Fresh OS re-install, cannot install printer driver; getting: "The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable"

[mizzhop]

Please forgive me if this should be located elsewhere, this seemed to be the best fit in the forum list.

Over this past weekend I had to re-install Win 7 (I was long overdue), and, despite thoroughly preparing myself, still had numerous issues with installing motherboard drivers. It seemed like whack-a-mole for awhile there; I'd install LAN drivers only to have the already installed USB & SATA drivers have issues, and so forth.

Everything was slowly ironing itself out until I got to my printer. I think my mistake was not pulling off all the USB cables except the mouse and keyboard during re-install, and now I was paying for it. I used my printer driver CD, but the software was just not seeing the printer, despite the computer beeping every time I'd pull and re-seat the USB cable.

I pulled up a doc and tried to get Office to locate a printer for me which is where I got "The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable" error. Sadly, this error seems to be so vague, there doesn't appear to be any solid resolution, and no threads on it I can find of any use are any newer than 2010 or thereabouts.

Here's the remedies I've tried during my search for answers:
--Using Windows' Devices and Printers 'Add a printer' cycles endlessly, and never finds anything.
--I've tried the regedit fix for this error which also doesn't work.
--The fix involving services.msc (print spooler) doesn't work.
--I pulled up a more recent driver package from Canon for the printer, but the software still doesn't see the printer.

Would it be possible to do a driver install in safe mode, or something else? I'm trying to think of just about anything else, but I've just about resigned myself to having to re-re-install windows again and installing that driver directly after the hardware drivers. Someone, please help me come up with another solution...!

 

[COLGeek]

What version of Windows 7 did you install? Are you connected to a domain controller (like on a school or work network)?

 

[mizzhop]

Gah- Sorry about that, it's 7 Professional, and this is a home network. No domain controller, just on a cable modem/router. Everything worked fine before the reinstall.

 

[COLGeek]

I asked about the network since you mentioned "The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable". You usually see that sort of error when connecting to a domain controlled network (like school or work). I assume you were searching for a networked printer (already on your home network), is that correct?

 

[mizzhop]

Actually, this printer is technically connected only to my computer here in my office. I think I might have screwed up by trying to start a homegroups during the reinstall process, but attempting the homegroups thing previously (which never worked anyway) never gave me any issues. I have no idea if this might be part of the issue or not.

 

[COLGeek]

The homegroup thing shouldn't have any impact on this (normally, anyway). Is the printer working (or at least detected by Windows)?

Also, is your Win 7 install fully current, with all available updates applied?

 

[mizzhop]

All updates are current, and though, like I mentioned previously, I get the connect/disconnect beeps when I turn the printer on and off, it still doesn't see the printer. I thought MS had generic drivers it could apply to printers for some functionality, but since I can't even get the Canon drivers to install, maybe there's something else wrong that I couldn't figure out, having to do with that mystery "Active Directory" that I have no idea what it is...? I usually love a challenge, but ATM, can't begin to express how frustrating this is.

 

[COLGeek]

What model is your Canon printer?

 

[mizzhop]

MX870... kinda aged, but not too much. Thanks in advance for your efforts so far, COLGeek! =)

 

[COLGeek]

Get the drivers from here and install them.

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/details/printers/support-inkjet-printer/mx-series/pixma-mx870?tab=drivers_downloads

You may also want to use a USB 2.0 (vice 3.0) port.

 

[mizzhop]

Yes, that's where I got the updated drivers from. One is for the scanner part, which installed, but the printer driver package never sees the printer, same as the computer and will not finish the install until it does. The USB cable is already plugged into a 2.0 port, and I even swapped to other 2.0 ports and a 3.0. Nothing.

Edit to add: I just perused a lengthy thread on MS's support pages and someone mentioned that this might be about permissions. Seeing as I thought I had admin priv's, I thought I'd log off to see if an official "Admin" might show up and it did, so tried the driver install there. Didn't work. Back on my 'user Admin' account and still doesn't work.

Long day tomorrow and hitting the sack now. Any further help would be much appreciated and I'll catch up on this tomorrow!

