My Hp deskjet 5150 won't reinstall. It installed fine when I got it (not to long ago) and it prints a test page (if I trigger it from the actual printer rather than from windows).

I uninstalled it to try and fix an error message by reinstalling the printer. The error message was -

There was an error writing to USB001 for printer (hp deskjet 5100 series): The network printer is no longer avialbe. Contact your system administrator, or try using a different printer. This printer will be set to work offline. To save your print job in the local printer queue, click OK.

When it came to actually reinstalling it the installation (I've tried off of the cd it comes with and by adding the printer through the control panel) it stops at 'Looking for Hardware' after telling me that 'New printer detected please wait...' when I installed it first time around it detected it almost instantaneously, this time i've left it half an hour plus and it hasn't accepted it's there.

If I try installing through the printer wizard (add new printer) then it works fine until I need to specify the port, I don't have the option to set it as USB port (which is how my printer is connected).

The only ports can choose are:

COM1: Communications Port
COM2: Communications Port
FILE: Creates a File on Disk
LPT1: ECP Printer Port
PDF995PORT PDF995 Port
PrimoPort PrimoPDF Port
(These last two are for creating .pdf's without using adobe)
and finally
USB002 Unknown Local Port - I tried creating this as a local port but it doesn't accept it.

Thanks for any help in advance.

Unplug the printer cable, shut down your computer, restart, and once you get into Windows, plug in the USB cable again. Windows should detect it automatically. Try plugging the cable into other USB ports if that doesn't work. And get the latest drivers off HP's site, what you got on the CD is probably years old.

Edit: Which Windows version do you have?

I have windows 98. I had already tried getting windows to detect it but the printer didn't show up on either device manager or in the printers folder. However I haven't checked HP for new drivers, i'll try that.

This may sound silly but... was the HP turned ON when you connected it to the PC via USB? If the device is not powered on, Windows will not recognise it, or find it.

If the printer was ON and Windows is not recognising it automatically, it is not a good sign. It could indicate that either the USB port in the PC, the USB cable, or the printer's USB port are not working. I presume that you have tried connecting another USB device to that port in the PC to see if it works? And if you connect that USB device using the printer's USB cable?

You can force the creation of a USB port when installing a printer from most drivers. Try browsing the CD with the drivers for a USB folder. If there is one, look for a setup.exe or install.exe file within and run it, having the printer connected to the pc.

If no executable files can be found, look for a .INF file in the same USB folder. Then, using the Add Printer Wizard add the printer, and when you are in the Manufacturers and Models screen, click on HAVE DISK. Browse to the USB folder and select that INF file. This should give you a USB option in the next step of the installation.

Make sure you have good USB drivers and the latest USB 2 patch. Then try re-installing again and see if it works. Those things caan be found here: http://www.usbman.com/USB%202%20News.htm

@Colthrun, I tried forcing it using HAVE DISK but it didn't give me a USB option.

@Kovalis, thanks I'll try your link.