Old HP printer from 2002 still chugging along, but driver situation is a nightmare

I'm still running an HP LaserJet 1000 I got from a thrift store in Seattle about 5 years ago. It just won't die, but finding Windows 11 drivers for it took me 4 hours last week. Anyone else stuck using compatibility mode or a virtual machine to keep an ancient printer alive?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_jones210d ago

this just won't die" - mine is the SAME way. I swear printers are like cockroaches, the old ones survive EVERYTHING. My HP LaserJet 6P from like 1998 is still running off a parallel port to USB adapter and I have to boot into Windows 7 compatibility mode EVERY time I print. It takes like 10 minutes to spool a single page but I REFUSE to throw it away because it cost me $15 at Goodwill. I actually keep an old laptop running Windows XP just for this printer. My wife thinks I'm CRAZY but hey, it prints perfectly on that ancient thing. The driver situation is a NIGHTMARE though, last time I spent 3 hours in forums from 2004 trying to find a workaround for some error code.

julia84310d ago

Wait, has nobody talked about the heat issue with these old printers? I mean, I've got a LaserJet 4 Plus from 1995 that I rescued from a dumpster behind an office park (yes, I'm that person), and that thing runs SO hot you could probably fry an egg on it. The fuser unit basically doubles as a space heater. I actually had to move mine to the garage because it would make my home office feel like a sauna after three pages. And forget about using it in summer unless you want your AC bill to spike. The real hack here is that these old beasts are basically indestructible because they were built like tanks with metal frames and actual replaceable parts (unlike the disposable junk today), but they'll absolutely cook your room while doing it.