HP Easy Start fails downloading driver for MacOS 15

[eztup]

Hi!

I installed HP Easy Start on MacOS 15.5.

It finds the printer in both, WLAN or Wifi direct.

Trying to download the driver, it fails.

Reading the log and opening the ftp addresses, I can see the JSON response contains exe files only - i.e. Windows drivers! What?!

I cannot add the logs, but this is how it looks like:

HP Easy Start.log

...

2025-6-4 20:21:56 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [LKLEDMAccessOperation] - Request completed with resopnse code: 404
2025-6-4 20:21:56 GMT 2.0 <Info>: [OSPSWLSComponentsLoadingOperation] - Server request status: 200, request: https://h20614.www2.hp.com/ediags/solutions/software/v3?lc=en&cc=de&client=hp-quick-start&ModelName=..., time zone: CEST
2025-6-4 20:21:56 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSWLSComponentsLoadingOperation] - Cannot parse response with status:200, error Error Domain=com.hp.software_installation Code=8 "(null)", request: https://h20614.www2.hp.com/ediags/solutions/software/v3?lc=en&cc=de&client=hp-quick-start&ModelName=..., time zone: CEST,data [{"PID":null,"ProductNumber":null,"FriendlyName":"HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3302","Type":"NOT SUPPORTED"}]
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Info>: [OSPSWLSComponentsLoadingOperation] - Server request status: 200, request: https://h20614.www2.hp.com/ediags/solutions/software/v3?lc=en&cc=us&client=hp-quick-start&ModelName=..., time zone: CEST
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unsupported component type 'KARNAKSW'
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unsupported solution type 'WinSWSetupIntegrated'
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unable to create software component instance
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unsupported component type 'KARNAKSW'
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unsupported solution type 'WinSWSetupIntegrated'
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unable to create software component instance
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unsupported component type 'KARNAKSW'
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unsupported solution type 'WinSWSetupIntegrated'
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSoftwareComponent] - Unable to create software component instance
2025-6-4 20:21:57 GMT 2.0 <Error>: [OSPSWLSComponentsLoadingOperation] - response is empty

...

Response from requested ftp address https://h20614.www2.hp.com/ediags/solutions/software/v3?lc=en&cc=us&client=hp-quick-start&ModelName=...:

[
  {
    "SoftwareId": "lj-319989-1",
    "PID": "0x1b01",
    "ProductNumber": null,
    "ModelName": "HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301",
    "lc": "en",
    "cc": "us",
    "Type": "WinSWSetupIntegrated",
    "Identifier": "{fbbb59f1-dc12-4527-bc12-69f264e6b047}",
    "IdentifierType": "KARNAKSW",
    "Version": "16.2.1",
    "MinVersion": "16.2.1",
    "Function": "",
    "FtpURL": "ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software13/printers/LJ3301-3304/HPEasyStart-16.2.1-LJ3301-3304_UW_4_1_60_0_1860_2_Webpack.exe",
    "HelpURL": null,
    "Title": "HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdn-3303fdn and 3388fdn Driver Installation Software – Includes Print, Scan, Fax drivers.",
    "Description": "The full solution software includes everything you need to install and use your HP printer. This collection of software includes the complete set of drivers, installer software, and other administrative tools."
  },
...

Printer works fine with Windows 11 24H2.

Has anyone an idea please?

Cheers,

eztup

[eztup]

Ok I found a solution, so I can at least print...

See https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255831271?answerId=261237833022&sortBy=rank#261237833022 for the hack:

Hello, I found an easy way to modify the drivers to make them work under the system Sequoia 15.2 and higher.

1. download the driver HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.pkg
2. move the .pkg file onto your desktop
3. use the pkgutil command in terminal to expand the package contents
4. pkgutil --expand ~/Desktop/HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.pkg ~/Desktop/HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.unpkg
5. open the “distribution” file in a text editor like textedit
6. change both instances of ‘15’ to something like ‘99’ in the InstallationCheck function. save the file after making the change.
7. use pkgutil to repackage
8. pkgutil --flatten ~/Desktop/HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.unpkg ~/Desktop/HewlettPackardPrinterDriversFix.pkg
9. open the package (you will likely need to go to security settings to allow running the package if you get an error that it couldn’t be verified)
10. print the internet

STEP 6 IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!

See gist for the download script:

https://gist.githubusercontent.com/garry-jeromson/2ed6dfbba16819520bf90a7c2286a323/raw/d61c0ed1de6d7...

#!/bin/bash

curl -o ~/Downloads/hpdrivers.dmg https://updates.cdn-apple.com/2020/macos/001-41745-20201210-DBC9B46B-88B2-4032-87D9-449AF1D20804/HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.dmg

hdiutil attach ~/Downloads/hpdrivers.dmg

pkgutil --expand /Volumes/HP_PrinterSupportManual/HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.pkg ~/Downloads/hp-expand

hdiutil eject /Volumes/HP_PrinterSupportManual

sed -i '' 's/12.0/99.0/' ~/Downloads/hp-expand/Distribution

pkgutil --flatten ~/Downloads/hp-expand ~/Downloads/HP_Drivers_Fixed.pkg

rm -R ~/Downloads/hp-expand

Finally, I still had to go into Preferences -> "Printers and scanners" and add the now found printer to my system.

WHY SO EASY?