Firmware update caused LaserJet Pro M281dfw to Service Error79, endlessly cycling.

[WorstCompanyEvr]

My MFP M281fdw had a firmware update a few days ago. It immediately began cycling through initiation over and over again. After twenty or so times of the same cycle I shut it down.

Today i tried to turn it on again, and it is still doing it. Service Error 79.

Following various fixes here in the forums, I tried powering down, then unplugging it for 5 minutes, then uninstalling the driver. The POS "HP Smart" program was unable to reinstall it, because it kept cycling. I found on these forums to do an original initialization, by holding the lower right corner of the touch screen during printer boot up. This stopped the cycling briefly, but left it unconnected to the Wifi. I tried several times to "HP SMART" install, and reconnect to my wifi, but it kept failing even the password is absolutely correct. I then connected a USB printer cable, and it still could not complete the installation.
It has at various times told me my Wifi network was 5 mhz instead of 2.4 and I should find another, which is nuts because it has run fine over it for over a year. It has sometimes connected to the wireless network by going back to earlier settings, but then it starter Error 79'ing me and cycling and I have to do the special initialization. Sometimes it acts like it sees the printer over the USB cable, but then still can't get far along enough to install the **bleep** drivers again. Most of the time it doesn't notice me plugging in the printer through the USB cable.

It seems like trying to connect the printer to the wifi through the "wizard" on the printer menu can actually wreck my internet connection over my wifi, forcing me to reboot the computer.

Following more advice on the forum, I completely removed the "HP Smart" program, and tried to install the drivers through the Windows driver auto install. No luck, it won't do it over the USB  printer cable, and doesn't even see the printer.

I see people talking about stepping backwards in the firmware, but I cannot do that because the printer is no longer connected to the computer and will not install.
I need to be able to just install the drivers without the "HP Smart" software getting int he way of the process, and without the printer being hooked up. I can find no way to do this, because the HP site forces me t download the "HP Smart" software.

Then I need to ditch the firmware update even though it doesn't seem like I can connect the printer to the computer. It seems like the Firmware update has made it impossible for the printer to communicate with the computer or network without going into "Service Error 79" cycles of rebooting.

I'm extraordinarily angry at this point, I've wasted 3 hours trying to get this printer function like it did a few days ago. I just bought new ink cartridges from HP for it, so I'm like $900 vested what is currently a useless timesink.
How do I get this thing to operate?

[WorstCompanyEvr]

OK, I got the drivers downloaded without the "HP SMART".

When I go to connect the printer using its process, I select the "USB" option. I plug in the cables, and ... it doesn't see it. It does not notice me plugging inthe cables at all.

When I try to hook it up through WiFi, I let the program automatically give the printer the info to connect to the wifi. The wifi marker on the touchscreen gets a yellow triangle, and then Error 79's and automatically reboots the printer. After several cycles of that, the program to add the printer says it has failed.

It seems like the firmware has wrecked the ability of the printer to communicate with the outside world. I need a way to reset the firmware to an older version directly to the printer, not involving a computer.

[ShlomiL]

Hi,

please follow below steps to temporarily disconnect the printer or power off the network, disable IPv6 for the printer and then reconnect to the network:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Knowledge-Base/Error-79-on-HP-Color-LaserJet-Pro-M280-M281-Mu...

Shlomi

[WorstCompanyEvr]

Thank you for that, it has stopped the printer from cycling Error 79.

I still cannot get it to be an installed printer. I have tried using just the drivers download, and the "HP Smart" app.

The printer is connecting to the network, and prints a network test report page showing everything is fine.

Using the non-HP Smart approach, it gets through Step 2, then pauses forever on the second dot of five. Then it tells me it is installed, but only the fax M271-281 shows when I try to print, and even trying to use that says it cannot be found. It also tells me it cannot find an open connection to the internet, but there is a connection open and the web is working just fine. It gives me a link to copy for the HP product registration page, which I do (again), but I still don't have it available to print with.

If I use the HP smart system, it hangs up trying to find the device, even though it connected to the network and, again, can print the network test page showing it is happy. It also tells me My network is 5 MHZ and it only wants 2.4, but then it seems to get around that to let me continue long enough to wait several minutes while the computer tries to see the printer.

When I look at my available networks on my computer, I can see it has created an "HP-setup>6d-M281 Laser Jet" network for reasons I cannot fathom. It has never existed when operating the printer in the past.

When I looked at my available printers after using the non-HP Smart driver install, it sees a "fax M271-281" device and the regular printer, but it says the printer does not have a driver. But when I examine it, it says it has a generic looking driver from 2006. I removed both of these devices to try to use the "HP SMART" installer again, but it failed as described.

[WorstCompanyEvr]

OK, and this time the "HP smart" got to "finish", sort of, but the printer manager still says the driver is missing.

HP smart says it will install the driver, to go to the print manager, select the printer and select to "add" it. But I cannot - it only gives the option to "Remove " it or "Manage" it

The "HP SMART" software does see the printer though, including the toner levels and such. There is communication, just not an ability to get the right drivers installed, or perhaps to recognize the drivers are already installed.

"Diagnose and fix" is saying the "driver check" issue is not fixed, and also seems concerned that the printer might not be on or connected to the network (which it is)