Add Printer dialog disabled & empty - no toolbar

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I've got a problem that I'm afraid is a bad problem, and I need help. I don't know how to fix this. I'm quite expert with PCs (I was a computer journalist for many years), but I'm a Mac newbie and I am lost.

I have a MacBook running Leopard (10.5.8). I also have a Brother Multifunction printer (MFC-420CN) connected to a wireless router, and a PC running Windows 7. The Mac, the printer, and the PC are all on the network, and the network connection is working. I can access the PC from the Mac and the printer from the PC. (I cannot access the Mac from the PC, but that is a problem for another day.)

I hadn't gotten around to installing the printer on the Mac and I needed it for something I was doing. I accessed the Add Printer dialog from within the software I was using. There was no printer in the list to add, but on the plus side the dialog looked normal with a toolbar and controls. So I thought I'd install the Brother software for the printer and that would fix it.

I installed the printer driver from the Brother installation CD and that seemed to complete okay. But when I tried to install the MFC Control Center it said that I couldn't install that on 10.5 (only worked with 10.4 and lower). I went on the Brother site and downloaded new versions of all the software for 10.5 and installed it (including an updated printer driver). All seemed to be well, except now my Add Printer dialog is completely messed up. There are no controls, no toolbar, and everything is disabled. It's just an empty shell with no functionality.

I'm not sure exactly in what part of the process this happened, but I suspect it has to do with installing the driver for 10.4 because that's the only thing I did wrong. I could be wrong about that.

I have no idea how to restore my Add Printer dialog to functionality. I don't know what got messed up. I'm feeling somewhat desperate about this because I don't know enough about the Mac to even generate theories about what might be wrong or how to fix it. I'm hoping someone here has expertise and can help me.

Thanks.

One other thing I want to add... The printer monitor widget IS WORKING (it's the only thing that's working). It is communicating with the printer and showing the ink levels. I don't know if that's a helpful tidbit, but I thought I'd add it.

Also, I think I installed a driver for 10.3 (I'm running 10.5). I installed the new driver over it, but it didn't help.

I connected the printer through USB and I can see it now in the printer list. Now I just need to figure out how to set up the wireless access. As I recall, when the Add Printer dialog had a toolbar (I could swear it had usable controls at one point), I could select from different types of printer connections (IP, Apple Network, etc.). That is completely gone.

EDIT: No answers from anyone yet.

I got the Mac accessible from the PC by using the IP address rather than the network name. I don't know why the name doesn't work.

I shared the printer from my PC and again tried to add it on the Mac, but the Add Printer dialog is messed up and unusable. I guess I'll try another forum and see if someone can help me.

I just went and looked at a picture of this dialog in the "Missing Manual" for Leopard. That's what I remember before I installed this new driver, and it's not the least bit like what I'm seeing now. I'm trying to figure out how to take a screenshot. I think I need to reinstall the OS. It should not be possible to destroy the OS by making a mistake installing a driver. Even Windows doesn't do that.
 
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Hi,
No answers here.

I just downloaded the OSx drivers for a Dell networked MFP. Installed it, but couldn't find the printer in the add-printer dialog.
Finally I figured out that the printer only supports Mac when connected to USB. All other network protocols only with an extra piece of hardware.
Networked for windows no problem.
So, I thought let a Windows machine (server, always on) share the printer. That way the Mac can connect to the printer via the Windows PC.

Now if I want to the printer to the MacBook I installed the drivers on, I don't get a Button bar with (Default,Fax,IP,Windows,Bluetooth,AppleTalk,MOre Printers).

But on my Imac 10.5.8 (the MacBook too) I do get the bar and can add the Windows printer. And it prints.

But where did the button bar on the Macbook go!
 
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Here's a picture of my problem:

AddPrinterProblem.jpg
 

Slydude

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Permutations, can you check something for me. On the Mac which as the missing toolbar that you are talking about navigate to the screen with the missing buttons. Move to the point where you notice that the icons/tools are missing. In the upper right corner of that screen is a little rectangular button that looks like a pill (it's slightly lighter shade of gray than the Add Printer title bar). Click the middle of that button and see if the tools return.
 
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Hi,
Now if I want to the printer to the MacBook I installed the drivers on, I don't get a Button bar with (Default,Fax,IP,Windows,Bluetooth,AppleTalk,MOre Printers).

But on my Imac 10.5.8 (the MacBook too) I do get the bar and can add the Windows printer. And it prints.

But where did the button bar on the Macbook go!

That is exactly my problem!!!! Does your dialog look like the one I just uploaded?

I've been googling this and finding nothing. If you have this problem, too, then others must, too. I must not be thinking of the right words to google.
 

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Permutations, in the upper right corner of that screen is a little rectangular button that looks like a pill (it's slightly lighter shade of gray than the Add Printer title bar). Click the middle of that button and see if the tools return.

The button that I need you to click is on the right side of the picture you just posted. If it were any further right it would be off of the dialog box.
 
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Yup, same dialog. The left would be the case for my iMac and the right for the MacBook.
Only thing I can think of now is to uninstall the printer driver from the Macbook (if possible), but then if the printer did had the multi-protocol card installed the button bar would stil not have been there.
Unfortenately the MacBook is not accesible anymore during the night.

I've been googling this and finding nothing. If you have this problem, too, then others must, too. I must not be thinking of the right words to google.
Me neither. Must be our multi platform experience ;D
 
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Arrgg, I can make the button bar go away by clicking the pill Slydude mentioned on my iMac.
Probable does the reverse on the MacBook.

I think I need a pill now.:Oops:
 
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SlyDude, you are a GENIUS!!!! The toolbar has returned! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!

I tried setting up the network printer and it found it at the IP address, but it's not printing. That's sad, but at least I'm making progress.

I still wonder why my Add Printer dialog looks so different, but I won't worry about it.

I must say... It is very hard to go from a machine that you are extremely expert on (as I am with Windows) to a machine where you are a newbie. I'm not used to being this frustrated.
 
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And now the network printer is working on the Mac. I'd just selected the wrong protocol. Ahhhhhh. I can go to bed happy. :)
 

Slydude

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SlyDude, you are a GENIUS!!!! The toolbar has returned! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!

Would you be willing to swear to that. My wife does not seem to agree when I inform her of this. lol.

Glad you got things sorted out.
 
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Eureka! Thank you thank you thank you!

Permutations, can you check something for me. On the Mac which as the missing toolbar that you are talking about navigate to the screen with the missing buttons. Move to the point where you notice that the icons/tools are missing. In the upper right corner of that screen is a little rectangular button that looks like a pill (it's slightly lighter shade of gray than the Add Printer title bar). Click the middle of that button and see if the tools return.

My husband and I have tried to get my ibook connected to a laserjet 2100 via his windows XP box a number of times. Every instruction we found online referred to the toolbar that wasn't there in the add printer dialogue box. So frustrating! I didn't even notice that little bubble. At least there is a place to start! Thanks again.
 

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Hope that helps a bit. I had to go back and read the beginning of the thread to remind myself what this was about.
 
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Hi, I've just joined because I have a problem with my Brother DCP-135C printer. Until recently, I could connect it with my Mac OS X 10.6.8 with no difficulty. However, the printer suddenly wouldn't print photos, so I tried it on various other PCs and it worked fine, but with lighter paper. However, after deciding that perhaps the printer just didn't like heavy photo paper, I connected it up again to my Macbook, and it won't print. The Mac will scan, and appears to set up the printer job queue, but there is no response from the printer. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the printer CD, but to no avail. Can anyone advise a not-very-IT person?
 

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