Firmware "Failed to Update" - HP LaserJet Professional P1102w

[jclarkw]

Tried up update firmware on P1102w (CE657A) from existing (original?) FW date code 20120814 to current download "HP_P1102w_P1109_FW_Update_20201012.exe" over a USB cable from a Windows 10 (20H2, 64-bit) laptop, following instructions from the corresponding Web page.  After several minutes of waiting, the FW update utility reported, "Failed to update FW.  Cycle power on printer and try again," or something close to that.  Retry after power cycle produced the identical result.  Mercifully the printer's Web server self-text/configuration page still indicates that the same FW date code is installed.

Can anyone explain what I might have done wrong?

Are earlier FW versions available somewhere that might be more appropriate to this relatively old printer?

Where to next?

Best Regards -- jclarkw

[jclarkw]

MORE INFORMATION:  The driver that we had installed (with some difficulty -- see https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Setup-Software-Drivers/Problem-with-Driver-for-LaserJet-Pro-P1...) before trying to update the FW was "hp_LJP1100_P1560_P1600_Full_Solution-v20180815-50157037.exe"; although it never threw up any on-screen instructions, so we had to complete installation with the Windows printer-wizard installation as described in this reference.  I don't see why that should make any difference, but knowing HP, it might... -- jclarkw

[jclarkw]

It would be really nice to get some solution to this problem; of course the printer is old enough that telephone tech support won't touch it, so we're dependent on this forum.

The printer prints for a while and then the driver decides it's offline (though the printer doesn't think so), and we have to restart the computer and/or the printer to get it going again.  This is a daily affair, so very frustrating.  My only guess is that there is some incompatibility between the new driver and the ancient firmware -- at least updating is worth a try if we could only figure out how... -- jclarkw