Error installing Epson XP-202 printer

[D Cripps]

A year or two ago, my Epson XP-202 printer was working OK on my MacBook Pro, then suddenly went a.w.o.l and I was unable to reinstall it. I forget what error-message appeared at the time, but I have tried again to reinstall it, selecting its name (the only name) from the System Preferences>Printers & Scanners list: “EPSON XP-202 203 206 Series, Bonjour Multifunct”. After pressing the Add button, which initiates the setting-up sequence, the process fails in less than a second, with the error message “An error occurred while trying to add the selected device. successful-ok-ignored-or-substituted-attributes”. Firstly, I wonder what does the mysterious phrase “successful-ok-ignored-or-substituted-attributes” actually refer to in layman’s terms: e.g what is “successful”, “ok”, or “ignored”, “substituted”, and what are the “attributes” to which this applies, and why is this happening to my humble devices. But mostly, I would like to know how to fix it. My operating system is macOS Monterey 12.7.6, and the Epson toners are all OK. Help would be much appreciated.

 

[TonyAguila]

A year or two ago, my Epson XP-202 printer was working OK on my MacBook Pro, then suddenly went a.w.o.l and I was unable to reinstall it. I forget what error-message appeared at the time, but I have tried again to reinstall it, selecting its name (the only name) from the System Preferences>Printers & Scanners list: “EPSON XP-202 203 206 Series, Bonjour Multifunct”. After pressing the Add button, which initiates the setting-up sequence, the process fails in less than a second, with the error message “An error occurred while trying to add the selected device. successful-ok-ignored-or-substituted-attributes”. Firstly, I wonder what does the mysterious phrase “successful-ok-ignored-or-substituted-attributes” actually refer to in layman’s terms: e.g what is “successful”, “ok”, or “ignored”, “substituted”, and what are the “attributes” to which this applies, and why is this happening to my humble devices. But mostly, I would like to know how to fix it. My operating system is macOS Monterey 12.7.6, and the Epson toners are all OK. Help would be much appreciated.

Have you tried removing the printer first in System Settings and then adding it back in? You have the most current version of macOS Monterey but reinstalling macOS might help if simply removing and adding back the printer does not work. Printer drivers are installed with macOS, and they are updated by Apple depending on the printer you have. Make sure your printer is attached and running when you do the reinstallation of Monterey.

 

[D Cripps]

Many thanks, Tony; and my apologies for delay in reply ~ I was waiting for an opportunity try out and report back. I have tried both adding the printer back, and reinstalling macOS Monterey via macOS Recovery. Unfortunately, the reinstallation failed twice, with the error-message "com.apple.Buildinfo.preflight.error error 21". After the first failure, I followed online-searched advice to run Disk Utility First Aid for the Macintosh HD, before retrying the reinstallation.
After the second failure, I tiptoed away from the new and perplexing issue of "preflight" indigestion on macOS Recovery (enough problems!) and turned to suggestions given by Epson in response to my messaging them. Their first suggestion, to reinstall Epson's latest XP-202 driver for Mac after first uninstalling the old Epson software, has also not fixed the problem. Epson also suggest checking that the printer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as my MacBook Pro: the printer's Wi-Fi light is on and steady, and I am unaware of any other network it could be connected to. Epson also suggest adding the printer via its IP address: though the printer appears on my MacBook's "Add Printer" list (which pops up on a new page after pressing "+" to add a printer to the blank section for available printers on the Printers & Scanners page), no IP address appears for it; but, theoretically, both the printer's Wi-Fi connection status and its IP address would print out on the Epson printer's network status sheet...if only I could get one to print! It makes 'happy' printing noises, and the toner cartridges are OK, and I have head-cleaned it twice after its 1-2 years of inaction, but at best only illegibly faint stippling appears as the end result on paper. I do not know of another way to find the IP address for the printer.
So, at the moment, I am stumped, and have found two more problems ("preflight" indigestion on macOS Recovery; printer not printing legibly) in addition to my original one. If I can get the printer to produce a legible network status sheet, maybe the IP address would help with the original problem...I will have to look in that direction first, I guess.

