Scan to Computer from Printer (M479FDW) Does Not Work

[frantza]

Any resolution for this yet? 

I see many threads on this topic are ignored by HP.  I'm a computer tech, and this has been happening on and off for YEARS.  Every 6mo or so, it will happen to someone.  The only resolution seems to be is reinstalling the drivers.  Is there a root cause for this?  I know a CEO/manager/supervisor/director would want a root cause, so, what does a customer get?  Do we just need to reinstall the driver every 6 months?

Please don’t ask me to check the connections, reboot the PC, reboot the printer, HP Scan doctor, check firewall settings, factory reset, and reinstall the driver.

Just some of the other posts on this topic:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scan-to-Computer-webscan-You-cannot-use-this-f...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scan-to-computer-disabled/td-p/8017045

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scan-to-Computer-webscan-You-cannot-use-this-f...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printing-Errors-or-Lights-Stuck-Print-Jobs/I-get-this-ERROR-MESSAGE-qu...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scan-to-computer-disabled/td-p/8017045

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Lost-ability-to-scan-from-printer/td-p/7666688

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Error-message-quot-Could-not-complete-scan-quo...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scanner-will-not-connect-to-computer-but-can-p...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Hp-Printer-suddenly-will-not-scan/td-p/9101057

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scan-to-Computer-from-Printer-M479FDW-Does-Not...

 https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Archive-Read-Only/My-all-in-one-can-print-but-not-scan/td-p/8...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Printer-won-t-scan-to-my-computer/td-p/6666951

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scan-to-Computer-from-Printer-M479FDW-Does-Not...

[Qsaifoddin · Accepted solution]

Hi @frantza

Reinstalling the full-featured driver will restore the scan-to-computer feature, but in most cases a full reinstall isn’t required. The underlying issue is usually related to the background services that control HP scanning.

Technical root cause (common scenarios):

• The HP Network Devices Support and HP Print and Scan Doctor Service are critical for maintaining scan-to-PC communication. If these services stop, scanning features appear disabled even though printing still works.

• After certain Windows cumulative or feature updates, service dependencies or registry entries may get reset, which interrupts the scan-to-PC functionality.

• In some cases, the Scan-to-Computer toggle in HP Smart or in the printer’s Embedded Web Server (EWS) can be disabled during these changes.

• Minimal or basic driver packages may not restore the required background components, which is why reinstalling the full-featured driver resolves the problem.

Steps to try before a full reinstall:

1. Restart the services in services.msc: HP Network Devices Support and HP Print and Scan Doctor Service.

2. Open the HP Smart app → Printer Settings → Advanced Settings → Scan → re-enable Scan to Computer.

3. If the option is missing, run a Repair on HP Smart.

4. Log into the printer’s Embedded Web Server (EWS) and ensure Webscan / Scan to Computer is enabled.

5. Keep the printer firmware and HP software updated for best compatibility with future Windows updates.

These steps usually restore scanning without reinstalling the driver. A reinstall should be considered a last step if the above methods don’t resolve it.

[frantza]

Noted and thanks.  When I have another issue, I will give your suggestion a try.

[frantza]

I resigned recently, so I won't be able to comment on this.  The issue has not happened again since.