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‎07-03-2021 02:00 PM

HP Recommended
Product: M404n
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

New M404n being connected via USB to Windows 10 (202H) laptop.  Downloaded and ran "LJM404-M405_V4_DriveronlyWebpack_48.4.4586.exe" from the HP support site, and it unpacked a lot of modules to "C:\HP_LJM404-M405".  Then connected printer, and it printed  with no further intervention.  I suspect, however, it is using some Microsoft USB driver, as Device Manager lists the printer only under USB devices and gives the driver provider as Microsoft.  (One complication is that I had previously installed the HP Universal Printer Driver for an M533dn that I use at another location over TCP/IP in my LAN.)

 

Question is, how am I supposed to install the appropriate HP-branded driver for this USB-connected printer?  (I don't want to connect this one via TCP/IP unless I must.)

 

I cannot make sense of the HP instructions for this kind of simple installation.  Thanks in advance for any clear description! -- jclarkw

Category:
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

‎07-16-2021 12:34 PM

HP Recommended

UPDATE:  The driver package that I installed (mentioned in the OP) turned out to work just fine.  The steps I missed were:

1) Run the Windows printer wizard and tell it to install a new printer.

2) When it doesn't find the desired printer, tell it, "have disk."

3) Point it to the directory where the printer drivers were unpacked, "C:\HP_LJM404-M405" in this case.

4) Select the correct printer, which will now be listed, and proceed through the installation steps.

Turns out the steps are the same if you want to install this printer on the LAN instead of on USB.  (Of course the choices to make following the printer wizard's questions would be different.)

No need to install the recommended "Full Software Solution."  I hope this abbreviated explanation helps the next person stuck where I was. -- jclarkw

View solution in original post

10 REPLIES 10

‎07-03-2021 08:16 PM

HP Recommended

Use the same UPD driver that you use for the M553. You simply need to download the USB utility from the UPD download page. Run that then connect the printer and it should connect and use the UPD driver.

If you find the information provided useful or solves your problems, help other users find the solution easier by marking my post as an accepted solution. Clicking "yes" on "was this reply helpful" also increases the chances that this solution will help others.
I am a volunteer, offering my knowledge to support fellow users, I do not work for HP nor speak for HP.



‎07-04-2021 12:06 PM - edited ‎07-04-2021 12:35 PM

HP Recommended

>>Use the same UPD driver that you use for the M553. You simply need to download the USB utility from the UPD download page. Run that then connect the printer and it should connect and use the UPD driver.<<

 

Thanks, Repairatrooper -- Should I first delete all the unused junk unpacked by the unused driver? -- jclarkw

Tags (1)

‎07-04-2021 12:29 PM

HP Recommended

I would and leave the printer disconnected until you have installed the USB utility.

 

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-laserjet-pro-m404-m405-series/19203833

 

They also appear to have a straight USB install for UPD posted here under "UPD for managed services"

If you find the information provided useful or solves your problems, help other users find the solution easier by marking my post as an accepted solution. Clicking "yes" on "was this reply helpful" also increases the chances that this solution will help others.
I am a volunteer, offering my knowledge to support fellow users, I do not work for HP nor speak for HP.



‎07-04-2021 12:33 PM

HP Recommended

>>You simply need to download the USB utility from the UPD download page.<<

Dear Repairatrooper -- Getting the USB utility doesn't seem so simple.  I didn't find it on the UPD driver download page (what did I do wrong?).  The nearest I found were instructions at https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01695467 to load and run the DDU to get it.  It didn't sound as though that's what you meant.  (Part of the problem (for me at least, is that the HP support pages are generally inscrutable.)  Please explain.

 

Also, wouldn't the basic driver that I already expanded do the job if I got it installed right?  Do I really need to go through the UPD? -- jclarkw

‎07-04-2021 12:39 PM

HP Recommended

>>They also appear to have a straight USB install for UPD posted here under "UPD for managed services"<<

OK, I see that one, but I still haven't found the USB utility that you recommended for the UPD driver I already have. -- jclarkw

‎07-04-2021 03:41 PM

HP Recommended

The download from the 404 driver page will have the required files in it. The other utility is found on the UPD page here is a link

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software13/COL44939/fp-148007-1/Dot4x64.msi

 

If you find the information provided useful or solves your problems, help other users find the solution easier by marking my post as an accepted solution. Clicking "yes" on "was this reply helpful" also increases the chances that this solution will help others.
I am a volunteer, offering my knowledge to support fellow users, I do not work for HP nor speak for HP.



‎07-05-2021 09:07 AM

HP Recommended

>>The download from the 404 driver page will have the required files in it.<<

Thanks again, Repairatrooper -- I apologize for my ignorance, but I haven't installed a print driver by hand for a long time.  After expanding the driver package as described in my first post, what do I do?  Does HP still have a blow-by-blow instruction for installing these basic drivers, or should I just follow the Windows 10 new printer "wizard?" -- jclarkw

‎07-05-2021 03:33 PM

HP Recommended

If you are using the USB driver package, you run it and it should prompt when it wants the printer connected.

If you find the information provided useful or solves your problems, help other users find the solution easier by marking my post as an accepted solution. Clicking "yes" on "was this reply helpful" also increases the chances that this solution will help others.
I am a volunteer, offering my knowledge to support fellow users, I do not work for HP nor speak for HP.



‎07-10-2021 02:43 PM

HP Recommended

>>The download from the 404 driver page will have the required files in it.<<

Dear Repairatrooper -- Sorry to waste so much of your time, but thanks for the detail about the USB driver for the UPD package.  I finally found installation instructions for these driver packages hidden away under "See full details/Installation Instructions."  I hope I'll be able to manage from here.

 

Odd that these instructions don't appear in a readme file in the expanded driver directory, but a lot of things about HP support seem odd...  Best Regards -- jclarkw

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