Driver not available on HP Envy 5020

[Scooterza]

Hi, 

I am running a Lenovo laptop running Win10 Home 64bit with all the latest updates applied. 

I am STRUGGLING to get my HP Envy 5020 printer to work with this laptop. No matter what I do, I get the "Drivers not available" error. 

I have tried so many things now I don't remember them all but here is a selection:

• Running the HP EN5000_Full_WebPack_44.4.2679.exe file which I downloaded from the HP website. It gets stuck towards the end of the process when it says to update the driver.  The printer just sits showing some progress but never completes in terms of updating the driver. 

• I have tried uninstalling every HP piece of software, deleting the printer, rebooting and starting from scratch. Same issue. 
• I have tried going to "C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\W32X86" and renaming the folder "3" as "3.old", rebooting and trying again. Same issue. 
• I have tried running the HPEasyStart_12_7_11.exe file (from the HP website for this printer) without success. 
• I have tried running the HPPSdr.exe but it couldn't detect the printer over WiFi. 

I also have the HP Smart app installed.  This "sees" the printer and I can detect ink levels etc. I can also ping the IP address of the printer successfully.  I am thoroughly grumpy now! I wish I could just download the driver file, go to device manager, update the driver and bing bang off I go. 

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated at this point whilst I go off to try to print using a blackened stick in a fire out in my yard. 

[Scooterza]

I ended up following the long list of instructions from @Jay_G24 listed on THIS post and this seems to have worked! Hallelujah!

[Scooterza]

Oh wait! Now the drivers are installed but it still won't print!!  It says under the status "Error - Printing".  It's only been my entire day that I've wasted on this printer.

[Scooterza]

The depths of despair is where I find myself! I decided to uninstall the printer & reinstall. So I removed it, then chose to "Add a printer or scanner" using Windows Printers & Scanners.  And what do you know! It found the printer but says that "Driver is unavailable".  I am so over dealing with this printer!😫😡

[KrazyToad]

@Scooterza

Welcome to HP Support Community

I would like to help

Please uninstall the printer driver from root level and download the full feature software

1.) In Windows, search for and open Programs and features

2.) Select your HP Printer

3.) Select Uninstall

4.) In Windows, search for and open Devices and printers

5.) In the Devices and Printers windows look for your HP printer. If you see it listed right-click on it and choose ‘Delete’ or ‘Remove Device’

6.) Open up the run command with the “Windows key + R” key combo.

7.) Type printui.exe /s and click Ok. (Note: there is a space in between “printui.exe” and “/s”)

8.) Click on the “Drivers” tab

9.) Look for HP Printer driver. If you see it Click on it and click Remove at the bottom

10.) Select Ok

11.) Select Apply and Ok on the Print Server Properties windows

12.) Close Devices and Printers

13.) Restart the computer and download the full feature software Link: https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software13/printers/EN5000/EN5000_Full_WebPack_44.4.2679.exe and follow the onscreen instructions

Thank you

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the "Solution Accepted" on this Post and it will also help other community members with similar issue.

[Scooterza]

 I followed those instructions. 

I get to the part that says "Complete Setup using HP Smart". Then a dialog box opens asking to install HPEasyStart_12_7_11.exe which I accept. The download starts and then says "server not found" or something equally helpful. It then doesn't install. I am able to install the HP Smart software and it picks up my printer. It gets to the part where it wants to print a test page and I select "HP Envy 5000 Series PCL-3 (Network). Click PRINT. 

After a few seconds of turning circle, HP smart page opens showing HP Envy 5000 series with a green tick saying "Ready". But if I look at the printer queue, it says under status "Error - Printing". 

Also, the HP Device setup process now has a box showing 1...2.....3....  This just has a turning circle now and I cannot do anything further to make it continue.  There are no hidden windows or dialog boxes needing clicking. 

The "Complete setup using HP Smart" is also stuck. If I try to close that box it says "Are you sure you want to close this window".  You can continue or close so the only option I have is to close. When I do this it says "Congratulations you have finished printer setup. The software is installed and your printer is connected." 

Now, when I go to printers and scanners, it shows the HP Envy 5020 but underneath states "App available for this device". 

I can open the app but when I try to print a test page, I get an error again. I have tried running the trouble-shooter, first time it detects the job sitting in an error state and deletes this. The 2nd time it says it couldn't fix the problem. 

I also went into the printer settings and under the advanced tab, specified that the driver should be the HP Envy 5000 series PCL-3. This did not work and my test page gave me another error. 

This printer is taking up so much of my day at the moment I am getting very little else done! My blood pressure is increasing and I now have an eye tic. 

[KrazyToad]

I suggest you try reinstalling the printer using the Windows Native Driver

Uninstall the printer software from root level once again before reinstalling using Windows Native Drivers

1.) In Windows, search for and open Programs and features 
2.) Select your HP Printer 
3.) Select Uninstall 
4.) In Windows, search for and open Devices and printers 
5.) In the Devices and Printers windows look for your HP printer. If you see it listed right-click on it and choose ‘Delete’ or ‘Remove Device’ 
6.) Open up the run command with the “Windows key + R” key combo.
7.) Type printui.exe /s and click Ok. (Note: there is a space in between “printui.exe” and “/s”) 
8.) Click on the “Drivers” tab 
9.) Look for HP Printer driver. If you see it Click on it and click Remove at the bottom 
10.) Select Ok 
11.) Select Apply and Ok on the Print Server Properties windows 
12.) Close Devices and Printers
13.) Restart the computer and reinstall the printer driver using the Windows Built In driver and follow the onscreen Instructions

Link: https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c01796879