- Joined
- Dec 14, 2009
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 1
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.
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.