Vista prints test page but nothing else

[Arfie]

Hi guys, please bear with me as I'm new to Linux, so any replies need to be written in idiot friendly.

I've installed Ubuntu 10.10 on an old box to use as an office print/fax and file server. I tried the server edition but I had no chance with command line programming so I've just used normal Ubuntu.

Ubuntu itself is working fine and I've installed my HP Officejet printer and it's fully working on the Ubuntu box. SAMBA and CUPS are installed.

I've then added the printer onto my Vista machine and here's where the fun starts. The Vista box sees the printer on Ubuntu, adds it with no problem and happily prints test pages, but I can't get it printing anything else.

I can't for the life of me find any reason why it would print a test page, but not print from Word, adobe or even a browser.

Any idea's? And please remember, keep it simple please?

Cheers

[Malcolm Waterman]

Can you try plugging the printer straight into the Vista machine please. Vista has had a long history of problems with HP printers. It's entirely possible the problem is with Vista. Also, an exact model number for the HP Officejet would be useful.

[Arfie]

Hi, thanks for your reply, the printer is HP Officejet 7400

It was immediately prior to this, directly plugged into the Vista machine by USB and working fine and was also working as a networked printer (wired and wireless) with the same vista machine and with an XP machine.

I do occasionally get problems with the HP software losing the printer, but this is a known fault with Vista. When that happens it doesn't print a test page in fact it disappears from the list of installed printers.

As I said, the printer installs and prints a test page, just not from anything else.

[Malcolm Waterman]

Did you install any additional software onto the Vista or Ubuntu machine to get the HP printer to work? If you haven't or the software you installed is out of date, it's possible that might be useful.

Also, HP offers a diagnostic tool for your printer that might be useful. There's also at least one update that might work:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&os=209 3&product=391202

Another thing that might be useful, if this doesn't work is to know how you're connecting the printer to both machines. Wirelessly or wired?