blank page when printing from Deskjet 6840 with Windows 11

[Cathy_1]

I recently upgraded to Windows 11 about the time I began having problems with my printer (HP Deskjet 6840).  The printer acts & sounds like it is printing but it kicks out a blank page.  I have replaced both printer cartridges, so it is full of ink.  I have been through all the support suggestions and spent 2 hours + with an agent yesterday with no good results.  Is anyone else having this issue?

[Garp_senchau]

@Cathy_1, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

Clean the Printhead

A clogged printhead can prevent ink from reaching the paper. You can clean it manually or automatically:

Automatic Cleaning:

Open the Control Panel.

Navigate to Devices and Printers.

Right-click your printer and select Printer Properties.

Go to the Maintenance tab and click Clean Heads.

Manual Cleaning:

Turn off the printer and remove the ink cartridges.

Carefully remove the printhead.

Use a microfiber cloth dampened with warm water to gently clean the printhead.

Allow it to air dry for at least 15 minutes before reinserting it.

Run HP Smart:

• Download and run the HP Smart. Follow the prompts to diagnose and fix common printing issues.
• Refer: Use Diagnose & Fix in HP Smart to repair common printing issues (Windows, macOS) | HP® Support

Update Printer Firmware (Update the firmware on an HP printer | HP® Support)

• Go to the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads page. Enter your printer model number and search for the latest firmware update. Follow the instructions to download and install the firmware update.

Restart Print Spooler (Windows):

1. Search services in the search box. Open the service menu.
2. In the list, find Print Spooler.
3. Right-click Print Spooler and click Restart.
   1. If it’s stopped, click Start instead.
4. Close the window. Check if the issue persists 

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

[Cathy_1]

Thank you for the detailed assistance, but I had already tried each of these items before posting to the community.  I'm pretty sure the issue is due to the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11.  The printer still receives the print request but "prints" blank pages. 😞

[zoey7886]

@Cathy_1, I see you were interacting with @Garp_senchau however, he's away for now and I'd love to help you out!

Thank you for hanging in there—I know how frustrating it must be to hear the familiar hum of your printer and still watch a blank sheet slide out. You've clearly done your homework, and I appreciate your persistence.

Since you've already tried cleaning, spooler resets, and even HP Smart tools, let’s explore what might be going on deeper under the hood—the driver. With Windows 11, older printers like the Deskjet 6840 can sometimes struggle due to generic or mismatched drivers that sneak in during the upgrade.

Here’s what I suggest:

1. Install the Basic Driver Manually

Instead of relying on Windows Update:

Visit the HP Drivers page.

Enter "Deskjet 6840" and select your OS as Windows 11 (or Windows 10 if 11 isn’t listed).

Download and install the basic driver (not the full solution software suite).

2. Try Compatibility Mode

If no Windows 11 driver exists:

Right-click the driver setup file > Properties > Compatibility tab.

Tick "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select Windows 10.

Then install and test a print.

If this still doesn’t get ink to paper, please let me know—we’ll dig even deeper if needed.

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards,