comes with trying to set the preferences for any of the devices or printers since they can't be seen or accessed. 

Anyone got any ideas of how to get the devices and printers to show up again?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2010-03-07T06:22:04+00:00

Devices and printers will show one device when you have configured multiple printers for the same device.   There is a fly out menu to get to all the other printers on the device.    Use the spooler teams UI, printmanagement.msc to view all local printers on Pro and Ultimate.

The old printers folder can be launched if you are running Home versions.

Open a command prompt and paste this in.

start shell:::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}\0::{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

Alan Morris Windows Printing Team; Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here: http://support.microsoft.com/search/Default.aspx?adv=1

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Anonymous
2009-11-27T18:23:06+00:00

I am having the same problem. I did a clean install from Vista and the computer has worked fine for weeks.  Today, my devices and printer window is empty. I can still print from some applications, but Windows Live Mail gives me an error when I select print:

'an error has occurred in the script on this page'

line:291

char: 1

error: interface not registered

Code: 0

URL: res://ieframe.dll/preview.js

Do you want to continue running scripts on this page - Yes or No?

Barry

By the way, no new hardware has been installed recently.

I found another post that solved my problem.  I was about to give up and re-install Windows 7, but tried this and it worked.

Go to: http://iefaq.info/index.php?action=artikel&cat=42&id=133&artlang=en

for the CMD file and explanation.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-06T18:47:29+00:00

    Hi 5alarm,

    that´s definetly not the same problem as described above. If it would be, you couldn´t print, because the programs from which you try to print would hang opening the printer dialog.

    Did this issue occur, when you installed the 6th printer or later. Were there anytime more than 5 printer to be seen at all? Did you try to remove all printer and then reinstall all "real" printer, means all physically existing printer not fax or xps?

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-05T18:52:49+00:00

    I have been wrestling with this same problem and I have NO HP devices so I'm not sure that this is an HP issue. No Avast either. I use Norton 360. This is a preinstalled copy of Win7 Pro on a new machine, not an upgrade.

    I have Win7 Pro 64 bit running on Asus P5KPL-AM with Intel Q8400.

    I don't have a completely blank Devices and Printers (DP) box, but it is not showing all of the printers that are actually installed. All of the printers are however available from various programs to use and they function properly.

    The printers are a Lexmark 7600 series with both USB and network connection and a Tektronix 850DP with both USB and network connections.

    None of the Bluetooth or IE8 answers have made the printers appear in DP. Rebooting has done nothing.

    What is strange is that no matter how many printers I install or remove, the DP says only 5 maximum for Printers and Faxes and that number only changes when I remove the fax or XPS printers. Even though there are 9 installed printers, DP only says 5 and Fax and XPS are 2 of the 5. I remove Fax and the number goes down to 4 even though there are 8 now installed.

    This is a pretty widespread issue and yet I have not found an answer to this anywhere.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-02T12:13:06+00:00

    Maybe they found another bud inside....

    With 32Bit - T1100 driver, I have no trouble... so far. Soon to be sure thought.

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