 

[SkyNetRising]

Is the printer working on any other pc? May be it's just broken.

 

[mizzhop]

Yes, it works on my laptop that I've installed the drivers on.

Is it possible that something went screwy on the OS install? Maybe I should have pulled all extraneous USB cables when I unhooked the extra hard drives? I can understand if no one has any experience with that weird error message, but nothing I've found on it, even at MS's help forums, has solved the issue in my situation, so I just can't think of anything else it might be.

 

[COLGeek]

Earlier, you mentioned making some registry changes. Did you revert to their original settings when they didn't resolve your issue?

Is a re-install of Windows out of the question? I ask because it seems you made a few tweaks and those may actually be working against you.

 

[mizzhop]

The regedit 'fix' involved changing permissions, not actually changing any values in the registry. You can what I did here:
https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/fix-active-directory-domain-services-currently-unavailable-error-printer/

I figured the solution didn't work, so why revert anything. The only registry changes I made since the reinstall was to turn off Libraries. That's really it aside from using Revo Uninstaller to thoroughly remove programs that didn't help me, if they installed registry entries. I haven't used Windows Restore or anything else, and didn't think I ran any tweaks, just tried to cram in those drivers when they kept kicking out for some reason...

Yeah, it seems that a OS re-install is in my pretty near future. I thought I had the process down pretty well, but clearly I was mistaken. I had no idea that some printer installs could be so nasty. I'm certainly not installing any software (unless it's driver related) until I get all hardware drivers in.

Thanks for your time and for trying guys.

 

[mizzhop]

Something interesting happened a little bit ago that I thought you guys might find interesting. A few posts on that MS support thread I mentioned yesterday said something about Office '10 may have something to do with the printer not being seen, and since I had that installed, I went ahead and un-installed to see what would happen. After the restart ALL MY USB DRIVERS UNINSTALLED AGAIN, and it took two attempts to get them put back. I pulled up Device Manager and it SEES MY PRINTER, but Canon's driver software still DOES NOT.

It's also listed under Devices and Printers, so I've brought up a notepad file to see if it'll print something, but it's listed under the wrong port, I think. I'm trying to figure out which port... could ya'll give me a hint on this one? I've tried COM1, LPT1, LPT2 and LPT3 (and the LPT ports are listed as the 'printer ports' so I have no idea what to try next), and it's not responding... but I'm getting somewhere!! OMG

So it appears MS Office was part of the cause of my printer issues, somehow. I installed that before the printer driver this past weekend.

<<No implied f-bombs, please>>

 

[COLGeek]

I would start with a fresh install of Windows, apply all updates and drivers and try again. Seems you have nothing to lose in doing so. Would likely save more time going this route.

 

[mizzhop]

Sorry for the fake f-bomb. I think I'm just compelled to conquer the challenge, and it just seems like I'm so close to figuring it out, but if I can't get it nailed before this weekend, it's getting a new scrubbing; I just don't have time to work on a reinstall before then.

Thanks again guys, maybe all this'll help someone else.

 

[COLGeek]

Where did you get your Win 7 install media from?

 

[Blackink]

One thing you might try is disabling any virus protection and disable the Microsoft firewall during the printer driver and software install.

I had a similar problem with my Canon printer/scanner/copier install where the printer would work, but the scanner would not scan to my PC. Turns out the Microsoft firewall and my virus protection were to blame.

Good Luck.

And I'd have to agree that maybe a fresh install of your Win7 Pro is in order if you don't get it working.

Printers are usually the easiest hardware to install.

 

[mizzhop]

The OS software is a backup disk that came from Cyberpower who put together the PC (7 Pro, SP1). Only it has a different MOBO because I had to send the original in for warranty work a year or two back (I never put the original back in). The replacement board is also ASUS (but not the exact model board, because extreme $$$) purely for the similarity of drivers, though I DL'ed the replacement board drivers in the event the ones on the backup CD were not the same/would not work.

When I get home from work today I'll do what you suggest, Blackink and disable internet and try some fiddling with the firewall and antivirus to see if that'll make a difference. I've got a few more days to poke around before I throw in the towel again.

Thanks again for helping me brainstorm this.