Some days ago I published a first solution for reactivating printing on OKI-printers from Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard … some of you managed it to reactivate the printer by following the instructions – others are still coping with that problem. Also I was disappointed to see that the solution broke again and I wasn’t able to print from Snow Leopard again. That was really annoying – so I spent some time again to find a proper solution. Here it is: Version 2 of how to solve the problem … and as always: no guarantee and on your own risk:
Problem: After updating from Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard to OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard the installed printer driver for the OKI-postscript driver does not work anymore. Here it’s an OKI MFP C5540 … but it should also work with other models, like the OKI C5450 or C8800. The printer diver was installed under Leopard and worked quite well. After finishing the update to 10.6 you are able to send a print job to the printer, but an error message shows up in the print queue.
Diagnosis: Two bugs may cause the problem: Some of the OKI-printer drivers just disregard case sensitivity in their path names – this wasn’t a problem in former Mac OS X versions – but it is a problem in Snow Leopard. The other bug – which even leads to a malfunction if the path names are right – is some wrong file permissions. And this causes Snow Leopard to hiccup when you try to print on an OKI-Printer.
Solution: The easiest way to solve the problems and get rid of the bugs is following three major steps:
- Delete the old OKI printer drivers under the folder “/Library/Printers/” … if there are any.
- Install a new OKI driver. This will also create the folder “/Library/Printers/OKIDATA”. Then install the specific printer driver for your OKI-printer (especially the PPD file).
- Repair the file permissions.
You only need the OKI printer drivers and you have to put in some Terminal commands. But let’s do it step by step:
- Log into your Mac as an administrator.
- Step 1: Delete the old OKI files and folders:
- Don’t forget to backup your data before you start!
- Navigate to the following folder in the Finder and delete the folder “OKIDATA” or “Okidata” – if there is any.
Macintosh HD/Library/Printers/
- Within the folder “PPDs” you may find also some OKI files – at my Mac it was “Oki C5540.ppd” – delete also these files.
- Step 2: Re-installation of the OKI printer driver. The installation program of older printer drivers may cause problems when creating the “OKIDATA” folder: They may name this folder “Okidata” and put in an old OKfilterA-file.
- Therefore you should download and install the printer driver for C5550n-MFP of OKI-USA specifically for Leopard users first. Just click on the “Mac OS X.5” link on the printer driver page of OKIDATA-USA, download the installer.
- Then start the installer and put in your password. The installation program will create the folder “OKIDATA” as needed.
- If the C5550n MFP is not the OKI printer you have, you have to download install also the specific printer driver for your OKI-printer model. I had to choose the C5540n MFP. The installation will not overwrite the folder OKIDATA and only put’s the missing PPDs into the right folders.
- Step 3: Repair folder & file permissions. Open the program “Terminal” – you’ll find it under “Programs/Utilities”.
- Input the following command into the appearing command-line window and finish it with pressing the return-key:
sudo chown -R root:admin /Library/Printers/OKIDATA
- Now, you’ll be prompted for your password … so put in your password of the admin account and finish the input by pressing the return key again
- Input a second command into the command-line window and finish it with pressing the return-key:
sudo chmod 775 /Library/Printers/OKIDATA/Filters/OKfilterA
- A little complicated – but it works. Just exit the Terminal program and restart your Mac. Then you can setup your OKI-printer and select the specific OKI-printer driver manually.
Your solution worked for my OKI C5500n! Woo-hoo! Thanks for posting this solution!
Great!! Worked on our C8800 too 🙂
I need a little more help with OKI C3200n. When I entered the second line
sudo chmod 775 /Library/Printers/OKIDATA/Filters/OKfilterA
I got no file or folders fround
I am new to the MAC world, maybe I missed something
Did you install the OKI driver before you entered the commands into the terminal? But maybe the solution does not work with the C3200n because this is a GDI-printer instead of a Postscript-printer.
Did you try to install the X.5 driver for the C3200n yet? http://my.okidata.com/pp-C3200n.nsf/openingdrivermenu?OpenFrameSet
Thanks. Worked in OkiData 5150n. Remember to add Oki printer back into SYST PREF / Printers & Fax
This did not work at all for my Okidata C5800ldn. I followed the instructions, and got the message “no file or folder found”. As of this point I will continue to use OS-X 10.5 while the Snow Leopard DVD collects dust. I am very angry at Okidata.
I used these steps and also found a link with a Fiery updater as I have an Oki 9800GA.
http://services.efi.com/support/drivers/download2.asp?oem=efi&sys=Apple_mac_osx_106&ver=NA
It worked but now everything sent from that computer is left on the printing server as “HELD”. Is there a way to make the driver send the print data with a “Print” tag?
I really dont want to have to open up the server softare to put “Print” everytime someone at the office wants to print.
HELP!
Hi, thanks for the knowledge,
I have tried this fix on my C8800 but get the message ‘unable to connect to printer’.
Any ideas here?
Thanks in advance!
Tim
I have SL update 10.6.2 installed on an iMac, does the above apply to this as well?
My printer is an Oki C3600 and I’ve followed your recommended procedure, substituting the C3600 printer driver currently available from the Oki website, but the print job gets stuck in the print queue.
