Firmware Flash for HP 2600n

[paraclete_pizza]

I was trying to follow the advice in this thread ( https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/LaserJet-Printing/Firmware-Flash-for-HP-2600n/td-p/6476445 ) for updating the firmware on my 2600n laser printer from a Windows 10 machine. I was having some ghosting issues and read that the firmware update may help.

My Windows 10 system detects the printer via USB, and prints to it using the built-in drivers with the OS. When I run the HP Print & Scan doctor, it detects the printer, and can print a test page.

However, when I download the firmware update tool for Windows 10 here ( https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/swdetails/hp-color-laserjet-2600n-printer/446153/s... ), and try running the executable, I get a message reading "Cannot find an HP Color LaserJet 2600 series drivers printer installed on this system."

How might I upgrade my firmware for this printer from my system?

[Repairatrooper]

My guess is that your printer installed using either a Microsoft IPP or V4 driver and the utility only detects an HP developed driver.

[paraclete_pizza]

That's my guess, too. Unfortunately, there's no way to install HP drivers on Windows 10, to my knowledge - whenever I try, I'm informed that newer drivers already exist, or I get a warning prohibiting me from running the program.

I managed to dig out an old Windows 7 laptop (and immediately turned off the Wifi, since it's no longer a supported OS), and install the old HP drivers on it. I could then use the firmware update utility from that machine.

Luckily, since I was updating over USB, I didn't have to use the toolbox to turn on RFU permissions, as the latest HP drivers, even for older systems, have removed the toolbox, which makes it MUCH harder to do maintenance on this device!