Hp Inspire 7900e Stuck in Grayscale

[noscare]

I cannot print in color anymore...it appears that the printer is stuck in grayscale and I cannot print in color. Although grayscale seems unchecked, I have factory reset, checked for drivers(all up to date) and reinstalled.  I think it could be an issue with HP Smart Settings and it has control of the printer preferences.  The test page prints in color and my cartridges are full.  Any advice?

[A_Gayathri · Accepted solution]

Hi @noscare,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP ENVY Inspire 7958e printer is stuck printing in grayscale despite your settings showing otherwise, here are several troubleshooting steps you can try:
 

Check Printer Preferences:

• Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
• Right-click on your printer model and select Printing preferences.
• Under the Layout or Paper Quality tab, ensure that the option for "Print in grayscale" or "Grayscale" is unchecked. Sometimes, this option can be inadvertently checked, which forces all prints to be in black and white​​.

HP Smart App Settings:

• Open the HP Smart app on your computer.
• Go to your printer settings and ensure that color printing is selected as the default. Sometimes the app settings can override system preferences​​.

Check for Windows Updates:

• Ensure your Windows operating system is fully updated. Sometimes, Windows updates can impact printer functionalities.

Update or Reinstall Drivers:

• Visit the HP support website to check for any updates to the printer driver specific to your model and operating system. If the driver is up to date, consider uninstalling and then reinstalling it to refresh any settings that may have been corrupted​.

Run HP Print and Scan Doctor: HP Print and Scan Doctor

• Download and run the HP Print and Scan Doctor, a diagnostic tool that can help identify and resolve printing issues​.

Check the Cartridges:

• Although you mentioned that your cartridges are full, it's worth checking if they are properly seated in their slots and not showing any errors on the printer display. Sometimes, a cartridge can become dislodged or may not be recognized properly by the printer​

Refer to this document: HP ENVY Inspire 7958e All-in-One Printer User manual 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[noscare]

Thank you for your response...i had done everything suggested.  Since the driver was up to date, I did not delete and reinstall.

After deleting everything, including the driver and reinstalling, my PC printing is now back to color.  It appears that I have to do that for all PCs sharing the printer.  It is quite cumbersome and I can't help thinking the HP Smart is somehow corrupting the driver when it is used to change to Black and White  and then try to change back.

Very frustrating if I have to continually have to do this.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @noscare ,

Thank you for your reply

I'm glad to hear reinstalling the driver brought back color printing on your PC, but I understand the hassle of doing this repeatedly on multiple devices. HP Smart does sometimes retain printing settings across sessions, which can inadvertently cause issues with driver configurations when toggling color options.
 

To potentially minimize this issue in the future, you could try the following:

• Printer Settings: Set the printer defaults directly within Windows and not through HP Smart. This may prevent HP Smart from interfering with the driver settings.
• Dedicated Color Profile: Some users find it helpful to create a separate color profile within the printer settings for color and black-and-white printing. This way, you can select a profile rather than toggle settings, which may reduce conflicts.
• HP Smart Update: Keep an eye on updates for HP Smart. They occasionally release patches that improve compatibility and settings management, potentially addressing this type of issue.
• Alternative Print Utility: Consider printing through the standard Windows Print dialog or another printing application when changing between color and black-and-white. This could help ensure HP Smart settings don’t inadvertently override the driver.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.