M452dn automatic 2-sided printing disabled

[BrookR]

Automatic 2-sided printing is disabled on my new M452dn. To enable, the instructions say right-click printer in Devices and Printer, choose Printer Properties, go to Device Settings tab and set Duplex Unit as Installed. However, all the controls on the Device Settings tab are disabled. How do I enable automatic 2-sided printing?

[Shwetha · Accepted solution]

Hi,

you need to log in with admin rights to enable. Or else you can try to install a new driver (if it allows).

Regards

HP

[BrookR]

I am logged in as a user belonging to the Administrators group.

I have also reinstalled the latest drivers.

Device Settings is still disabled.

[BrookR]

I used "net user administrator /active:yes" to enable the hidden windows admin account, then logged in as it. The device settings was then finally enabled and I could set the Duplex as installed.

2-sided printing cost $50 more and was a selling feature of the printer. It seems very odd this feature installs disabled and requires knowledge not expected of most printer purchasers to figure out how to enable it. Is this normal or did my install silently just go wonky both times I installed the driver?

[chimten]

Hi BrookR,

You can force the M452dn to atuomatically duplex (2-side print) all jobs if you specify it from the printer's EWS web page.

Navigate to the IP address of the printer and select the 'System' tab at the top.  Then, select the 'Paper Setup' page.

Your printer should have a duplex option, switch that to 'On.'  You will likely want to use 'Long Edge' for your duplexing (portrait).

Please reply back if this does/doesn't work for you.

[BrookR]

Solved the issue by logging into computer as "Administrator" (had to activate the hidden account first).

When I installed the software on a different computer, I did not have the same problem.

[rob46]

chimten,

Yes, that changed the setting within the printer, but HPLIP, CUPS and okular do not see it.

Printing is still one-sided.

[chimten]

Hi rob46,

This may be due to how the print settings were specified in the print jobs sent from HPLIB, CUPS, and okular.  Could you specify those jobs to attempt printing from the duplexer and try again? 

[rob46]

Yes, after setting the duplexer on by directly addressing the printer and thereafter reinstalling in CUPS,

it is now working properly. 

Might a future firmware update turn it off again in the printer?

[chimten]

A firmware update shouldn't turn it off unless some kind of reset happens on your printer, such as restoring the default settings.