Mac upgrade now printer/scanner can't find my computer

[Kris808]

Upgraded my MacBook Air to High Sierra and now my hp ENVY 4520 printer can't find my computer.  It worked fine (wireless) before upgrade.

[KrazyToad]

Hi @Kris808

Welcome to HP Support Forums. A really great platform for posting all your questions and finding solutions.

I understand that you are unable to print after upgrading to High Sierra.

I could help

Please uninstall the Printer driver from your Mac

1. Click Finder in the Dock.

2. In the menu bar, click Go, click Applications, and then open the HP or Hewlett Packard folder.

   • If HP Uninstaller is in the folder, double click it, and then follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the software.

   • If HP Uninstaller is not in the folder, continue to the next step.

3. Click and drag the HP or Hewlett Packard folder to the Trash icon in the Dock.

4. In the menu bar, click Go, click Go to Folder, type /Library/Printers, then click Go.

   The Printers folder opens.

5. Click and drag the HP or Hewlett Packard folder to the Trash icon in the Dock.

6. Restart the Mac.

7. Right-click or Ctrl + click the Trash icon, and then select Empty Trash.

Then reinstall the printer using the Apple Software Update.

1. Click the Apple menu, then click System Preferences.

2. Depending on your operating system version, click Print & Fax, Print & Scan, or Printers & Scanners.

   Figure : Example of the Printers & Scanners window

   

3. Check if the name of your printer displays in the Printers list. Do one of the following steps, depending on if the printer is listed or not.

   • If your printer is listed, remove and re-add the printer to confirm communication and to make sure the correct driver is used. Click the name of your printer, then click the minus sign  to delete the printer. Once the printer is removed, click the plus sign , click Add Printer or Scanner, click the name of your printer, then continue to the next step.

   • If your printer is not listed, click the plus sign, click Add Printer or Scanner, click the name of your printer, then continue to the next step.

   • If your printer is not listed in the Add Printer or Scanner window, make sure the printer is connected to the Mac with a USB cable, or that it is on the same wired or wireless network as your Mac.

4. Click the Use or Print Using menu, then select the name of your printer.

      NOTE:Selecting a Generic driver option from the Use menu can result in limited printer functionality.

   Figure : Select the name of your printer in the Use menu

   

5. Click Add to add the printer to the list.

   • If you are prompted to install software, click Download and Install to complete the installation.

6. Close the System Preferences window.

7. Try to printing

Let me know how it goes.

Thank you 🙂

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the "Solution Accepted" and "Kudos" Buttons.

[Unzio]

KrazyToad, I followed the instructions you provided (Mac High Sierra) and my HP M102W printer is now printing when the USB cable is connected.

It will not print over the wireless network however. The Printers & Scanners menu shows more-or-less duplicate listings for HP printers - one HP LaserJet Pro M101-M106 with a generic icon and another, HP LaserJet Pro M102W (556DF3) with the correct icon. 

The printer was installed several weeks ago, since the Mac OS was uprgraded to High Sierra. I've followed a couple of HP diagnostic strings on the web with varying degrees of success and have printed wirelessly from both the Mac OS and IOS devices in a couple of instances, but printing is unreliable and print jobs often just sit in the que.

[MKazi · Accepted solution]

@Unzio

Thanks for reaching out to us on HP Forums. I came across your post and would like to assist. 

As @KrazyToad is out of the office today, I'm replying to you. 

I understand that your HP LaserJet Pro M102w Printer is able to print when connected via USB but does not owrk when connected wirelessly. I appreciate your efforts in troubleshooting this issue and have certainly done a good job.

You may follow the steps mentioned in "Mac" from this HP document as it will help in converting from a a USB to a wireless connection. 

If the issue still persists then you may try to add it as an Airprint printer by fllowing the below steps:

Step 3: Remove multiple printers from the printer list

Check for multiple devices in the Printers list, and then remove any extra entries other than one in idle status.

1. Search the Mac for Print, and then click Print & Fax, Print & Scan, or Printers & Scanners in the list of results.

2. Find the printer names that match your printer from the list of devices.

   Figure : Printers and Scanner window with multiple names of a printer in the list

   

3. If you see multiple printer queues for the same printer, remove all extra printers by selecting them one at a time, and then clicking the minus button  at the bottom of the list. Leave one 'idle' printer in the list that matches your printer if available and use this printer as the Default printer.

4. Try printing again.

   • If the printer prints, you can stop troubleshooting.

   • If the printer remains offline or displays an error, continue to the next step.

Step 4: Delete the existing print queue and add the printer

Remove the printer queue from the list of printers, and then add it again. Doing so creates a new printing session.

1. Make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet.

2. In the Printers list, click your HP printer, and then click the Minus button  to delete it.

3. Click the Add button .

4. Find and select the name of your printer from the Printer list, and then click Add to add your printer. Do not select an HP Fax driver.

