Can't add printer to G4

[Raven]

I'm setting up my silver door G4, OSX10.4.11, for my wife to replace her eMac.
I dumped all my work files first, and then transferred all her work files, emails, photos, etc using the Target Disk mode routine.
So far, so good.

Except now, I cannot get her Samsung Laserprint ML2510 to connect. I've spent hours at this... Frickin frustrating!!!
There seem to be several issues here...

1. There are only two USB ports at the back of the G4. I need three for the Apple flat screen display, keyboard, AND printer.
So I used a USB port at the back of the display for the printer. Is that OK?
(I tried using a USB2 hub for the keyboard, but the arrow on my screen would freeze. Nothing wrong with the hub, cause I used it elsewhere. So I figured the keyboard has to be connected DIRECTLY into the G4?)

2. I installed the Samsung software. Then used the Print Set Up Utility to find printer.
In the Print Browser window, my old Laserwriter (LW) shows up! Should it?
(I did dump the LW app from its folder)

When I ADD a printer, I can get "ML2510" in the window, but the next ADD button is greyed.
The User Guide tells me to click on the USB tab. There is no such choice.
At the top of the Print Browser window are 2 icons - Default Browser and IP Printer.
Which to use?  
Underneath is a "More Printers" button, but no Samsung printer choices.

Aside, what I did notice is this -
My old LW.app was located in USERS/MYNAME/LIBRARY/PRINTER folder.
Which I dumped.

The new Samsung Folder is located in LIBRARY/PRINTER. But it has no app.
It's a folder with several files that say - "Gray HT600" etc.

What to do, oh Mac wise ones? ;-)

Much thanks again!!!

[jchuzi]

Here are several things, in no particular order:

1. Reset the printing system.
2. Repair permissions. I had an issue with my computer (albeit in 10.6) not recognizing the Epson driver. Repairing permissions with Disk Utility solved it. At worst, it won't hurt.
3. Plug the printer into a USB port on the computer and plug the keyboard into a USB port on the display. The computer's port has plenty of power for the job.
4. Rebuild the directory with Disk Warrior, TechTool Pro or Drive Genius. If you have none of those, use Disk Utility to run Repair Disk (you have to boot from the Tiger DVD and access DU from the Utilities menu at the second screen). My Epson problem may or may not have been helped by this but DW found and fixed an error.
5. Repair printer permissions with Printer Setup Repair. Disk Utility doesn't touch some of those permissions and PSR solved many problems for me. There is a seven day free trial.
6. After you do the above, reinstall the printer driver, if necessary. Make sure that you download the latest one from Samsung.

[Raven]

Thanks, jchuzi.
I'll  give some of those a try.
It shouldn't be a printer driver issue, as my wife's eMac and my G4 both have OSX10.4.11.

I'll report back!
:-)

[Raven]

Gees, that did it... Reset Printing and it finally worked after some 5+ hours!!!
THANK YOU very much!

A beer for the house!!!! :-)

[Paddy]

Glad you got it working, Raven. However, you might want to consider installing a USB 2.0 card in the G4 - it's only USB 1.1 and the printer is USB 2.0, which is waaaay faster. You need a PCI USB 2.0 card.

LaCie makes one: http://www.lacie.com/ca/products/product.htm?pid=11159
Sonnet makes one: http://www.directdial.com/USB2.html

I just installed a Sonnet one in my Mac Pro (they're PCI-express and a whole lot more expensive than the PCI...) and it works very well. Even Mac Pros don't have enough USB ports!

[Raven]

Thanks Paddy.
I'll look into your suggestion.

I've got another few questions on this situation that I will post separately.

[krissel]

I second the suggestion for a USB2 card. Put one in my G4 and it works great. Also recommend that connecting a printer via a USB hub would probably require a powered hub, that is, one that has an AC brick. Bus powered USB via a hub is sometimes  not good enough for the power needed by a printer.