SOLUTION to your HP printer going offline and/or constantly disconnecting from the network

[Caitlin56]

This solution did not work for me. I tried it, it didn't work, and then then called HP support. I spent a total of 5 hours with them, over several phone calls and contintents. Most of the many techs I spoke with did not want to discuss the possibility of scanning for the router address. They simply read from a script. They could not really think conceptually about the problem. Finally they sent me a new printer. This did not work, the problem persists. I have been happily using my printer with the same router for over a year, and then all of a sudden this issue occurs. I can print the first document fine. In fact I can print a bunch of docuemnts in succession. But if I pause for at least 20 minutes, it will no longer print, and the message on the printer is frozen on "Now Printing.: I can turn it off and voila, it prints fine again.

I have uninstalled the printer, reinstalled, changed the router to manual and selected many new IP addresses. Nothing works. My router is LinkSys. I do not see any updates that might have affected it. My OS is Win7.

Anybody have another solution? 

Thanks very much,

Caitlin

[GigaBill1948]

You don't mention if your platform is a laptop or desktop with "power saver options" enabled.

I have experienced what you describe when "power saver mode" is encountered.

As an experiment, I would disable any power saving settings (including disks spinning down) for a period of 24 hours and see if this helps your situation.

GigaBill1948

[Caitlin56]

Thank you, I'll try it. We both have laptops, one a Toshiba, the other a Dell, and it happens on both. I'm not sure why this would this suddenly occur after 15 months of use, including our power-saving settings, which we have not changed.

[GigaBill1948]

Now that you mention that both PCs are exhibiting the same problem, I seriously doubt the power saver setting is the culprit.

More likely is that you accepted an automatic update of Windows software on both units in the approximate time frame when you first noted the problem.

You could try "rollback" of the Microslop updates, on only one machine (controlled envirionment). Roll them back one update at a time. Watch for the symptom to stop (allow adequate time to elapse each time). When it does stop, read up on the Microslop update that auto applied and ask yourself... do I really need this?

If you don't, then do not re-apply any of the updates.

As a point for your deliberation, please disable auto updates and evaluate each one when the warning/ err... notice appears. You likely don't need to apply any but the security oriented update file each month.

Then ask yourself... why is a company that has been foisting this stuff... err... I mean doing business in the marketplace for so many years ... still making massive updates to it's software EACH MONTH...?

Inquiring minds want to know 😞

GigaBill1948

[Caitlin56]

Oh, don't get me started on MS; I worked there for 9 years so can officially confirm that it sucks at making software but excels of course at world domination.

Yes, I've suspected an MS update for awhile but didn't really know how to address it. I'll go over the updates but I bet it's buried in a security one because I think it has to do with searching for the IP address. Wish  me luck in "undoing." Thanks for your time.

[GigaBill1948]

As for the updates...

Control Panel

Add / Remove Software

/Windows Updates

My best cautionary advice is to always make a bit image disk copy if you have the resources prior to trying to UNDO any and I do mean any auto-installed Microslop timebomb... err... update. [ C: partition -> to a file on your Linux volume so you can restore the entire partition if needed]

Keeping all my digits crossed for you... Best of luck! (I sincerely hope you don't need it!)

PS - After 9 years at the evil empire, do you still pray facing Redmond each morning? ?

[Caitlin56]

I went to MS forums and they suggested neat little things like reinstaling my wireless connection. Unbelievable. Rather than rolling back 2 months' worth of updates, would restoring to a point before those updates be quicker? Then I could add them back in one at a time. The problem is that the issue doesn't show up unless the printer has been on for awhile, so it's not a matter of just rolling back an update, testing it, rolling back an update, testing... It needs sometimes several hours to show itself.

Thank you,

[fryzee]

I have an HP deskjet 3940. When I try to take the printer to online it keeps automatically going back to offline with the error message: "error processing command"

[hscott1946]

Great Explanation.

Your suggested solution sounds like what I need to initiate to resolve my problem. Need to know more about the DHCP range(s) before attempting. Please provide or explain.

Questions. Have you shared this with HP Technical ?

Seems the install instructions encourage new users to select AUTOMATIC when they do initial installs. Maybe that's why HP and Apple have so many issues/complaints about response time and ePrint.

[MGWA]

When I changed broadband supplier to BT (UK) I swapped my Netgear router to the supplied HomeHub 3. That's when I started to have problems with networked printing to my otherwise very reliable HP Deskjet 6980. As others have found, even though the printer reports it is connected to the wireless hub, more often than not my Macbook's printer driver (Snow Leopard) declared the Printer offline. Power cycling the printer allowed printing, but that became so boring!

This w/e I resolved to fix it or bung it, so I put on my nerd hat, went googling and eventually read a number of similar posts and looked at my setup more carefully...

I find that, as default, the BT Homehub is allocating fixed IP addresses to clients. This works OK with everything except the Deskjet which I have now, following the instructions given through the HP support pages for the printer, setup in its EWB to request the same, fixed "manual" IP address, turned off the printer, router and then restarted both as instructed and, hey presto, it works!

Wish I had done this ages ago, but now I shall exercise less.