HP 3830 - Installing drivers without HP Smart is an endless loop

[AlexIW]

EDIT: I probably got way too upset. It seems the software is installed successfully, it just suggests (in a misleading way)  that HP Smart is required when it's not. I have a separate issue on a single PC where the scanner still isn't recognized, but it works fine on other PCs, so it's an unrelated issue. So as far as I understand, the only HP software for scanning is included now in HP Smart, which is a shame, but the driver seems to work fine and allow other software to scan properly. Consider this solved.

I would like to use the full functionality of the printer I bought, the DeskJet 3830, without having to link it to any HP account.
Trying to use HP Smart requires to link to an online account to simply scan a page, so I tried to installing the regular software suite - I prefer the good old dumb versions of the software.

In the good old days, you'd download an EXE, install the software, and happily use the printer. Nowadays it seems like a much more joyful process.

I downloaded the software pack, DJ3830_Full_WebPack_40.11.1124.exe.

Weighting 160mb, surely that's the full driver including all the software needed to use the printer.
After a long installation and a short wizard suggesting to configure the fax, at the "activation" step, the software decided to suggest me to "Install the latest HP Smart software". It doesn't matter if HP Smart is installed. Of course this isn't a suggestion - the wizard simply ends, suggesting to install either HP Smart or HP Easy Start. Since my whole purpose is to avoid using HP Smart, I decided to install HP Easy Start as suggested. So, following the instructions I downloaded this software, only to get another setup wizard. After a long process, it decided to suggest me to install HP Smart (recommended!), install the full driver suite - leading to the same DJ3830_Full_WebPack_40.11.1124.exe download - or for a smaller, basic driver. Of course choosing the full suite options leads to the same loop - the helpful wizard ends with a "suggestion" to download HP Smart or Easy Start. I also tried downloading the basic driver, but it ended in the exact same screen.

So, what is the purpose of the full driver (DJ3830_Full_WebPack_40.11.1124.exe)? Is it just to waste your customer's time? How can I use the printer I bought to scan documents, other than connecting to your cloud (no thanks) or using the web UI, currently the only functional part of this printer?

Thanks.

Images:

https://imgur.com/Z4Lo38M

https://imgur.com/91ROtot

[sandytechy20]

@AlexIW

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