"HP Solution Center cannot run because your device installation is not complete"

Question

I cannot use HP Solution Center because I only get this message when I start it: "HP Solution Center cannot run because your device installation is not complete". I am running Windows XP with an HP PhotoSmart Premium. I can print just fine and the printer is recognized by the PC and the network. I get the same problem whether connected wirelessly or through USB. I have re-installed all software multiple times. Please advise on how to get Solution Center up and running. 

Answer 1

  I had to do a total uninstall and reinstall of the driver. However, as you will see from this and other Support Forum threads there seem to be multiple stumbling blocks to the uninstall/reinstall process. Seems very glitchy. After nearly two days of unsuccessful tries I finally got it done. I did find three different official HP scenarios for the process, including one automatically sent to my desktop by HP upon one of the earlier failures. That sequence did not work work for me, but it was close--I got a partial install. But on another HP help file titled "Product Software Installation stalls or stops in Windows 7 with a USB connected product HP..." I found a six step process (with details for each), and it worked for me on the second try. Here are the six steps, plus extra things I did or discovered that could have helped make it work. I did step 5b. first: downloading and saving  the HP driver file on my computer before starting other steps, since I elected not be be on the internet as I did the installation. 1. Uninstall the HP printer software. See my note below about four ways HP lists do to this. I used two of them.2. Turn off the 'terminate and stay resident programs (has to do with system configuration). See HP details.3. Clear temporary files and folders through Windows accessories.4. Disable firewalls (see my note below about this)5a. Disconned the cable from BOTH the printer itself and from the computer, BUT TURN ON the printer.5b. Get the lastest version driver for you printer from the HP site and save it where you can find it. (I did this first, before other steps, so I could install off-line)5c. Install the driver software that you saved. (see my note below about an optional step that helped me with this, so the install will complete, and not hang up)6. Enable the start up software that was turned off with step 2. (See HP details) Notes: there are versions of HP instructions that  skip steps 2 and 6 and or 3 and 4, but that would not work in my case. I describe the steps that finally worked in case they can help someone else--this has been so frustrating. This uninstall/install process seems to be very touchy and perhaps changes depending on your printer or other configuration of your computer: Note about step 1: I found an HP document that listed four ways to uninstall. On my final and successful attempt I actually used two of the techniques. First I used the HP uninstaller program from the start menu program list on my computer stored with other HP stuff there. When I rebooted it did not appear that any HP programs were removed, but who knows, perhaps this got rid of some hidden file somewhere that had been causing all of the problems. Then I used the regular uninstall process from the control panel, and that worked. All HP programs were gone upon reboot. Note about step 3: I counld not believe this would help, but did it, and again, who knows, perhaps this is critical. Note about step 4: I assumed that step two 'terminate and stay resident programs' turned off my McAfee firewall and antivirus, so I did not turn it off. And I elected to be off the internet during install because I am always fearful about turning off those programs. However, and this may be the source of problems for many people, the HP list was very specific to turn off the Windows 7 firewall. I checked it and it was running, even though I thought McAfee was in charge. So I did turn off the Windows 7 firewall. Subsequently I learned that many people who have upgraded from earlier Windows operating systems to Windows 7 have the Windows firewall operating along with their other firewall, without knowing it. Apparently this does not happen if you did a clean install of Windows 7 rather than an upgrade install. Note about step 5c: On many of my tries the installation program would not terminate or complete, and I would get a partial install that allow some functions of the printer to work, but not Solutions Center. The only way I found to prevent this was at the step near the end, where you hook up the printer, select the box that says it's okay to connect it later. The installer program dumps an icon on you desktop that allows you to connect the printer after the installation shows complete and terminates by itself. By clicking the icon and plugging the cable into computer and the powered-on-printer when directed, the device installs perfectly. That was the only way I could get a full install, or get the installation to terminate. During the two days of trying to make this work I also reinstalled the latest version of Flash player since I read that HP Solutions Center needs it to show screens on your computer about printer functions. Of course downloading Flash onto a 64-bit version of Windows 7 is a little tricky too, but not that difficult. I do not know whether that was important, but it is one more thing to try if you can't make your Solutions Center part of the printer program work. I learned way more about the unintall/install process than I ever wanted to know. Sorry to be so wordy, but after two days of frustrating work on this I thought I should share this, in case any of these ideas could help someone else who is hung up on this. Perhaps there is an easier fix somewhere. The six-step process was on an HP help site and was not even for my specific printer, but the similar list from my model did not work. Wish I knew what the secret to success might have been.