I have a Hewlett Packard HP2600n color laser jet printer.
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But for some reason Windows 7 doesn’t include a driver for it. An online Windows Update doesn’t retrieve the driver, and a visit to the HP website doesn’t result in any real solutions either.
Based on that I can only assume that HP isn’t planning on supporting the HP2600n printer under Windows 7. It’s possible that they will eventually add a printer driver for Windows 7 but I wouldn’t bet on it, especially since it’s an older/”discontinued” model and their support under new operating systems for that particular printer has been lacking. They were late getting a driver for it out for Vista too .
I couldn’t find the links I found previously that helped me solve the problem back when I first installed the 64 bit Windows 7 RC1, but once I located a copy of the printer driver I had saved I was able to find links to the file again at Userdrivers.com.
Here is the HP2600n printer driver for 64 bit Windows 7 that I successfully used. (It’s a Vista driver dated 03/22/2007, version 6.2.0)
Note that I am using the printer connected as a network printer (TCP/IP) and have not tested it in any other configuration!
Here is the 32 bit version (note that I haven’t tested the 32 bit version either!).
After you download the file appropriate for your version of Windows 7 you need to run it. After the program extracts its files and runs you can install the printer.
You’ll have to manually install the driver though.
Click on the “Start button” | “Devices and Printers” and click on the “Add a printer” at the top under the menu bar.
In the “Add Printer” dialog box select the appropriate connection for your printer and when you get to the “Install the printer driver” screen you need to select the “Have Disk’ button on the lower right.
Then you need to browse to the folder the printer driver installed in (it should be in “Program Files (x86)Hewlett-Packardcolor Laserjet 2600n Drivers”). The file should be called “CLJ2600.INF”. Once you’ve selected that file click on “OK”.
The printer “HP Color LaserJet 2600n” should now be in the “Printers” window. Click on “Next”, create a printer name, then “Next” again. Decide if you want to share the printer; click on “Next”. Then if you want it as the default printer make sure the “Set as the default printer” box is checked, then click “Finish”.
It’s odd that driver support for the HP2600n is absent from Windows 7 (I have to suspect that HP isn’t going to support this older model printer under Windows 7 from the looks of it), but this solution worked for me.