 

[TonyAguila]

Many thanks, Tony; and my apologies for delay in reply ~ I was waiting for an opportunity try out and report back. I have tried both adding the printer back, and reinstalling macOS Monterey via macOS Recovery. Unfortunately, the reinstallation failed twice, with the error-message "com.apple.Buildinfo.preflight.error error 21". After the first failure, I followed online-searched advice to run Disk Utility First Aid for the Macintosh HD, before retrying the reinstallation.
After the second failure, I tiptoed away from the new and perplexing issue of "preflight" indigestion on macOS Recovery (enough problems!) and turned to suggestions given by Epson in response to my messaging them. Their first suggestion, to reinstall Epson's latest XP-202 driver for Mac after first uninstalling the old Epson software, has also not fixed the problem. Epson also suggest checking that the printer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as my MacBook Pro: the printer's Wi-Fi light is on and steady, and I am unaware of any other network it could be connected to. Epson also suggest adding the printer via its IP address: though the printer appears on my MacBook's "Add Printer" list (which pops up on a new page after pressing "+" to add a printer to the blank section for available printers on the Printers & Scanners page), no IP address appears for it; but, theoretically, both the printer's Wi-Fi connection status and its IP address would print out on the Epson printer's network status sheet...if only I could get one to print! It makes 'happy' printing noises, and the toner cartridges are OK, and I have head-cleaned it twice after its 1-2 years of inaction, but at best only illegibly faint stippling appears as the end result on paper. I do not know of another way to find the IP address for the printer.
So, at the moment, I am stumped, and have found two more problems ("preflight" indigestion on macOS Recovery; printer not printing legibly) in addition to my original one. If I can get the printer to produce a legible network status sheet, maybe the IP address would help with the original problem...I will have to look in that direction first, I guess.

Let’s try a different approach to reinstalling macOS Monterey. I’m assuming that it’s the newest version of macOS that you Mac can run.

Launch Terminal.app (/System/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app) and enter,

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

Press return. You will get a list of all the versions of macOS compatible with your Mac. I tried and it shows Monterey at version 12.7.4. So type in,

sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 12.7.4

or whatever version your Terminal lists for the Monterey version. Press return and then enter your admin password. Press return and the download should start. Terminal will indicate when the download is complete. Quit Terminal and open your Applications folder. Look for the file named Install macOS Monterey.app.

After a fresh backup (Time Machine, hopefully) and rebooting (preferably in Safe Mode), launch the installer file from the Applications folder. (I would recommend making a copy first, for future use). I also know that the newest version of Monterey is 12.7.6, but Apple’s server for this service only lists 12.7.4. You can update later using System Settings. Let’s hope this works. Good luck!

A successful installation will automatically delete the installer file, hence the need to make a copy first.

 

[D Cripps]

Many thanks, Tony. I hope to give it a whirl in the next couple of days. I have checked via Terminal.app for the latest compatible macOS version and, as you say, it is Monterey 12.7.4 (my current version is 12.7.6).
Before I venture into the great unknown, I have several questions, if you wouldn’t mind…
1. Googled instructions for “Safe Mode” say to “Select a volume” after pressing and holding the power button until the message “Loading startup options” appears. How should I choose the “volume”? (I am entirely unfamiliar with this process.)
2. You recommend making a copy of the new installer file for macOS Monterey before launching it. Have you any recommendation of where to keep the duplicate safely? Would the Applications folder be safe, or would the duplicate be deleted with the original after a successful installation?
3. Should my Epson printer remain on during this process?

With best wishes to you, and many thanks again.

 

[TonyAguila]

Many thanks, Tony. I hope to give it a whirl in the next couple of days. I have checked via Terminal.app for the latest compatible macOS version and, as you say, it is Monterey 12.7.4 (my current version is 12.7.6).
Before I venture into the great unknown, I have several questions, if you wouldn’t mind…
1. Googled instructions for “Safe Mode” say to “Select a volume” after pressing and holding the power button until the message “Loading startup options” appears. How should I choose the “volume”? (I am entirely unfamiliar with this process.)
2. You recommend making a copy of the new installer file for macOS Monterey before launching it. Have you any recommendation of where to keep the duplicate safely? Would the Applications folder be safe, or would the duplicate be deleted with the original after a successful installation?
3. Should my Epson printer remain on during this process?

With best wishes to you, and many thanks again.

What exactly is your Mac’s model and year? If you have an intel Mac, you can boot into Safe Mode by simply turning it on and holding down the Shift key during the startup phase. If you have a Silicon Mac, you will need to shut down, press and hold the power button until the list of boot volumes appears. If you have only one, it will be by itself plus an Options button.. Press the shift key and select the drive; underneath will indicate safe boot. While still holding down the shift key, press return to complete the boot. You should go through two logins. From there, you can go into your Applications folder to make a copy and launch it. You can copy it anywhere outside of the system, like your Documents folder, Downloads folder, Desktop, etc., as long as it’s away from the Applications folder.

