New Printer Stuck on Validating

[MCRAAdmin]

Unboxed my new printer, OfficeJet Pro 9730e, this morning, set everything up, printed the alignment page and now it's stuck validating. I have reset it and taken the cartridges out and put them back. I don't know what else to try.

[Deep_World]

Hi  @MCRAAdmin,
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

I hear your concern about how  it must feel to see your new printer, freezed at the validation stage. 

Could you kindly confirm a few details : 

When it gets stuck on “Validating,” does the screen remain frozen indefinitely, or does it eventually show an error code/message?

Are you using the original HP setup cartridges that came with the printer, or have you installed replacements?

Is the printer connected via Wi‑Fi, Ethernet, or USB during setup?

Below are few steps you can try and confirm : 

1. Power reset: With the printer powered on, disconnect the power cord from the rear, unplug from the wall, wait 60 seconds, then reconnect directly to a wall outlet.
2. Check cartridges: Remove all cartridges, inspect for protective tape or debris, and reseat them firmly.
3. Network isolation: Temporarily disconnect the printer from Wi‑Fi/Ethernet and retry setup offline to rule out connectivity issues.

If the printer continues to hang after these steps, please let me know the exact behaviour (like if its frozen screen, blinking lights, error codes). That will help me narrow down whether this is a firmware validation issue or a hardware initialization fault.

I hope this helps.