HP Photosmart C4480 All-in-One Printer Troubleshooting

'Cannot Install This Hardware … NTprint.inf' Error Message Displays on the Computer When Installing the Product in Windows XP

Issue

When you try to install the product software, the ‘Cannot Install This Hardware. There was a problem installing this hardware:’ error message displays on the computer. The error message also displays the file NTPRINT.INF after the name of your HP product.

Solution

This document helps you determine whether the NTprint.inf file is present on your computer. Then, based on that answer, you can follow the steps to either update your computer with Microsoft Windows Service Pack 1 or move the NTprint.inf file to a new place, and then remove and reinstall the software.

NOTE:Some of the following steps require restarting the computer. Consider bookmarking or printing this page for ease of reference.

Step one: Search for the NTprint.inf file

Click Start , click Search , and then click Tools .
On the Tools menu, click Folder Options , click the View tab, and then select Show Hidden Files and Folders .
Figure 1: View tab of the Folder Options window
Click OK to save this change.
In the Windows Search window, type ntprint.inf in the File Name text box, click the ... button ( ) next to the Folder text box, select Local Disk (C:) , and then click OK .
Figure 2: File Name and Browse for Folder options
Press Enter to start the search. The search results display in the right pane of the Windows Search window.

NOTE:The search results might not show the .inf extension after the NTprint.inf file name. The file name has the .inf file icon (

) next to it, even if the .inf extension is not there.

If the search results include the NTprint.inf file in the C:\inf\ folder, skip to 'Step two: Move the NTprint.inf file.'

If the search results include the NTprint.inf file in the C:\servicepack files\i386\ folder, skip to 'Step three: Remove the product software.'

If the NTprint.inf file does not appear in the search results, continue with the next step.

Step two: Move the NTprint.inf file

If the NTprint.inf file is in the C:\inf\ folder, the HP software does not recognize it. Follow these steps to move the file.

Right-click the NTprint.inf file, and then select Copy .
Click Start , click My Computer , double-click C:\ , and then double-click the Windows folder.
Right-click any empty space in the Windows folder, and then select Paste .
In the Windows Search window, right-click NTprint.inf , select Rename , type NTprint.inf.old , and then press Enter .

Step three: Remove the product software

Disconnect the USB cable connecting the product to the computer.
Click Start , and then click Control Panel .
The Control Panel window opens.
Double-click Add/Remove Programs . In the list of installed programs, click the HP product, and then click Add/Remove .
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the removal.
CAUTION:If asked to remove shared files, click No . Other programs that use these files might not work if you delete the files.
Disconnect the product from the power source, and then restart the computer.

Step four: Download the most current version of the product software

To make sure that you have the most current version of the product software and drivers, follow these steps to download the software.

Turn the product on.
Disconnect the USB cable from both the product and the computer.

Open a new window to browse to the Select Software and Drivers page:

Right-click this link, Select Software and Drivers , and then click Open in New Window .
If prompted, type your product number. You might also need to click it in a list of similar products.

Click your operating system.

The Select Software and Drivers page opens.

Many products have more than one driver option on the downloads page. Choices might include a Basic type and a Full Feature type. If both options are available, the following information might help you decide which driver to download.

Basic type	Full Feature type (Strongly Recommended)
HP does not recommend installing the basic driver unless you have one of the following reasons: You plan to use the All-in-One for printing only. You plan to scan with Microsoft WIA drivers, Twain drivers, or third party scanning software. The basic driver is smaller and downloads more quickly. However, it does not provide the software needed by most users to copy and fax from the computer, and to use all the scanning features of the product.	For full use of all your product features: This driver provides complete product functionality for printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. HP also includes valuable software to help you get the most out of your product. The software varies by product , but here are some examples: HP Solution Center : This important tool allows you to control settings for printing, copying, and scanning. It also helps you with product maintenance, troubleshooting, software updates, and links to buy supplies. Searchable help files tailored to your product Image-editing software NOTE: During the Full Feature installation process, you can choose a custom installation, where you select the specific software items that you want to install.

Basic type

Full Feature type

(Strongly Recommended)

HP does not recommend installing the basic driver unless you have one of the following reasons:

You plan to use the All-in-One for printing only.

You plan to scan with Microsoft WIA drivers, Twain drivers, or third party scanning software.

The basic driver is smaller and downloads more quickly. However, it does not provide the software needed by most users to copy and fax from the computer, and to use all the scanning features of the product.

For full use of all your product features: This driver provides complete product functionality for printing, scanning, copying, and faxing.

HP also includes valuable software to help you get the most out of your product. The software varies by product , but here are some examples:

HP Solution Center : This important tool allows you to control settings for printing, copying, and scanning. It also helps you with product maintenance, troubleshooting, software updates, and links to buy supplies.

Searchable help files tailored to your product

Image-editing software

NOTE: During the Full Feature installation process, you can choose a custom installation, where you select the specific software items that you want to install.

HP recommends the Full Feature type of download, if available, to take advantage of all your product features.

Click Download only . This option allows you to install the software at any time after the download completes.
Click the driver that you want to download. If you need help deciding, see the information in the previous table.
Click Save , and then browse to the place on your computer where you want to save the file.
Click Save . The software downloads to your computer.
Make a note of the place that you saved the file.

Step five: Install the downloaded software

When the download is complete and you are ready to install the files, click Open Folder , and then click the downloaded file. The file name ends in .exe .
NOTE:If you closed the Download Complete screen, browse to the folder where you saved the .exe file, and then click it.
You can accept the default place to save the files. Click Next , and then wait while the installer extracts the files to prepare for installation.

When the Install Wizard starts, follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

During a Full Feature installation, you choose what type of installation you want. The following information might help you decide which installation type to use.

Typical (Recommended)	Minimum
For full use of all your product features : This installation provides full product functionality. HP also includes valuable software to help you get the most out of your product. This type of installation is designed to work for most users.	A minimum type of installation might be available for your product. This installation allows you to install the minimum software required or the preferred software. Use this type of installation only if you have one of the following reasons: The computer is low on hard disk space. You attempted a typical installation and received errors. (If errors occur during the typical installation, fix them before trying a minimum installation.)

Typical (Recommended)

Minimum

For full use of all your product features : This installation provides full product functionality. HP also includes valuable software to help you get the most out of your product.

This type of installation is designed to work for most users.

A minimum type of installation might be available for your product. This installation allows you to install the minimum software required or the preferred software. Use this type of installation only if you have one of the following reasons:

The computer is low on hard disk space.

You attempted a typical installation and received errors. (If errors occur during the typical installation, fix them before trying a minimum installation.)

HP recommends the Typical (Recommended) type of installation to get the most out of your product.

Cause

This error message occurs because the NTprint.inf file is missing, corrupted, or stored in the wrong place on your computer. If your computer does not have Service Pack 1 installed, the NTprint.inf file is probably missing. If your computer has Service Pack 1, 2, or 3 installed, the NTprint.inf file is probably in the wrong folder.

NOTE:One or more of the links above takes you outside the Hewlett-Packard Web site. HP does not control and is not responsible for information outside of the HP Web site.