@ilikefood85: Office printers should just give you an 8-bit picture of the middle finger rather than an "error code".
when software discombobulates
20110903
Entered by: Ben Simo
LINE = 2358
20110829
Entered by: Ben Simo
Please help us
Once again, some component of the multitude of software included with the HP printer drivers tells me I need ink.
I click the button to buy ink online. This time, not only does it fail to detect what printer I have: it fails to detect my language and location.
Notice the warning in the red box? It is asking me to verify the name of the printer that it could not identify. Verify? Verify implies that some data exists and needs checking.
Now, take notice of the top left of the page -- the darkened part. What does it say? It says "English-United States". It seems that it has already determined the correct language and location. So, why ask me again?
20110828
Entered by: Ben Simo
You tried to create a new account
Trying to order ink from the HP Home and Home Office Store to which the HP printer driver software on my computer took me, I get the following:
You tried to create a new account using an e-mail address that matches an existing account. To continue your checkout process, do not fill in the password fields.I've never ordered anything from an HP online store. How can my e-mail address match an existing account? If I continue the checkout process without filling in the password fields, will this order be associated with some existing account without any credential verification? Or will it not be associated with any account? Will I be able to access this order if there is no account associated with it?
Some later experimentation revealed that this store accepted my HP Passport single-sign-on credentials that I've used for support with HP Mercury test tool products. I never would have expected that account to be the same account I need to use to order ink cartridges for my home printer.
20100118
Entered by: Ben Simo
Catastrophic failure
northirid: Possibly the BEST error message I have ever seen given by MS. #microsoft #fail

A catastrophe? I guess it depends on the print job. ;)
Seriously, I doubt this is a catastrophe. If it is, I think the error message should tell the user what was lost in the catastrophic failure.
20090312
Entered by: Ben Simo
Conflicting messages
I tell my computer to print a PDF file. After a short time, Windows displays a bubble telling me the document was sent to the printer.
Than Acrobat displays a dialog stating the document could not be printed.
So which message should I believe? Was my document printed? Looks like I need to take a walk down the hall to the printer.
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