How to Fix Disappearing HP Printer Drivers -- Disable HP CUE Device Discovery Service

[Bpilgram]

I have a new HP G60-530US laptop with Windows 7 installed (less than 2 months old). It is connected to an HP 7410 All-in-One Printer and a Brother laser printer.

Three times now, the HP 7410 printer has mysteriously disappeared from the installed printers. The Brother printer does not disappear.

To re-install the HP 7410 printer requires disabling the AVS using the Services,msc utility (not just shutting down the AVS (Panda in my case)).  It takes 20 minutes or so to re-install the HP printer driver software.

HP tech support is clueless about the cause or cure for this.

The laptop people referred me to the printer support people and the printer support people referred me to the laptop support people. The last tech support guy suggested that I restore the system on the theory that if the problem persisted it would be a hardware problem and not a software problem. He seemed to miss the fact that the disappearing printer driver software only occured with HP printers.

HP technical support was worthless.

Some internet forums suggest that this occurs when HP machines are connected to different networks. I noticed my problem occur after I took the laptop on a business trip and connected to a different wireless network.

On Vista forums, I've discovered that the disappearing HP printer drivers has been a problem for some time over a wide range of HP printers. 

The solution identified on those forums is to stop and disable the HP CUE Device Discovery Service. Apparently, this service is used to detect HP printers and add them to the HP Solutions Center software.

In my experience, the HP printer drivers disappeared when my laptop comes into range of a "foreign" HP printer with wireless capabilities. For example, my laptop dropped my configured HP wireless printer when I went to an office that had a different wireless HP printer installed. The HP CUE service trashes the existing printer driver even though you do not intend to install and use the "foreign" printer. That would also explain why the printer drivers disappear when visiting a hotel or other location where any HP wireless devices exist. It would also explain why non-HP drivers do not disappear.

I've disabled the CUE Device Detection Service (using the Services utility). I'll see if that works.  From what I've read, the CUE Device Detection Service is not needed after you have installed your printer, but it remains in your computer's active memory just "in case" you want to connect to a new HP printer and install software for that printer.  Said differently, after your printer is installed, it remains as useless HP software that clogs your machine's resources.

A patch from Microsoft or HP (e.g., a patch that disables the CUE service) would be a big help to users if the number of posts on this issue are any indication of how pervasive this problem is.

[bpaine2]

I have been experiencing the same exact problem you are with my HP Photosmart Plus B209-a printer.  The printer is only three weeks old and has been exhibiting this problem since day one.  My computer is a Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 7 installed.  My printer works fine after installing the drivers, but mysteriously is removed from my system completely after a number of days.  It appears to remove itself after my computer goes into suspend mode after running low on battery power.  

Unfortunately I don't have a solution to the problem, but I wanted to post my experience hoping that HP will do something about this. My old printer (Canon) is still installed on my laptop and it does not have any problems with keeping the drivers installed.  This appears to be an HP problem, not a Windows problem.

[JessiRose]

    I, too, have been having the same frustrating problem.

    I have an HP Photosmart C4580 All-in-One printer, which I have had for just over a year or so and have not had any problems with it until I purchased a new HP laptop with Windows 7. I purchased my laptop 2 mos. ago and have had to uninstall/reinstall the software/drivers 5 times now! This has taken up so much of my time!

    I hope, also, that HP will do something about this annoying problem. It is a little comforting to know that I am not the only one. I will try the above suggested fix.

Thank you to the above for posting.

[SazzaF]

I'm having the same problem with an Photosmart 2575 PSC which is over 3 years old, and worked just fine with myy old Compaq Laptop.  The printer is connected to a wireless router with an ethernet cable and I access via the router.  I just bought a SOny Vaio laptop, Windows 7, 64-bit, and downloaded and installed the driver with no problem at all.  Then suddenly with no error message the driver disappears.  I only discover this when I click on Solution centre to do a scan (or whatever and it tells me I don't have a driver.  This is despite the printer being present when looking in the Control panel, and the various icons for the different installed items (Photosmart, shop for supplies, solution centre) being present on  my desktop, and being able to print to the printer with no problems.

I'll try the CUE solution, but this is very annoying as the only other solution I have founf is to completely de-install the sw and reinstall it  - taking about half an hour each time!!!

[shdmitch]

Yep,  same situation here.  We have a HP Officejet 8500 at the office and also at the home and when I connect to either network the other printer device entry will dissapear.  I will also try disabling the CUE service (set to manual) to see if that resolves our issue.

[pupdawg67]

I am having the same problem with three HP laptops running Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium, all wirelessly connected to the C4580 All-In-One printer. I spent the better part of two hours last weekend reinstalling the printer to each one and all was good. Last night I left my laptop running and windows automatically installed some critical updates and rebooted. When I got up this morning, my printer was missing and my the drivers were once again gone! What gives here??? I don't know if the critical updates wiped the drivers out or the act of rebooting...

I have found this problem in searches randomly but have yet to see where HP support actually addresses it as a problem, so much for the phrase "HP Total Care" I am tired of having to reinstall this so FIX IT please!

This is a very annoying problem!

[JonW]

Hi,

Is anyone still seeing this problem of a disappearing printer or is everyone just disabling Device Discovery?

Anyone that is seeing this problem are they running Windows 7 64 Bit and are you running the Windows 7 version of the HP software?

Please reply to this thread or send me a Personnel Message.

Thanks for your time.

[revolution]

My 7410 is disappearing from the HP Solution Center.  It still prints, but I am unable to Scan becasue the Solution Center says it "Cannot run because the installation is not complete".  I have to uninstall the printer and then reinstall.

Help.

-Charlie

[NormanD]

I have a similar problem but I only have to reboot and all is back fine.  It may work 1 hr or 2 weeks and just disappear.  My system in on 24/7 unless I go away for 3 or more days.

HPE 180t computer with Win 7 Ultimate 64 and OfficeJet 8500 printer wired.

[prestonhp7180]

This seems to be a common problem that exists for many HP devices, varying computer moakes and models and different operating systems. So, the conclusion must be that it is a HP issue. WHY ARE THEY NOT FIXING IT?

Based on this I am quite happy to buy a different make of printer so how does HP justify the continuing lack of support?

I posted a message about my C7180 All-in-one which had been causing problems but I put it down to me making (unrelated) changes to my system then noticed it got worse when I connected a new Trust digital pad. However, even when the pad is not connected I get the problem of disappearing drivers with the printer still visible.

What seems to happen to my set-up is it works when it is first reloaded and used, but the next time I open the HP software it fails and no other software is able to print/scan on the device.

Can somebody explain what the CUE is? I'll give it a try but I don't know what it refers to.

Who'd have thought that in the 21st century, software/hardware engineeers still can't make a simpy process for a computer. Whatever happened to the promise of plug'n'play?

P.