HP Officejet Pro 8620 connection problem

[George-in-Oz]

HP 8620 seen on network but won't connect. Driver installed, uninstalled, re-installed many times. Windows 8.1 64bit wired network. Other computers on network connected after many hours of effort as above but last one just won't connect. Did the ms config solution re startups and services HP suggestion - no luck.  HP Print Doctor says full software not installed. Install again via HP Print & Scan Doctor install button, same message - a loop. During attempted install icon appears in printers & devices (hover over "Driver is unavailable"). Eventually connection / installation fails and icon disappears. Message - unseccessful network installation. The printer was unabele to be installed over the network. I have worked on this for three days with no luck. What next?

[Gemini02]

Hi @George-in-Oz,

I see by your post that you are still unable to connect the network printer to just the one computer. I would really like to be able to help you resolve this issue today.

Make sure that computer is on the same network.

Try and access the Embedded Web Server for the printer.
Type the IPv4 address of the printer into your web browser's address bar. (Internet Explorer)

Unlock Hidden Administrator Account and install the printer on this account:

1. Go to your Start menu and under the 'search programs and files' box type CMD.
2. CMD will populate as a search option above, just right click on it and 'run as administrator'.
3. Once CMD (Command Prompt) opens, type net user administrator /active:yes and hit enter.
4. Next, close CMD and restart your computer.
5. When your computer comes on log into the new account that should show. It will be called Administrator and will not have a password on it.
6. If your computer automatically logs into your account after restart than go to your start menu click the arrow beside 'shutdown' and choose 'switch user'. Now log into the Administrator account we just unlocked.
7. Under the Administrator account, install the printer software.
8. Test the printer.
9.  To turn off the Admin account start back at step 1 and type in net user administrator /active:no.

Please let me know the outcome. If you appreciate my efforts, please click the 'Thumbs up' button below. Thank You.

[George-in-Oz]

Thaks for you efforts but still no luck. Have gone around in circles for days with clean boot etc. Nothing works.

[George-in-Oz]

Still no go. Where to next?

[Gemini02]

Hi @George-in-Oz,

I have provided some steps to try to see if we can figure out why it isn't connecting.

Print a Configuration page to get the printer's IPv4 address.

HP Officejet Pro 8610, 8620, 8630, 8640, and 8660 e-All-in-One Printer Series - Printing a Network C...

In Desktop mode, press the Windows key and R at the same time, to show the run command line.

Type in cmd, then type ipconfig.
Check the IPv4 address.
Now check the IPv4 address for the printer.
Do the first 3 sets of numbers match?

They have to match or they are not on the same network.

Try and ping the printer.

In the same window, type ping printers IP address (space between ping and IP address)
What are the results?

Try and access the Embedded Web Server for the printer on this computer.
Type the IPv4 address of the printer,  into your web browser's address bar. (Internet Explorer)

Did it load the printer's page?

Try the steps in this document to see if they may help.

An 'Unable to Find the Printer' Error Displays for the HP Officejet Pro 8610, 8620, and 8630 e-All-i...

If you have any issues, please let me know what steps you have taken and the results. Thank You.

[George-in-Oz]

Hi Mate, I have spent nearly a month trying to get this machine to work on my PC. I had to give up for a few days because it was taking up too much of my time. So, now I'm back at it again. I can see the printer on the network, I can connect to the embedded web server. I can print a test page. However, I can not install the printer over the wired network, the wireless network or the usb. The connection always fails. I have uninstalled and reinstalled dozens of times. I have used the Microsoft Fix It to uninstall. I have dleted temp files. I have emptied recycle bin. The Scan & Print Doctor says that the software is not installed. I download again (have also used CD many times) and try to install again but it fails to connect. I have done the clean boot several times. I just can't figure out where to go from here.

[Gemini02]

Hi @George-in-Oz,

Thanks for letting me know that the printer is on the same network as the computer, but it still won't detect the printer during the installation. Very odd.

