Cannot find printer

[CMartinh]

I have been attempting to connect my printer, but HP Smart has not found it. It is listed on the computer as connected, but again, HP cannot find it.  Help!!

[Garp_senchau]

@CMartinh, 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

If your HP Smart app is not able to recognize your HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 All-in-One Printer even if it is listed on the computer as connected, you can follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve the connectivity issue.

Check Network Connection:

1. Ensure Same Network:
   • Verify that both your printer and your computer are connected to the same network.

Printer Restart:

1. Restart Printer:
   • Turn off your printer, wait for about 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.

Reconnect Printer:

1. Reconnect the Printer:
   • On your printer, go to the Network Settings menu and select the option to reconnect to the network. You can do this from the printer's control panel.

Use HP Smart App:

Open HP Smart App:

• Launch the HP Smart app on your computer.

Add Printer:

• In the HP Smart app, click or tap the Plus icon (or Add Printer) and follow the instructions to add your printer.

Confirm Printer is Connected:

• Verify that the printer shows as connected on your network by accessing the printer's control panel and checking the network status.

Additional Network Settings:

• From the printer control panel, touch or swipe down the tab at the top of the screen to open the Dashboard, touch Setup, touch Reports, and then touch Network Configuration Page. This will print a page with the printer’s network settings.

Reinstall HP Smart App:

• If the problem persists, uninstall the HP Smart app from your computer and reinstall it. Visit HP Smart download page for the latest version.

Embedded Web Server:

• You can try to access the printer’s embedded web server (EWS) through your web browser. Type the IP address of the printer into your browser’s address bar. For example, if the IP address is 192.168.1.100, you would type http://192.168.1.100.

Update Printer Firmware:

• Ensure your printer has the latest firmware. You can do this from the printer’s control panel or via the HP Smart app.

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. 

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Regards,