HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301 Scanning Issues

[thinkcomp]

Virtually nothing about this scanner works. I am thinking of returning it.

1. First of all, if you try to scan a document in black and white it creates gray boxes on the page that are not actually there when it detects interpolated patterns of dots. I don't want a scanner that makes up what's on the page. I want a scanner that scans what is actually there.

2. The panel on the device maxes out at 300 dpi. The web scan UI lets me go up to 1200 dpi. Sometimes I want more than 300 dpi. Why is the panel limiting what I can do?

3. There are connectivity problems galore. When I verify that the device can connect to my SMB share to scan to a network folder, sometimes I get told that the connection was verified, and sometimes not. I just scanned about 30 pages thinking the network share was connected and working. Only 2 pages made it to the network folder. (The fact that any pages made it at all suggests that it is not a network problem, also I can ping my server, which is plugged in with an ethernet cord, with a reliable 2-4ms ping time from my laptop using Wi-Fi.) The rest of the jobs (signing into the Jobs tab on the printer's IP address in a web browser) say "Guest: Network FolderFailed: Feb 17, 2024, [time]". The thing is, I did not tell the printer to sign in as "Guest". I gave it a username and password to use. The limited diagnostic information on the right-hand side says the "User Name" is "Guest". That's not how the scanner says it's configured. I have no idea what's going on here; it should not be disregarding the password. Yes, I am pressing the proper quick set icon for the only one that's configured.

4. As an alternative, I thought I'd try scanning to e-mail. Of course that doesn't work either. The only radio button option for a new SMTP server (which requires an e-mail address as a field for some reason?) is that the SMTP server "Server does not require authentication". There is no other option, just one and only one radio button. Well, mine does require authentication—everyone's does. Does HP really want people running open SMTP servers to send spam along with scans? This is ridiculous. It's not 1995 anymore.

5. I can't remember what I wrote for number 5 because this forum deleted it as "invalid HTML". It also refuses to remember my operating system and product name that I linked to this post. Also, this has all been marked as spam for some reason, so I guess no one will see it anyway.

6. There's no FTP support for network scans. Yes, Apple removed FTP support from Mac OS, but A) it shouldn't have, and B) if SMB fails at least you have a fallback.

7. I tried scanning to a USB key. It didn't work.

8. Web scan might salvage this purchase except that half the time the scanned image appears in a "blob" that opens in a new browser tab without sending the proper HTTP headers to download to my machine. This is a total pain, not to mention having to operate the device from my computer, which is not next to it. I bought a wireless printer to avoid this.

9. The user interface on the device itself is laggy and slow (despite there being nothing else running on this device, it's not like it's a general purpose computer), and when a scan fails, it fails silently, leaving you to assume it worked fine. This is terrible UI design.

10. The device (mine is only a couple of weeks old) reeks of phthalates and who knows what other chemicals, and I haven't yet printed a single page. I shouldn't have to get cancer in order to scan a few pages.

My last scanner was driving me insane after working for years (https://forum.support.xerox.com/t5/Copying-Faxing-Scanning/Phaser-6180MFP-N-Scanning-Image-Quality-P...) so I was really looking forward to a scanner actually functioning properly for once. Sadly, no dice.

[Andr-1611]

Check your FW Version!

Because there is a new FW version. Here is the link for Win10 64: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/hp-color-laserjet-pro-mfp-4301-4303dw-fdn-fdw-printer-series/mo...

Associated files accompany the above software file

HP recommends downloading and reviewing README/Release Notes files before installing drivers, software and firmware.

Kind Regards
Andr-1611

If my post resolved your problem please mark this post as an "Accepted Solution".
Or click on the YES button to reply that the response was helpful and/or to say “Thank You”.

[thinkcomp]

The device updated the firmware on its own the day before all of this happened. Presumably it updated itself to the latest available version.

[Andr-1611]

---

@thinkcomp wrote:

... Presumably it updated itself to the latest available version.

---

please check

[ppzoo]

I have the same issue with a newly purchases 4301 and updated the firmware immediately.  I cannot scan to a network folder at all.  I can sertup the quickset on the printer and it starts the scan but cancels immediately.  I have used the scan to network folder on older MFPs but this unit has been very difficult to get it to work.  I did open a case (Case Number 5120455343).  I was told they would get back to me but the issue has not been resolved.  Anyone else have a solution to scanning to the Network on a HP LaserJet pro MFP 4301?

Thanks for you help.

[bwinarske]

Just inputting on my end, am currently experiencing the same issue. This is on firmware version: 6.17.2.2-202312091658

This issue originally started after an automated Firmware update, downloaded from the internet. I have since updated via USB using the official HP firmware download on their driver's page, and am awaiting to see if the issue persists, but this must be related to the current firmware version. On the firmware revision page, it notes that "Fixes for some F0.xx errors" were completed, but I am unclear if this is related at all.

Wayback machine isn't fruitful for this, and attempting to download the .bdl of the file is no longer working from the FTP link found on the HP Driver website. If/when this is updated, you may be able to use some inspect element wizardry to grab the file from say, an older firmware version like 6.12.1.12-202306030312, but this may not be supported.

If anyone has any updates ~May 2024, please let me know, would love to close this ticket out.