I would try adding the printer through the Add Printer Wizard in Devices and Printers, to see if it will continue the installation from there. Temporarily turn off any Antivirus Software, to make sure it isn't blocking the installation.

If you have another computer, try and install the printer on there, to see if you have the same results.

Thank You.

[George-in-Oz]

We have a misunderstanding. The printer is easily detected and quite visable at all times (10.0.0.18) no problem in that regard. Three other computers have found it and connected (after much difficulty).

The fourth computer (my computer as luck would have it) sees the printer but will not successfully install the driver over the network or by CD, it just times out during the connection phase and says that the printer could not be installed over the network. Antivirus software is turned off. Add Printer Wizard also finds the printer but can't install the driver successfully. I get the same problem whether it's on the ethernet, wirless or usb. I have done clean boots, deleted temp files, emptied trash, uninstalled and reinstalled countless time. The nightmare continues.

[Gemini02]

Hi @George-in-Oz,

Just to recap everything, the printer is networked to 3 other computers, just this one computer running Windows 8 won't install the software, but you can access the printer's Embedded Web Server, and both computer and printer have the first 3 sets of digits in the IP address which verifies they are both on the same network. So the issue is software related.

Did you run the installation in the Hidden Admin Account also with the same results?

Make sure you have full Admin Rights on the computer.

You can try resetting the Winsock settings to see if that will help in Step 3 of this document.

HP Printers - The Network Installation Hangs on the 'Checking Network Environment' Screen.

Run the Windows Updates on the computer.

Run the System File Checker on the computer to check for any missing or corrupted files. How To Use SFC /Scannow to Repair Windows System Files.

Clear temp files and folders by running disk cleanup.

From System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.  This tool requests which drive it is to cleanup, even if only one hard disk drive is installed. Select the hard disk drive(s), and then click OK. Disk Cleanup analyzes the hard drive and presents a report.

Make sure that Temporary Internet Files, Downloaded Program Files, Recycle Bin, and Temporary Files are selected. Then click OK to perform the cleanup operation.

 Unregister and reregister Microsoft Windows Installer:

1. In Desktop mode, press the Windows key and R at the same time, to show the run command line.
2. In the Open box, type msiexec / unregister, and then click OK.
3. In Desktop mode, press the Windows key and R at the same time, to show the run command line.
4. In the Open box, type msiexec / regserver, and then click OK.

Check the Microsoft Windows Installer version:

In Desktop mode, press the Windows key and R at the same time, to show the run command line.

In the Open box, type msiexec.exe /?, and then click OK. The Windows Installer window opens. Find the version number near the top of the window, and then make a note of it.

Let me know what the results are. Thank You.

[George-in-Oz]

Firstly, thanks for sticking with me on this jouney. Spent several hours again today. Figured out how to get the Hidden Admin Account working. It took some searching but we finally got there. Did everything that you suggested but no luck. The Windows Installer is V5.0.9600.17905.

Some other info that may or may not help:

To recap - One Dell Vostro Win 7 is connected to the printer wirelessly. One Dell XPS Laptop  Win 8.1 is connected to the printer wirelessly. One Dell All in One Win 8.1 connected to the network via wire and works with the 8620. I had to do a clean boot to get it working on the All in One and I had to connect the the laptop via usb and then convert to wireless but the Win 7 machine had no problems at all.

 My XPS Desktop Win 8.1 (wired) will not connect to the printer. I tried installing the printer on the Dell server and got exactly the same problem/result - it will not finish the connect phase of the installation, but it has no trouble seeing 10.0.0.18.

After creating the Hidden Admin account I downloaded the driver and tried to install but same results as before. Print and Scan Doctor keeps insisting the the dirver is not there, same as before.

I then tried the Add Printers & Devices while in the Admin account. It has added the 8620 Icon but when you hover over the icon is says Driver is unavailable and you can not make it the default printer as that doesn't appear in the dropdown. When I try to add the driver via the HP CD it says that it can't fine and drivers on the HP CD.

It's obviously a software problem but I just don't know what to try next. Thanks for your help.