HP 4301fdw Scanner with Windows 11

[CBCCLERK2]

I have downloaded and Installed the most recent Firmware.  Most recent Driver.  Most recent Windows Updates, Most recent Optional Windows Updates.  Ran CMD winget update --all.  Installed Windows Scan App.  I have also, just for head off the stupid responses, uninstalled printers and removed from Device Manager and done fresh installs.  So here we go:

Windows Fax and Scan - Settings, shows the Printer.  Upon computer restart, sometimes it "Initializes the scanner" sometimes it doesn't.

Windows Scan App - Sometimes connects to the scanner, but when it scans, it adds space to the bottom of the image like it's a legal size sheet it's scanning.

HP Smart - Scan option - works, but there's so many steps to open it, and loading time as it is searching for all printers on the network.  Scans normal sized images with no extra length.

When I say sometimes it work, I mean it was working, but isn't now.  Windows Scan and Fax has varied with different errors:  1.) "No paper is in tay, please retry" (When this happened, I switched to HP Smart, and it scanned just fine, so that error was made up by Widows Scan and Fax).  2.) "Preparing to connect to .... Scanner"  and failed to initialize the scanner.  Scan App has worked with the extra space, but now is not recognizing any scanner at all.  HP Smart is working as intended, but is nestled in multiple menus and has a lag in loading.  I need to streamline this for the Owner of the Company and the Scan APP or the Windows Fax MUST be an option.  HP Smart is too cumbersome.  A direct path from Taskbar to scan MUST be possible.

HP removing Scan and Fax Doctor AND removing HP Scan seems to be a step backwards.

What is the solution?

[Walter210]

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Sounds like you’ve already done all the right troubleshooting steps (firmware, drivers, fresh installs, updates, etc.), so props for covering the basics.

The issue really comes down to Windows’ own scanning tools being hit-or-miss with HP devices. The “no paper” error and the extra blank space are classic Windows Scan quirks — not really the printer’s fault. HP Smart works because it talks to the printer directly, but yeah, I get that it’s slow and not user-friendly for daily use.

A couple of things you could try:

• Stick with Windows Fax/Scan but reinstall the Windows Scan/Imaging components via Windows Features (sometimes fixes the “initializing” hang).

• Create a desktop/taskbar shortcut that launches HP Smart straight into Scan — cuts out the menus and searching delay.

• Or, install a lightweight 3rd-party scanning app (like NAPS2). It’s free, works with TWAIN/WIA, and usually behaves better than Microsoft’s tools.

Honestly, HP removing Scan Doctor and HP Scan made life harder. If you need something simple for the owner to just hit “scan and go,” I’d set up NAPS2 or streamline HP Smart with a shortcut.