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HP Deskjet Printers - 'Ntprint.inf file needed' Error Message Displays During Printer Driver Installation

Issue

Error messages display while installing the printer driver in Windows XP, and the ntprint.inf file that contains the list of printers in the Add Printer Wizard might be missing or corrupt.

Solution

To resolve this issue, follow the instructions below.
  1. Open My Computer and click Tools.
  2. Click Folder options and select the View tab.
  3. Under the Hidden files and folders heading, select Show hidden files and folders.
  4. Click Yes to confirm the changes and then click OK.
  5. Click Start, and then click Search. Search for ntprint.inf on local disk C:\.
  6. If C:\winnt\inf\ntprint.inf displays in the search results, right-click the file name and then click Rename. Type ntprint.old and then press Enter.
  7. In the Search results, highlight C:\windows\servicepack files\i386\ntprint.inf and then click Edit.
    note:
    The computer must have Service Pack 2 installed in order to have a servicepackfiles\i386 folder. To verify that the service pack is installed, right-click My Computer, click Properties, and look for the words Service Pack 2.
  8. Click Copy and then close the Search window.
  9. Open My Computer and go to local disk C:\.
  10. Open the Windows folder and then open the inf folder. Click Edit and then click Paste.
  11. Start the Add Printer Wizard to view the list of printers and verify that these steps resolved the problem.

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