Printer “starts” on its own.

[davidwm1]

Here we go again. More problems with product.

In the middle of the night I have been woken up by the sound of the printer suddenly making a sound as if it’s trying to scan something?

It just sounds like it’s sort of “cycling/scanning”!

I did the usual and turned it off and after a short time turned it back on and it carried on making the noise so I’ve had to turn it off and leave it switched off.

This is the second time this has happened. Previously I spoke to support and they went through how to resolve it but I honestly can’t remember how this was done.

As I’ve said in previous posts I’m getting really frustrated with the number of problems with this printer.

I’d be grateful if anyone has any idea what the issue is and how to solve it?

Kind regards

David

[Rachel571]

Hi @davidwm1,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

David, it sounds like you're experiencing a rather peculiar and understandably frustrating issue with your printer. Printers "starting" on their own and making noises as though they're scanning or cycling without any apparent trigger can be alarming, especially in the middle of the night. There could be several reasons for this behavior, and I'll outline some potential causes and solutions you might explore.

Potential Causes and Solutions

Scheduled Maintenance or Updates: Some printers are programmed to perform routine maintenance or updates automatically. This could involve cleaning the print heads or updating the printer's firmware. This is more common in printers that are always connected to the internet.

• Solution: Check your printer's settings either through its control panel or web interface (if applicable) for any scheduled maintenance tasks or updates. You might be able to adjust the schedule or disable automatic updates if this is the cause.

Wake-on-LAN/Wi-Fi: This feature allows a printer to be woken up from sleep mode by network activity. It's possible that network activity is incorrectly triggering this feature.

• Solution: Disable Wake-on-LAN/Wi-Fi feature from your printer's settings or through its web interface. Refer to your printer's manual for detailed instructions.

Faulty Sensor or Hardware Issue: A malfunctioning sensor or other hardware issue could cause the printer to start unexpectedly. This might be more complex to diagnose without technical expertise.

• Solution: If you suspect a hardware issue, it might be time to contact support again or consider taking the printer to a professional for inspection and repair.

Print Queue Issues: Sometimes, a stuck print job in the queue can cause the printer to attempt to print or prepare for printing unexpectedly.

• Solution: Clear the print queue completely. You can do this from your computer's control panel or system settings, under "Printers & scanners". Then, restart both your computer and the printer.

External Devices: If your printer is connected to an external device or network, it could be receiving a signal to start up. This might include remote printing requests.

• Solution: Check any connected devices and your network for settings that might send unintentional print jobs to your printer.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Rachel571 

HP Support