The System Preferences/Print&Fax/Open Print Queue panel shows ‘Printer Ready’ and ‘The printer software was installed incorrectly. Pleae reinstall the printer’s software or contact the manufacturere for assistance’ but apparently Oki don’t want to be contacted.
No joy for the C3200N model
new snow leopard drivers just came out for the C5150. Works flawlessly…finally
Ok, I have an Oki 5100c, there are no drivers that I am aware of for that printer under OSX.
What drivers are you referring too?
Before snow leopard I used the generic post script driver that came with OSX.
Anyone have the problem of not being able to download the any of the drivers? They’re link is for an FTP download that don’t work. I’ve even tried putting that address in Go > Connect to Server, but it then asks for an ftp un & pw. Any ideas??? Specifically looking for C5500 drivers for Intel, or even 10.5… so I can then patch it for Snow Leopard. Thanks for any help!
@Gary: You just have to follow the links in the blogpost … you’ll get to the support sites of OKI and have to select the right printer model. Then you click on the download link and the requested printer driver is downloaded into your download folder. So no ftp connection necessary as I see it.
Hope this helps.
I have a C5500n connected via USB- will this solution work for the connection type and printer? Or does it have be connected via ethernet?
thanks for the solution, look forward to giving it a try.
This, from OKI support, just worked for the 3200N in Snow Leopard(contact support to get the driver/installer):
There is one possible temporary fix until a driver is released. Try
connecting the printer to a network router via the printer lan connection.
It is located on the rear of the printer. The printers ip address will be
needed. After connecting run the attached mac installer. This is the mac
installer for the european leopard driver for the C5650N. After running the
mac installer try the instructions below.
Click the blue/black apple, go to system preferences, print & fax, +, More
Printers, select OKI TCP/IP, select the C5650N, type in the printer ip
address, Add or + to Add the printer.
Having the same problem with my c3200n and Snow Leopard and have tried a couple of other “solutions” that have not worked. My printer is connected to a switch and router via ethernet. I went to baltic.oki.com and downloaded the c5650 driver (the printer looks exactly the same as the c3200n). I followed the above instructions and it is working fine. If this driver works why is it taking Oki so long to put it on their US site?
@Bob … don’t know why OKI support for Mac OS X is that rudimentary … at least there is lot of potential for improvement 😉
After not having my printer, and having to down grade one of the Macs back to 10.5.8 so I could print. This guide worked the first time for me.
Thanks
My two cents:
None fix worked for me, but the problem was the file I was downloading.
With the download from the US website: OSX53400EA.dmg it would NOT work.
After I tried your link above to the UK website: C334allosx230_tcm3-67016.dmg it worked from the first time.
So I guess that could explain such different results above.
Tried to update my C5500n model, but no luck. I’m connected via USB- anyone help???? Thanks!
I our case it was not enough.
We needed Rosetta installed.
Bellow info we get.
You need the Rosetta software to run OKfilterA.
The Rosetta installer is in Optional Installs on your Mac OS X installation disc.
Hi everyone,
I`m desperately trying to install my OKI okipage 8w lite on my 13-inch MacBook Pro running SL 10.6.6. For that, I downloaded the driver from oki`s website. But Print center won`t let me add that printer, because I have to download it from Apple itself. Problem is: Apple doesn`t have that driver. Does anyone know a workaround for this?
Lots of thanks in advance.
@clamshell: Did you install the driver you downloaded from the oki site? In your Print&Fax settings you should be able to add the printer and select the installed driver.
I just did this for the OKI C3400 and I’m having the same issues as the 3200N.
I’m seriously frustrated here. I have a pretty high end printer that works AMAZING and I will NOT part with it. It’s literally the most frustrating thing trying to figure out how to get this damn thing going with my new iMac 10.6. I would go for an older version except I don’t know how to obtain the older versions and also my comp is new so I don’t know if I want to change things that much.
I’ve downloaded the drivers for the OKI 3400 and when I go to set up my printer it won’t recognize it as a driver. It keeps it shadowed. What to do?
Please help.
I followed some instructions to reset my C5500, but it seems I’ve lost the network address. I examined the CD that came with the printer and most of the utilities are Windows utilities. Any suggestions on how to re-establish the TCP/IP network without resorting to the Windows utilities?
@David: You probably need to reconfigure the network settings of the CC5500. Just use the menu on the printer to change the settings.
I have a Oki Data C5650 with duplex unit. It is set up as a network printer. Been a pc user forever. Got my first Mac Book Pro, went to OKI Data and downloaded the latest drivers. Configured the printer and when I try and send a doc, the I get an error saying the network host is busy. Also from the Print menu the duplex option does not show.
When I hook up the printer via a usb cable I can print fine, but still no duplex option.
Any ideas o what to do?
Thanks
I have a OKI C110 been a pc user forever, got my first Imac, went to OKI DATA and cannot find a driver for this printer
Can you htell me what to do?
Hi there No joy with the C5800 either having huge problems.Thanx for the post, I can’t say I didn’t try (4 hours later still no luck.) Cheers J
Thank you. It worked for my c5800 that has been idle for 3 years