You printer should be attached and running for the installer to identify it and install the necessary drivers for it. It cannot possibly install ALL of the drivers for ALL known printers.

The installer app is fairly intuitive and straightforward. My only concern is whether or not it will allow the installation of version 12.7.4 over 12.7.6. If that happens, you may have to do the installation from Recovery.

 

[D Cripps]

Many thanks for your time and advice, Tony. My Mac is a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) with a 2.7 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 processor; from what you say, I gather that I do not need concern myself with “volume” when booting into Safe Mode as it is not a Silicon Mac.

As to possible problems with installing macOS Monterey version 12.7.4 over 12.7.6, my previous two attempts to reinstall macOS Monterey 12.7.6 via macOS Recovery failed, with the error-message "com.apple.Buildinfo.preflight.error error 21".
The online Mac User Guide for reinstalling macOS via macOS Recovery lists three options for an Intel mode:
1) Install the latest version of macOS compatible with your computer: Option-Command-R;
2) Reinstall your computer’s original version of macOS (including available updates): Option-Shift-Command-R;
3) Reinstall your current version of macOS: Command-R.
The options I tried on my previous attempts were 3 and then 1 (in case 12.7.6 was unavailable for some reason). These 3 options do not seem to entertain manually selecting to install an earlier version, in this case 12.7.4. (Option 2, reinstalling my somewhat ancient computer’s original version of macOS including its available updates, is a fate that looks seriously bad.)

 

[TonyAguila]

Many thanks for your time and advice, Tony. My Mac is a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) with a 2.7 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 processor; from what you say, I gather that I do not need concern myself with “volume” when booting into Safe Mode as it is not a Silicon Mac.

As to possible problems with installing macOS Monterey version 12.7.4 over 12.7.6, my previous two attempts to reinstall macOS Monterey 12.7.6 via macOS Recovery failed, with the error-message "com.apple.Buildinfo.preflight.error error 21".
The online Mac User Guide for reinstalling macOS via macOS Recovery lists three options for an Intel mode:
1) Install the latest version of macOS compatible with your computer: Option-Command-R;
2) Reinstall your computer’s original version of macOS (including available updates): Option-Shift-Command-R;
3) Reinstall your current version of macOS: Command-R.
The options I tried on my previous attempts were 3 and then 1 (in case 12.7.6 was unavailable for some reason). These 3 options do not seem to entertain manually selecting to install an earlier version, in this case 12.7.4. (Option 2, reinstalling my somewhat ancient computer’s original version of macOS including its available updates, is a fate that looks seriously bad.)

For your info, your Mac’s model identifier is MacBookPro12,1, and the latest macOS version for it is 12.7.6. Since this is the version you have installed, try reinstalling it again (command-R), booting from a shutdown, and with your printer running and connected. If you have Time Machine backup, keep that also connected.

The alternative can be a harrowing experience, involving wiping the main drive and reformatting the main drive follow by an installation form internet, and migration from backup. I have done this several times but I did have redundant Time Machine and CCC clones plus several external SSD with an assortment of macOS versions. In your case, if you have a reliable and current Time Machine backup, you should be okay with a straightforward reinstallation (Opt-Shift-Command-R).

The advantage with Option #2 is the higher chance of success, but you will then have to update to the current version. But the experience should be worth it.

 

[D Cripps]

I completed manoeuvres for Safe Mode boot up today but still no joy… After Safe Mode start-up, I checked the version: still Monterey 12.7.6; Install macOS Monterey still languished in the Applications folder; and attempt to add the Epson printer produced the same mysterious error-message, “An error occurred while trying to add the selected device. successful-ok-ignored-or-substituted-attributes.”

Your previously discussed suggestion remains, to

try reinstalling it again (command-R), booting from a shutdown, and with your printer running and connected. If you have Time Machine backup, keep that also connected.

I had tried this before but met with an error-message (see my preceding post)...

