MODE COLOUR IS DISACTIVATED IN MY ENVY 4520 PRINTER: WHY????

[boxedandcoxed]

MODE COLOUR IS DISACTIVATED IN MY ENVY 4520 PRINTER: WHY????

[Max3Aj]

@boxedandcoxed, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
If the Color Mode is disabled on your HP ENVY 4520 All-in-One Printer, here are a few possible reasons and solutions:

Color Ink is Empty or Low

• If one or more color cartridges are empty or critically low, the printer may disable color printing.
• Solution: Check the ink levels in the HP Smart app or the printer's control panel. If low, replace the color cartridge.

Grayscale or Black & White Mode is Enabled

• Your print settings might be set to Black & White (Grayscale) mode, which prevents color printing.
• Solution:
  • Open the Print Preferences in the printer driver.
  • Ensure "Print in Grayscale" is unchecked.
  • Set Color Mode to Color and apply changes.

Color Printing is Disabled in Printer Settings

• Some settings may prevent color printing.
• Solution:
  • On the printer’s control panel, go to Setup > Preferences > Color Printing and enable it.

Driver or Firmware Issues

• Outdated or corrupted drivers can cause missing options.
• Solution:
  • Uninstall and reinstall the printer driver from HP website: HP Support
  • Update your printer firmware via HP Smart app or HP Support Assistant.

 

[Max3Aj]

Incorrect Paper Type

• Some paper types (like transparencies) may disable color printing.
• Solution:
  • In Print Settings, select a different paper type (e.g., Plain Paper instead of Transparency).

Print Job or Application Settings

• If printing from a specific application (e.g., PDF reader), the settings may force black-and-white printing.
• Solution:
  • Check print settings inside the application (e.g., Adobe Reader, Word, etc.).
  • Ensure Color Mode is selected before printing.

Printer Needs a Reset

• Resetting can fix software glitches.
• Solution:
  • Turn off the printer, unplug it for 2-3 minutes, then restart.
  • Try printing a color test page from the printer’s settings.

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. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[boxedandcoxed]

Hi Max3Aj, 

thanks for helping but no, I tried all of the solutions you propose including reloading HP. Some say...

[boxedandcoxed]

Hi Max3Aj, 

thanks for helping but no, I tried all of the solutions you propose including reloading HP. Some say...

[Max3Aj]

@boxedandcoxed, Thank you for your response. 
Hey there!

If you've already tried all those solutions—including reinstalling HP software—then yeah, it's possible that a Windows update messed things up. Microsoft updates sometimes introduce printer-related bugs, especially affecting color printing.

How to Verify if a Windows Update Caused the Issue

1️⃣ Check Installed Windows Updates

• Press Win + R, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter.
• Click View installed updates (left side).
• Look for recent updates (especially related to "Security" or "Printer").

2️⃣ Roll Back Recent Windows Updates

If the issue started after a recent update:

• Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
• Scroll down and click Uninstall updates.
• Look for any updates installed around the time color printing stopped working.
• If you find a suspicious update, uninstall it, restart, and try printing again.

3️⃣ Use a Generic HP Driver Instead

• Open Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager).
• Expand Print Queues or Printers.
• Right-click your printer and choose Update Driver.
• Select Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list.
• Try using a generic HP driver like HP Universal Print Driver (if available).

4️⃣ Install an Older HP Driver Manually

• Go to HP official driver page and download an older version of your printer driver.
• Uninstall the current driver (Win + X > Device Manager > Printers > Uninstall device).
• Disconnect the printer and reinstall using the older driver.

5️⃣ Try Printing in a Different App

• If you're printing from Microsoft Edge, Word, or Adobe Reader, try another app like:
  • Paint (Open an image and print from there).
  • Google Chrome (If the issue is with PDFs, Chrome can print PDFs in color).
• If some apps print in color but others don’t, the issue might be app-specific.

6️⃣ Reset the Windows Print Spooler

• Open Command Prompt (Admin) and type:net stop spooler   del %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\* /Q   net start spooler  
• This clears any stuck print jobs and resets the printer system.

7️⃣ Test Printing from Another Device

• If possible, connect your printer to another PC, Mac, or smartphone and test color printing.
• If it prints in color elsewhere, the problem is definitely Windows-related.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support

[boxedandcoxed]

Thanks for your assistance. I'm in the process of trying the different solutions. I can't see any Win updates that are suspicious but I would hazard a guess that it's a Win update responsible.

[boxedandcoxed]

Thanks Max3Aj. Impossible to see which Win update is causing the colour printing problem. Do I need to dele...