printer not showing in devices and printers

only dvd and disc drives dhow

Are you saying Devices and Printers is empty?

Have look here: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/fix-devices-and-printers-completely-empty-windows-7/

hiya

don't know when this occurred but everything used to work fine

Its HP 3050

only dvd and disc drives dhow

I have win 7 home premium do not have printmanagement .msc

Here is a couple of things to eliminate:

"Most likely the devices are appearing as a part of the computer or the parallel card in Devices and Printers.  Right click the computer or parallel card, if you have a Printer Properties menu item, that's the printer you are looking for.  If you have Ultimate or Pro use printmanagement.msc anytime you need to change something with local printers."

"Fixed mine after starting bluetooth services, credit goes to another forum"

From: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware/printers-do-are-not-showing-up-in-devices-and/8544b881-6211-469a-9dd9-edef44dd5095

PS: What make is the printer?

Hiya Gerry

print spooler starts ok no error messages

in printers and devices just keeps on searching forever nothing displays

printer works fine from installed software but not from emails or web pages presumably because it cant find any installed printer even though it shows in device manager

Ron

thanks for all your help

Hiya Ron 

 does not show just keeps on searching nothing displays

Ron