Unfortunately I can't explain why HP's software wants to reinstall itself. This is why I suggested looking on other forums (perhaps HP's if they have one).
I didn't see your message at the time but I see the thread is active again.
At one time in a number of cases HP's printing software had a bug in it that led to it wanting to reinstall every time you started up. They eventually fixed this and issued a hotfix that would be listed under the Software Download for a specific device where this problem occurred and presumably later issues of their software had the fix in.
Sorry for the delay. I promised to come up with the de and install procedure, but had to travel unexpectedly.
As stated before : it is a HP SPECIFIC problem. not at all a Norton problem.
- HP printer software hasn't been working well for some years with wireless printers.
- The installation program enters a number of entries into the Windows firewall to allow printing, but when using Norton you do not use the Windows firewall.
- The re-install bug is solved in the latest relases.
Here we go.
Preparation :
- If needed : download NIS 2009 or later; see hereafter.
- Download the latest HP software for your printer; the full installation file.
- Look up the de-installation recommandations in the following link and save them on your computer or print them.
Switch off your network adapter and disable Norton Antivirus and Firewall, so you are not in danger. As said before : use NIS 2009 or later. NIS 2009 appears to configure better after you have entered the HP modules in NIS. If not : deinstall NIS 2008 or earlier and run Norton Removal Tool. Install NIS 2009 or later afterwards and then disable Antivirus and Firewall. You need NIS for configuring later.
Disconnect your printer by taking out the USB cable, if connected and do not connect it again,untill you are asked to so by the HP installation program.
If necessary : Uninstall the HP software following the recommandations in the link above. The L3 solution mentioned there should do the trick most of the times. Reboot everytime you are asked to do so and after your final deinstall activity, but be sure to leave Antivirus and especially Firewall disabled.
Now start the installation of the HP software, answer the first few questions and let it do its job untill it comes uo with the question how you want to connect the printer : via USB or Network. If you want to connect only via USB, just go on with the installation.
BUT : If you want to connect via the network, do not answer to the question yet and follow the steps below.
Open Windows Firewall and look under the exceptions Tab. There are several modules listed starting with hp....
Open NIS, then Settings, then Smart Firewall and Program Control.
Now enter all the modules you found before in the exceptions tab of Windows Firewall also into Program Control of NIS via the Add function.
If all entries are entered into program control of NIS, you have to confirm those entries.
Now first switch on NIS Antivirus and Firewall, engage your Network adapter and let it connect to your router. You then go back to the HP-installion dialog.
Now choose to connect via wireless network. The HP installation program should be able to discover the printer, because of the enties in Program Control of NIS.
The HP installation program then comes up with the question to connect your printer via USB temporarely. This because the wireless network settings (SSID and WPA(2) or WEP key) have to be entered into the memory of the printer, so that the printer can later connect to your router. Confirm all, answer additional questions, disconnect the USB cable when asked and let the installation finish. By the way : the printer works best with WPA(2) security; with WEP it sometimes just refuses to connect to the network.
If all goes well the printer should now be able to connect to the network and get an IP-address. You can check that in your router and the printer should now be discovered by the HP Digital Imaging Monitor (DIM).
Now open NIS and go to the Network Security Map, enter the questions and see if your printer is discovered there. Its name starts with HP. For the C4380 it was something like HP750DA.
Go to settings of the printer in the Network card and set the trust level to : fully trusted or the like. I do not have an English version of NIS here anymore, so i cannot lookup the exact wording in NIS.This will make it even more easy to discover the printer in HP DIM..
This is how I got the printer to work; in NIS2009 you should not have to to open the ports and so on, as it described on the HP website in conjuction to NIS 2008. The entries in NIS program Control are crucial!!
Some notes : - If you really want, you fix the IP address in your router based on the MAC address, but that is not really necessary, although it is also less error prone then. - Sometimes, forinstance when coming out of stanby on your PC, it can take a while untill DIM discovers the rpinter again. Switching the printer off and on speeds up the discovery.
- It's not a Symantec problem. However it might be handy if HP could commuicate the entries needed for printers in NIS to Symantec.
This looks like the answer to all HP owner's problems....except I'm using Norton 360 not NIS. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
If doing the equivalent setting in N360 does not work I suggest you should post the problem over in the N360 Forum here where users and staff know the innards of N360 .....