Canon MP610 printing speed issues

[#1]

Just bought a Canon MP610 and have hooked it up to my rig. The problem I'm having is that it takes an age to print a document. Then an age to print the next etc etc
When I press print, it takes around 5 to 6 minutes for the pc to send the document to the printer - then it prints fine and speedy - then another 5 to 6 minutes for the job to clear from the print list and so on an so forth with every print job on the list.
I've contacted canon and they tried to get me to change the USB cable (no joy), print from a different package (no joy) and to connect the printer to a different pc (tried my laptop (on Vista Home) and the printer worked fine)
Does anyone know of any conflicting software/driver that the canon would baulk at?  The only things I've got installed are Zone Alarm and Avira Antivir ( just reformatted my new HD). I'm running XP (SP2)
Regards
Dave

[#2]

I assume you're using Canon drivers etc. what type of print output are you trying to print. B/W text (letter) shouldn't take too long even at high quality settings, colour is a different kettle of fish altogether. Check your printers properties and setup in case you're setup to print at the top level of quality (if you don't need it) Experience suggests that outlandish figures given for print speeds are usually setup with the minimum levels of print quality (i.e faster)
Have usually found once the printer is spooled up, it doesn't make too much difference what else is going on on the PC that might potentially slow it down. I run 3 Canon printers on this PC and one Epson (not all at the same time of course) the only difference in speed is regulated by the print quality selected.

[#3]

The time it takes to physically "print" the document is fine and dandy - it's the time leading up to the print and the time after the print that are the problem.
The text and pics print at great speed, but it takes 5 or 6 minutes from pressing "print" to it getting to the printer. Likewise after to doc has printed it's taking the same length of time for the document just printed to clear from the print schedule.
I can't print another document until the last has cleared and then have to wait 5 or 6 minutes after THAT before the next print job begins.
I am using all the Canon drivers that came with the printer, so no problems there (or is there?)

Regards
David

[#4]

One check you might make: go to control panel/printers/ and select your printers properties (I'm assuming most if not all Canon printers use similar properties) Select advanced, select "spool documents so program finishes faster" and select "start printing immediately" these are pretty much the default settings so it's really only a check. And if you get a chance check all the properties are the same on both PC's you're using. They could be different, the setup is retained on the PC not the printer.
And yes, Canon drivers should be the only one's you should use.
Just have this nagging feeling I've experienced this as well a long time ago. I'm just racking the grey matter to try and remember how it was resolved...I'll get back to you.

[#5]

I've tried all combos on the printer properties pages. All come out the same in the end. The laptop is set up in the same way as the home pc, so no joy there.
One thing that niggles me, and I don't know why, the printer is using port USB001 and i'm sure my last printer was on an actual port (if you know what i mean, not a USB port) I don't know if that would make a difference (I also wouldn't know how to change it either!!!)
Regards and thanks for your help so far
David

[#6]

In theory at least it should be "faster" on a USB port (1 or 2)
Have you checked the Canon website for updates? Oh, I see you have, have a dekko in the faq's, never found their helpdesk particularly helpful!!...when you could get through to it...well done!!
Still got this nag, seem to think the answer was dead simple and glaringly obvious. gonna sleep on it and hopefully wake up with the answer...I suppose you have sufficient RAM?

[#7]

Checked the faq's - you're right, not very good. Haven't rung them tho' (was leaving that as a v v v last resort 🙂
Plenty RAM (2GB)
Regards
David

[#8]

Have you checked that a "known good" usb device works O.K. on the physical usb connection you are using for the printer?

[#9]

Funnily enough, that was my next suggestion. Have you tried switching the USB port you're using?
I know one problem I did have a while back, when using a USB printer (another Canon, I obviously quite like them) I was using a 3rd party USB hub. when I changed to a port as supplied with the PC things improved a lot. From then I've only used on-board ports i.e PCI cards rather than hubs.

[#10]

Actually, the more I think about it, and I suppose I'm in danger of talking myself into it!! I'm pretty sure that was eventually the answer to my slow running printer (the use of a USB hub that is) I also suspect my scanner at the time (also Canon) also connected through the hub improved markedly when used through an on-board port.
The hub was a Belkin (powered) device. Should that make any difference. This was quite a long time ago, about the time USB was becoming popular. Quite possible the hub may have been faulty of course.