Pinnacle Mercury Driver...anyone?

[Tom Majewski]

Well I blew it

Monday my laser works fine, as it worked fine since day one with my same computer, but I'm getting really tired of this buggy virus I had on my computer. I decided to re-format Windows XP, reload Corel X3, and download the Mercury printer driver from sign warehouse website.
Everything looks normal when I go to print, I get the familiar screen with power and speed settings, and all other raster and vector settings, however the windows hourglass just sits there forever..up to 6 minutes before I decide to cancel it, the it says Corel is not responding.

Tried reinstalling corel and the driver...same thing.

I oindering if I need an older driver version than they have on thier website. I lost the original disk when I moved this year.

Anyone have any versions about 3-4 years old?

Thanks
Tom

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Tom;
Here ya go.
I see you are in the hometown of my alma mater-GO LIONS!-say hello to JoePa for me and tell him I have a 9 year old grandson who wants to play for him.
Best regards;
George
LaserArts

[Tom Majewski]

George..THANKS!

I'll give it a try when I get home from work.

The only time I met (saw) Joe Pa is when I was driving a saellite tv truck for ESPN a couple years ago. I was blocking his VIP parking spot. If you want I can forward you the weekly PSU newsletter site for nostalgia.

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Tom;
Let me know if you have any problems-got some even older drivers somewhere. Thanks-I have all the Penn State sites and review them religiously-THIS IS THE YEAR!!! GO STATE!!
Best regards;
George
LaserArts

[Kevin Huffman]

Hello Tom,

If you are using Corel X3, you should be able to use the newest version of the driver. Even with an older machine. Just make sure you follow these steps for installing it. Make sure you pay attention to steps 7 - 10.

Windows XP

1. You must be logged into windows XP as an administrator so you can add/remove printers.

2. Go to Start Menu-> Control Panel-> Printers and Faxes
Delete the printer models that installed in the list (Mercury, VEnus, Explorer, Spirit).
You can either right-click and select Delete, or highlight the model and press the delete key.
Then click File, Printer Server Properties.
On the Driver tab, select your model of laser and click remove.

3. Reboot PC.

4. Unzip the driver into a folder somewhere you can get back to.

5. Reinstall printer driver.
Go to Start Menu -> Settings -> Printers

5.1 Click Add Printer. The add printer wizard starts.
5.2 Click next.
5.3 Click local port (LPT1) if appropriate and click next. Windows takes about 5 seconds to scan the port.
5.4 CLICK "HAVE DISK".
5.5 CLICK "BROWSE". Find the folder where you unzipped the driver files to.
5.6 Select the GL### or GLASER file listed in the box. Click "OK".
5.7 You will be back at the "browse" screen. This time PRESS "OK"
5.8 Choose your engraver model from the list & press OK.
5.9 Choose "REPLACE EXISTING DRIVER" and press OK. (this screen may or may not appear)
5.10 Press Next (Printer name )
5.11 Press Next ( Use as default printer? Y/N )
5.12 Press Next ( Share printer ? )
5.13 Select NO to "Do you want to print a test page." and press Next
5.14 Press Finish.
5.15 A "Hardware Installation" dialog will pop up telling you that this driver is not digitally signed, or that it does not have Microsoft XP Logo certification.
Press "CONTINUE ANYWAY".

6. Once this process is finished You will the name of the laser listed as one of your printers.

7. Right click on your printer, go to Properties.

8. On the Advanced ( with a D ) tab, choose Print Directly to Printer.

9. Click Apply then Click OK.

10. You can use the driver now. You do not need to reboot again.

[Tom Majewski]

Well after many attempts, and re-installing X3, and using 2 different driver versions, nothing.
Following directions to a T.
Everything appears normal, but printing never starts. I wait over 6 minutes watching the hourglass, then when I hit cancel, I get a "Corel is not responding, click to close"

I should have kept the buggy virus ridden hard drive.
Right now there is nothing installed on that computer but X3 and the laser driver. I'm going to install Autocad2009 and see if I can print directly from that.

Tom

[Tom Majewski]

2nd computer, installed X3 and divers...same thing, new cable, same.

Come and get it.

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Tom;
Just some random thoughts
1. Do you have Color Management in X3 turned off?
2. Have you loaded the GCC color matrix
3. Is your page layout set to the GCC recommendation?
4, What is your computer to laser interface- LPT or USB ?
5. Is your interface cable direct from computer to laser?
6. Do you have a normal printer connected to the computer? If so, can you print OK?
7.If so, which is your default, the laser or the printer?
Best regards;
George
LaserArts

[Tom Majewski]

Hi Tom;
Just some random thoughts
1. Do you have Color Management in X3 turned off?
2. Have you loaded the GCC color matrix
3. Is your page layout set to the GCC recommendation?
4, What is your computer to laser interface- LPT or USB ?
5. Is your interface cable direct from computer to laser?
6. Do you have a normal printer connected to the computer? If so, can you print OK?
7.If so, which is your default, the laser or the printer?
Best regards;
George
LaserArts

1. Yes
2. Don't know what that is. I say no.
3.Yes, "set from printer" 25 x 18
4. LPT. tried setting it 1, 2,3. set at LPT1, ptinting ti,es out forever. Set at 2 or 3, when I hit print, Corel closes and vanishes IMMEDIATLY.
5. Direct from laser to computer.
6. No other printers used or installed.- dedicated machine only for laser.

All I have is Corel X3, Corel11, and downloaded driver. Is there some laser application I'm missing? Like I said, I lost the disks in the move. Laser worked with this computer when bought and setup over 2 years ago. Although I remember installing LaserPro2, but never used it.

[Tom Majewski]

OK, I don't know what it was, maybe I'm dyslexic or have low blood sugar.. I dunno.
I installed the software and driver 10 times different ways, and following the directions exactly and got nothing.
I get ahold of Kevin from Pinnacle Laser tech support and he walks me through some options on the phone..options I thought I had selected several times, and now it's working.

As George Castanza screams... "I'm back baby!"

[Mike vonBuelow]

Good to know info!