HP 4L driver not listed in Window 10 64 bit driver list (Dec 2018)

[STH52]

I have searched for this issue and found solutions in 2016 for Windows 10 64 bit.  But now today (12/27/2018) a windows update does not list HP 4,5 or 6L printers.    I need a driver that works... I just want a simple download and install instructions.  Why is this so difficult?

[STH52]

To those who care.   I found a solution my self, NOT HP or Microsoft they were absolutely no help.  This is how I solved my issue.

1. Used another PC with Windows 7 64 bit.  

2. Use Windows 7 64 bit drivers for HP 4L ... I believe it was originally installed by Windows Update.

3. Share the HP 4L from the Windows 7 64 bit machine ( verify under sharing that the 64 bit drivers will be shared)

4. Create a new temporary user on Windows 7 machine (standard user) with a simple password

5. On the Windows 10 64 bit machine, turn on home network discovery

6. When displayed open the Windows 7 machine (it will prompt for username/password) use the newly created credentials

7. You should now see the HP 4L as a network printer,  click and connect to it.

8.  Now the 64bit drivers will be downloaded FROM the WINDOWS 7 64 bit host.

9. Verify by running a test page from Windows 10.

10. Now install a local printer on Windows 10 and choose HP, and the HP 4L should show up as an available driver.

11. Set the port and other details as needed, and remove the networked HP 4L on the windows 10 machine (shared from the Windows 7 machine)

12. On the Windows 7 machine, remove the share from the HP 4L printer, and remove the temporary user account.

13 Final test.. Turn off (shutdown) Windows 7 machine and reboot Windows 10...after reboot go to HP 4L printer properties and click on Print a test page.    This worked for me!

I hope this helps others.

[SHThompson]

What I do is I go to the HP support page for the machine and book for a Windows 10 driver, if none is listed then I change the listed operating system to Windows 8.1 and look for a driver and if I find one I download that.

If there was not a Windows 8.1 driver I would then change and tell the HP site that I was running Windows 7 and see if there was a driver there try it.

If you pick a driver and it doesn't work you should be able to go into the driver settings and change it to compatibility mode for the windows version that the driver was meant for.

[STH52]

Thanks for the reply, but I tried every thing.  I tried Windows 7 and 8, 8.1 drivers from Microsoft's Update catalog.  Windows 10 would fail during the driver installation and say the a file was missing.   That lead me on a 5 hour hunt and had no luck until I did the 64bit printer sharing trick.

[SHThompson]

I do not recommend using MIcrosoft's Update Catalog, I use the HP.com support page for the machine.

[DanO146]

Thanks for the tip!  It worked for me!  New life for my 26 year old printer, which is actually a Canon LBP 860 that can use the HP4L driver.

[STH52]

Glad to help...I'm glad my hours spent on it finally did help someone.