Win7 + HP printer drivers + default language/locale

B

Bob O'Dyne

When I upgraded my laptop from Vista to Win7 I was told that I needed

to install the Win7 drivers for my HP wireless all-in-one. I expected

that, so I downloaded and installed the new driver package only to

discover that HP insisted on installing all the software in a language

other than English because the laptop's location was something other

than the US/UK etc. (I doesn't matter which HP site you download the

drivers from or where you are when you're downloading them. All the

downloaded packages are the same.)



After a great deal of mucking about, this is how I solved the problem:



1. Uninstall all HP software through the Control Panel.

2. Download and run the "Scrubber" that HP provides for the particular

printer. (While you're at it, notice how much crap didn't get

uninstalled through the normal uninstallation process.)

3. Now go into the Control Panel > Region and Language. Set everything

you possibly can to "US" or "UK" or whatever you will. In particular

it seems that you *must* set the "System locale" on the

"Administrative" tab in this way.



After a reboot you should be able to get the English language versions

of all the software installed.



As of this moment, everything is working as it should. I haven't

changed the "locale" or anything else back yet--because I've learned

from experience not to fix things that aren't broken. I probably won't

be changing them either unless something else makes it necessary.



To counteract HP's usual "We Know What Is Best For You" arrogance,

Win7 could probably do with a "Deterritorialized English-Language

Locale" option.



--

Ann's Little Brother Bob
 
C

c_atiel

HP gets bashed because they do not provide the incredible service they did

back in the day.

No one does.

However HP has done a remarkable job of issuing good quality drivers that

keep otherwise obsolete printers usable.

Contrast that with Apple which abandons entire platforms at will and

arbitrarily refuses to update software in order to force hardware

upgrades--the next generation Iphone software will not work with Iphone 3g

although the hardware is essentially identical to the 3gs.

A case in point is my ancient Laserjet 1200.

I think this thing is ten years old, I must print a few hundred pages a

month with it, and HP issued drivers for it that work with Windows 7 64 bit.

I can't complain.
 
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