- Turn the power to the computer on, while leaving the printer's power off. There will be two options to attach the HP 1300 to your computer. The first is the parallel port. This is a large cable and the connecting heads consist of two lines of very small pins that will plug into the computer. This is an older connecting cable, so some new computers will not have this connection available. The printer also comes with a USB cable. All new computers have this available, and it is the easiest to use. On the back side of the printer you will find where you can connect either the USB or parallel cable. There is no need to use both cables. Choose one, plug it into the printer and plug the other end into the computer. Still on the back side, attach the three-pronged power cord into the printer and plug the other end into an outlet.
- Turn the power to the printer on. In a few moments the computer will state "New Hardware Detected." Before you can begin using the printer, you will need to install the drivers. The drivers tell the computer what the functions of the printer are and what exactly to do. Insert the printer's CD into the computer. Soon the driver installation wizard will appear. Click "Next" on the first screen and follow the steps on the wizard until installation is complete. The printer will then print off a test page to see if the the colors are correct. The HP 1300 is now all set for normal use.
- Sometimes when moving a printer to other computers or other offices, it is possible to misplace and lose the installation disk. HP provides all the drivers on its website, so the CD isn't necessary. Go to the link provided in the Resources section at the bottom of this page. Type in the product model number and HP will provide all the necessary drivers free of charge. Download the drivers and save them to the computer. Double-click the drivers once they have been installed and the installation wizard will appear. This is the same wizard that you would see if you were using the CD. Follow the steps in the installation process until installation is complete. The printer will then print off a test page to see if the colors are correct. Now the HP 1300 is ready for normal use.
