HP 4526 is a piece of **bleep**!!!!!! Now that I have got your attention....

[Egobyte83]

Okay, my printer (HP ENVY 4526) has flipped out completely.

It all started when the printer suddenly just stopped printing in color, for absolutely no reason. Of course I checked every possible reason; the cartridge was brand new, it was a genuine HP cartridge, I checked the printer settings so it would actually print in color, I updated the drivers, I reinstalled the **bleep**. Nothing worked.

And not only that, while this issue remains unresolved, now it has suddenly started to refuse to install properly. (So, yeah, I actually have a problem on top of a problem)

I delete all HP related programs, remove the device from the device manager and remove the driver and driver package from "printerui.exe / s!" so it is completely blank. I start the installation from scratch and it finds my printer on the network right away. Wifi is turned on and the signal is excellent. I follow the instructions to the letter and when the installation is finished, the printer pops up in the control panel "devices and printers", but cannot be set as the default printer, there is no choice for it in the right-click menu. When I then look at the "second" control panel, ie Windows 10's substitute control panel "Settings" (which for some reason exists parallel to the old one), the printer is in the list but, it says "driver missing".

So I download the missing driver from the right place, get the same Envy 4520-series installation window that says the same thing again, and when the procedure is finished I still can't use the printer!

So I try to use the HP Print And Scan Doctor. The program at first (when I select the product out of the found products list) says that the printer is installed, but then it says "the full software solution for your product is not installed on this computer", so I click "install software", I get the same Envy 4520-series installation window that says the same thing all over again, and nothing changes.

I bought this printer maybe 5 years ago and it has always worked as it should, but I get the vibe that a while back there was some new update rolled out which made the printer not work correctly. My previous printer (an HP Photosmart wireless b109n-z) encountered the same color-related problem, but after a lot of troubleshooting, I solved the problem by unplugging the power cord and restarted it cold; not that I know why that should solve anything, but suddenly it could just print in color again. However, the same brute force-approach did not work with this model. And without exaggeration, by now the frustration has grown beyond galactical in proportion.

I can't do this anymore, this HP product is making me physically nauseus. Please save my mental health. Is there anyone who can come up with a solution to this issue?

[TEJ1602]

@Egobyte83, Welcome to HP Support Community!

Try the following steps-

• Remove the printer software and drivers, then run Windows update, then open services> Scroll down to “Remote Procedure Call (RPC)” – right-click and go to properties. Make sure the service is started and startup type is “Automatic”.  then scroll up and go to “Function Discovery Provider Host” – right-click and select properties – Change the startup type to “manual” and start the service. 
• Repeat the same exercise on “Function Discovery Resource Publication” as well.

Try to install the printer software and driver.

Keep me posted.

Cheers 🙂

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[Egobyte83]

Hello, sorry for the late response.

I tried your advice, but neither the software disc or the downloaded executable will install properly. I get the prepare, copnnect, activate window. I click next and the license window shows up, I check the box where it says that I have read it and click next and then almost immediately another window shows up saying that the installation is complete. But nothing has been installed. No device in device manager or settings, no drivers for the Envy are listed in the print server properties.

But the weird thing is that the HP Print & Scan Doctor is still finding the printer and listing it as "installed" and when I try to scan a document, it works; the document ends up in digital form on the PC.

[TEJ1602]

@Egobyte83

Try installing and using the Windows Built-in Print Driver.

Refer to this link for instructions.

Keep me posted.

Cheers 🙂

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[Egobyte83]

Alright, so I tried that and now we are back to square one, where the printer is indeed listed in the Devices section for both the Control Panel and in the Windows settings, but I am still unable to set it as the default printer, the option just isn't there when I right-click on it in Devices And Printers.

And in the Settings section we still get the "Driver missing" subtext.

Now what? 😮 

From the scanner-based commands in the right-click menu that I get from right-clicking Envy in Devices And Printers, it would appear that it has been installed as a scanner, nothing else, even though it is listed under the swedish heading "Skrivare" (printers).

[TEJ1602]

@Egobyte83

Please follow the steps below:

**Be aware that if you have other printers installed on your PC, those will need to be reinstalled too once completing these steps.

1. Uninstall the HP Software from your PC.
2. Backup your registry prior to making any registry changes:
     https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c03485724
3. Update your registry using the Reg file below (that will change some printer related policies for your PC):
     https://www.dropbox.com/s/avbv56zdgwv7600/kernel.reg?dl=1
4. Right-click the Start menu and select Run.
     Type Services.msc and press OK.
     Locate and stop the Print Spooler service
5. Browse to c:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers.
     Rename W32X86 to W32x86.old
     Rename x64 to x64.old
     Note: if any of these folders fail to rename reboot your PC and then Continue following the steps starting from Step 4...
6. Restart your computer.
7. Reinstall the HP Software and check for any difference

Keep me posted.

Cheers 🙂

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[Egobyte83]

Alright, so the next update is here:

I tried your most recent suggestion, followed the instructions and then attempted to re-install everything with these files (in succession when I found out each one didn't work):

* EN4520_Full_WebPack_1122, the full web package
* EN4520_Basicx64_1122, just the driver (i imagine)
* Tried using the built-in driver as well

Basically, when I tried to install the full package, it again notified me that the installation was complete after a few seconds. Hovering over the ENVY entry in Devices And Printers gives me a message that the driver is missing. (see image) And it says the same in the Printers And Scanners subsection of Settings. Only difference this time is that now the printer icon doesn't even resemble the Envy printer but is more of a generic printer icon.

[Egobyte83]

Oh, I had to reboot the PC a second time because Avast gave false positives, and now the Envy was suddenly detected, so the generic icon has now been replaced again with the Envy likeness. But other than that, the issue persists.

[TEJ1602]

@Egobyte83

Let us try adding an alternate driver and see if that helps-

Open Devices and Printers

On the printer, right-click > go to Printer Properties

Select Advanced tab > Click on New Driver

Add Printer Driver Wizard window pops up > Click Next

On the left-hand side under Manufacturer tab select HP

On the right-hand side under Printers tab select HP Envy 7640 series

Note- Select a TCP/IP port for the printer

If you do not find the driver, run windows update and try again.

Let me know if that helps.

Cheers 🙂

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[Egobyte83]

Unfortunately, there is no option called "printer properties" in that right-click menu, but instead there is a "scanner properties" and that does not give me the same options, with an "advanced" tab etc.