      NOTE: If your printer does not display in the list, make sure the printer is connected, turned on, has power, and is ready to print.

   Figure : Example of the printer selection list

   

5. Click Print Using or Use.

6. Select AirPrint.

   Figure : Menu showing AirPrint selected

   

   Your new printer queue displays in the Printers list in an Idle status .

   Figure : Example of a newly added printer in the Printers & Scanners list

   

7. Try printing again.

Hope this information helps. Let me know the outcome.

Good luck! 

[Unzio]

Two drivers- conflicting drivers-appears to have been the problem.

"Multiple printer queues" kept popping up in the Printers & Scanners window. When I deleted them with the "-", they just returned.

The "Options & Supplies. . . " menu from that same window showed two driver versions were coming up in that process: a 2.0 and a 1.31. (I think.) I downloaded Easy Start and uninstalled everything  HP, then started through the instructions to add the printer. In several attempts, no printer could be found to add, though it was connected via both wireless and USB.

As best I can tell this trouble started from confusion after the initial setup several weeks ago when the Customer Support Downloads page indicated there was no download available for Mac OS 10.13. I likely chose the 10.12 package initially, thinking that might get things going. I assume when I continued to have trouble and inadvertently installed Easy Start again, possibly without specifying OS 10.12, that second driver was installed - a newer driver. 

I'm not sure how this got back on track. After uninstalling, going back to the HP Easy Start application to reinstall the printer, then restarting the Mac after HP Easy Start got into a loop it couldn't recover from, everything appears to be working again with a 2.0 driver. 

Thanks. Kudos. Good to be back in business. 

(Screen shot below; this message to disconnect the cable came up a half dozen times after the cable was disconnected)

[MKazi]

@Unzio

Great news! 

Glad to know that the issue is resolved and hope it remains that way.

Happy printing!

[MKazi]

@Unzio

1. Please let me know the exact iOS version on the iPhone:

1. Locate and open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap About.
4. Note the current iOS version is listed by Version.
5. Also, let me know the firmware version on the printer.

2. Please print a wireless test report from the printer by following the below steps:

In the wireless test report gather the SSID.

3. The printer and the Apple device must be connected to the same network as your AirPrint enabled device. For more information about using AirPrint and about which HP products are compatible with AirPrint, go to www.hp.com/go/mobileprinting .

4. Let me know what router you have and if it supports the Bonjour packets. Also, mention how far is the printer from the router.

Please repy with teh above information so that we can investigate this case further. 

Alternately, you may use the Wi-Fi Direct to print wirelessly from the printer without using a router: https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c04577030

Please feel free to reply. 

Cheers!

[Unzio]

MKazi, it appears you may have come into this stream at a mid-point. I'm responding to your post of August 27, 2018 that  is marked message 7 of 7. There are two posts not included, and one of them, my message of August 15, 2018, describes my request for more information to resolve a sporadic wireless connection and the apparent existence of two print drivers - v. 2.0 and v. 1.3.1. (Screenshot below shows a glimpse of the two posts I want to be sure you saw. Note that stream indicates 9 messages, while your post today indicates 7 of 7.)

To answer your recent questions:

-   iOS is 11.4.1. Please note the problem I'm having is primarily in printing from a Macbook Air, OS 10.13.6, not the iOS phones.

-   the wireless test report properly indicates the printer is connected to our wireless network; same network as the Macbook.

-   printer webpage indicates Bonjour is enabled. Router and printer are about two feet apart. Router is a Ubee DVW32E. 

I'll need more guidance to identify the printer firmware version, but the firmware datecode is 20170710.

Today the printer is printing properly. As I said the concern is the sporadic connection to the printer, despite the fact that the wireless indicator remains steadily in a connected state. Also, the existence of two different print drivers.

[MKazi]

@Unzio

Thanks a lot of replying with the requested information. 

I will spend some time in researching further on this case and get back to you in the next 24 hours.

Thank you again!

[MKazi]

@Unzio

Thank you for your patience. Appreciate it.

Based on your inputs provided earlier, the printer was not detected by the MacBook  even with a USB connection, therefore, please reset the printing system in the Mac OS:

   NOTE : Resetting the print system deletes all printers in the queue. This includes both HP and non-HP printers.

1. Click the Apple menu, then click System Preferences.

2. Depending on your version of OS X, click Print & Fax, Print & Scan, or Printers & Scanners.

3. Right-click the blank space in the Printers list, then click Reset printing system.

   Figure : Resetting the print system

   

4. Click Reset in the confirmation window.

5. Enter the Administrator name and password, then click OK.

6. Wait for the printing system to reset. When complete, no printers should display in the list.

7. Try connecting the printer via USB and check if it gets detected. If yes then try connecting the printer wirelessly.

Hope this helps. Let me know the outcome.

Wishing you luck!