Canon 5250 Printer Software – Windows (7) Install & Initial Experiences

On Windows 7 / Boot Camp 3.1 on a MacBook Pro (MBP) of January 2010 vintage, I installed the Canon printer software for their Pixma MG5200 printer (as supplied with my MG5250 printer).  Installation was unexpectedly lengthy (one or two hours) due to a USB issue, a one-way-only Setup application (and consequent need to do a System Restore and fix knock-on effects of that)  and finally an unexpected confusion over paper source. The latter was explained by popup dialogs but these were not noticed at first as they were hidden under the document being printed (a user-interface issue – application or windows?).  The solutions I immediately found to these issues were:

  • Unplug all other USBs from the machine – which in this case was a cheap Microsoft wireless mouse.
  • Set the paper source specification to Manual, then manually specify it to be the rear tray.
    • But there is a better solution – read on.

Having subsequently read the manual, and indeed having looked at the setup dialogs more attentively:

  • Rear tray is intended for speciality paper such as photo paper.
  • Plain paper should normally be loaded into the Cassette
    • This is a paper tray located low-down on the front of the printer.
    • To open it, don’t try to pull via fingernails through thin gap, instead use purpose-made “gripper” on underside of “Cassette”.
  • Note: The multi-lingual nature of the Manual’s pages is hard on the eye…

This is better really, as it reduces the printer’s “visual clutter” and “space invasion”. It worked fine, for duplex too.  It is also possible to configure the printer to use the rear tray as an additional source of plain paper e.g. if the Cassette runs out:

  •  In Windows System Tray:
    • Canon My Printer >RtClk> Open My Printer > Paper Source Settings
    • (Not recommended though)

 Prior to initial connect (usb) of printer, ran the Setup disk.

  • Selected Custom Install
    • …being wary of possible bloatware…
    • Selected all except the “Easy…” options and the “Solution Menu EX” (menu extension?)
  • It asked if printer was to be connected by network or usb.
    • I opted for usb
  • Prompts to acknow;edge license conditions and to tell security (apps) to allow the installer to proceed…
    • It began installing drivers, manual, other apps etc.
  • It asked for printer to be physically connected to the usb and turned on
    • I did that
  • It went into auto-search for the printer (not obviously – announcement was among the fine text).
    • Nothing found
  • I tried (foolishly…)  the Manual option.
    • It listed some local devices (naively looked like a standard list not relating to my machine)
    • I didn’t recognize the usb among them.
    • I tried the Next button, in case more devices would be listed.
      • No!  It proceeded to install something, presumably having assumed the first device in the (previous page) list was my selection.
      • No Cancel or Back option…
      • Subsequent pages were also of a “forwards-only” nature – no escape.  Like so many road systems….
      • A page said to ensure paper was in the printer.
        • I assumed this meant it would run a test, maybe even realise there was a problem and offer a route out (e.g. uninstall).
        • But no…
      •  Final page prompted me to “resister” (sic)
        • I declined, things are already too messy, no wish to invite more of the same…
    • Final splash:
    • “Installation Completed Successfully”
      • Oh really?
  • Recovered to pre-install state.
    • Unplugged printer
    • Did a Windows System Restore
      • Parallels/Kapersky reported corrupt database – presumably “collateral damage” of restore…
        • …so updated it.
        • Still reported the problem and the need to update
        • Tried updating deveral times – no difference.
        • Guessed (correctly) that a reboot would fix this…
  • Tried again, usb still, this time no other usb devices plugged in
    • Ensured printer was powered-on and active (LCD display illuminated)
    • Plugged-in the usb to the MBP.
    • Setup immediately reported it had been detected.
    • Setup completed successfully.
    • Declined to register or partake in survey or data gathering etc.
      • The parsimony principle.
  • Tested it
    • Print dialog > Properties
      • Enable Duplex
      • Enable Preview
      • (I notice under Maintenance it has a Quiet Mode)
    • Print!
      • Printer powered-up and began some “pre-printing limbering-up exercises”
      • …then it stalled…
      • It complained there was no paper present.  But there was plenty.
      • I added loads more paper – no difference.
  • Re-cycled the printer power
    • No difference
  • Discovered a printer popup dialog – that had been hidden by (buried under) other windows
    • It advised that paper in rear tray was being disregarded since paper source selection (for that print-job) had been selected as Automatic, and Automatic had decided it needed paper fed instead from a pull-out cassette.
  • Tried again, this time with Manual selection of paper source, to rear tray…
    • It worked!
    • And in duplex!

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