Cant set up printer

[MickG576]

My dad originally set up this printer and he doesn't live here. I just want to print a few pages. He cancelled his Instant Ink account and I restored to factory settings. I have the printer added to my hp account and it will not let me set up the printer. Why do we need an account just to print stuff? what If I didn't have the internet like a caveman?

[Raqeeb26]

Hi @MickG576

To print with an HP printer, it’s typically not required to have an account or internet for normal printing tasks, such as printing via USB or local network. However, certain features like HP Instant Ink or HP Smart App may require an account or internet connection for management and setup purposes.

1. Basic Printing:

   • USB Connection: You can connect your printer directly to your computer via a USB cable to print documents. In this case, internet access and accounts are not necessary.
   • Wired/Wireless Network Printing: If you don’t have internet access but have a local network set up, you can print over the local network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, provided that your printer and computer are on the same network.

2. Reset and Setup:

   • Factory Reset: Restoring your printer to factory settings will remove all previous network settings. You’ll need to set up the printer again, which might initially require a connection to set the basics like language and network.
   • Instant Ink Account: If the Instant Ink service was previously active, canceling it means you won't be charged for that service anymore. You'll just need standard cartridges to print.

3. Account Relevance:

   • HP Account: An HP account is largely for managing services, obtaining updates, or accessing HP cloud features.
   • Printing Without Account: You do not need an HP account for printing if you are using standard functions, such as printing via USB or locally through Wi-Fi.
4.  Subscription Cancellation : if the Instant ink subscription is cancelled, the cartridges that arrived with Instant ink can no longer be used, you  need to purchase a set of cartridges for his printer from any local store, or hp.com.
   
   Hope this helps solve your issue.