As to possible problems with installing macOS Monterey version 12.7.4 over 12.7.6, my previous two attempts to reinstall macOS Monterey 12.7.6 via macOS Recovery failed, with the error-message "com.apple.Buildinfo.preflight.error error 21".
The online Mac User Guide for reinstalling macOS via macOS Recovery lists three options for an Intel mode:
1) Install the latest version of macOS compatible with your computer: Option-Command-R;
2) Reinstall your computer’s original version of macOS (including available updates): Option-Shift-Command-R;
3) Reinstall your current version of macOS: Command-R.
The options I tried on my previous attempts were 3 and then 1 (in case 12.7.6 was unavailable for some reason). These 3 options do not seem to entertain manually selecting to install an earlier version, in this case 12.7.4.

Many thanks for all your efforts to get this show on the road. If you have stomach for any more, perhaps of relevance to the failures of both Recovery mode and printer addition, some text appeared on Terminal.app that I did not previously mention. Before my entering “softwareupdate --list-full-installers” (as you suggested on November 1st), the text appeared

The default interactive shell is now zsh.
To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`.
For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050.

Similar appeared after a couple of recent logins, along with reference to “date: illegal time format” and “-bash: Saving: command not found”…

[Restored 8 Nov 2024 at 13:05:51]
Last login: Fri Nov 8 13:05:44 on console
date: illegal time format
usage: date [-jnRu] [-r seconds|file] [-v[+|-]val[ymwdHMS]]
[-I[date | hours | minutes | seconds]]
[-f fmt date | [[[mm]dd]HH]MM[[cc]yy][.ss]] [+format]
-bash: Saving: command not found

The default interactive shell is now zsh.
To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`.
For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050.
Ds-MacBook-Pro:~ dcripps$
[Restored 9 Nov 2024 at 10:21:29]
Last login: Sat Nov 9 10:21:16 on console
date: illegal time format
usage: date [-jnRu] [-r seconds|file] [-v[+|-]val[ymwdHMS]]
[-I[date | hours | minutes | seconds]]
[-f fmt date | [[[mm]dd]HH]MM[[cc]yy][.ss]] [+format]
-bash: Saving: command not found

The default interactive shell is now zsh.
To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`.
For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050.
Ds-MacBook-Pro:~ dcripps$

I gather my ‘default login shell’ is bash rather than the upmoded zsh. Might this make a significant difference to my attempts to use macOS Recovery and to reinstate the Epson printer?

 

[D Cripps]

Tony, a miracle seems to have happened! I tried yet again, for no apparent reason, to add the Epson XP-202 printer, selecting it from the list that appears on a page that pops up after entering the “+” on the System Preferences>Printers & Scanners page. Latterly, when I have tried to add it from that second page, there is a period during which the Mac seems to be trying to connect the device, before it fails: this time however, during that trying-to-connect-period, out of idle curiosity I pressed the button to “Configure” the printer…just wondering what lay on the ‘other side’. Also for no apparent reason, the Mac then added the printer! Qué??? What the one thing had to do with the other I do not know. Now to try to clean its dried print-heads!

Thank you so much for all your time and efforts.

(I will probably go on the forum again to enquire about zsh vs bash default login shell, and whether I should update, but for now I’ll focus on printer clean-up.)

Again, many many thanks

 

[TonyAguila]

Tony, a miracle seems to have happened! I tried yet again, for no apparent reason, to add the Epson XP-202 printer, selecting it from the list that appears on a page that pops up after entering the “+” on the System Preferences>Printers & Scanners page. Latterly, when I have tried to add it from that second page, there is a period during which the Mac seems to be trying to connect the device, before it fails: this time however, during that trying-to-connect-period, out of idle curiosity I pressed the button to “Configure” the printer…just wondering what lay on the ‘other side’. Also for no apparent reason, the Mac then added the printer! Qué??? What the one thing had to do with the other I do not know. Now to try to clean its dried print-heads!

Thank you so much for all your time and efforts.

(I will probably go on the forum again to enquire about zsh vs bash default login shell, and whether I should update, but for now I’ll focus on printer clean-up.)

Again, many many thanks

That’s good news. Personally, whenever “odd” problems come up, more often than not I will opt for reinstalling macOS. Once you get used to it, it becomes routine and it’s a better assurance that your system files are fresh and clean after the installation. Over the weekend I just reinstalled macOS on three of my boot volumes, Sequoia 5.1 on one and Sequoia 5.2 on the rest.

At the outset, Terminal will most probably default to Zsh which is more advanced than Bash, but the latter is easier to use. You can try both to see which works better for you.

 

[D Cripps]

Many thanks for your insights and advice, Tony. Best to you.

 

[D Cripps]

Many thanks, Drake.

The problem is now fixed.