HP Networked OfficeJet Pro 8600+ Printer Keeps Disappearing Windows 10

[russd]

I have three PCs in my LAN with Windows 10 release 1903 (OS Build18362.239) and I have installed a HP Officejet Pro 8600 N911g network printer. The connection is wireless. The printer keeps disappearing out of Devices and Printers on all three PCs, although not all at the same time. I have re-installed it several times with the latest driver I can find on HP's website (OJ8600_Basicx64_1316.exe). When I install it, it will print a test page and work for a while, but then it randomly disappears. Sometimes it disappears after one or two days, sometimes after several weeks.

What could be causing the printer to randomly disappear? Any suggestion is appreciated.

[Raj1788 · Accepted solution]

@russd

Thank you for joining the HP Community

I recommend you delete the driver at the root level and Install the drivers, follow the steps below:

Remove the USB if connected

1.) In Windows, search for and open Programs and features 

2.) Select your HP Printer 

3.) Select Uninstall 

4.) In Windows, search for and open Devices and printers 

5.) In the Devices and Printers windows look for your HP printer. If you see it listed right-click on it and choose `Delete' or `Remove Device' 

6.) Open up the run command with the "Windows key + R" key combo. 

7.) Type printui.exe /s and click Ok. (Note: there is a space in between "printui.exe" and "/s") 

8.) Click on the "Drivers" tab 

9.) Look for HP Printer driver. If you see it Click on it and click Remove at the bottom 

10.) Select Ok

11.) Select Apply and Ok on the Print Server Properties windows

12.) Close Devices and Printers 

Then, Click on this link: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-officejet-pro-8600-plus-e-all-in-one-printer-ser...  to download and install the Full Feature Software and Driver.

Assign Manual IP to the printer:

1) Print a Network configuration page from the printer's control panel. 

2) Look for IP address from the Network configuration page. 

3) Open web browser - Chrome or IE or any other browser that you are using. 

4) Type the IP address mentioned on Network configuration page into the browser's address bar or URL bar and press enter button. 

5) Go to the Network tab. 

6) Click on Networking from the left pane. 

7) Then click on Network Address (IP). 

😎 Click on Manual IP Address and go to suggest a Manual IP. 

9) Scroll down the screen and select Manual DNS server. 

10) Enter the Primary and secondary DNS server from the Network Configuration page into the Manual Preferred DNS server field. 

11) Click on Apply. 

Refer to the video link for step by step instructions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCnYyq80V9g 

Note: The video is for win 8 but steps are similar for other operating systems as well. You need to enter the IP address in the browser's URL or the address bar to access the printer page.

Keep me posted, how it goes!

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution and Kudos buttons, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Have a great day!

Cheers:)

[russd]

Thanks, Raj!

At the time I submitted this, I deleted all (six) of the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus printers from all three of the PCs now using that printer (and fax). So I am going to wait until one of the printers disappears (all six are still present on the three PCs) before trying your suggestion. I will post here when that happens (history suggests it won't be long).

On all three PCs, I've renamed the six printers to HP OJ Pro 8600+ and HP OJ Pro 8600+ Fax. I do not care for the rather verbose default names given to them by the HP installer.

Since this "disappearing act" began about the time each PC was updated to Windows 10 version 1903, do you think this was the root cause of my troubles?

Also, why are you recommending the "Full Feature Software and Driver", rather than the basic driver, which I have always used in the past?

[sandytechy20]

@russd

Yes,this could be because of Windows update and reinstall the printer driver should fix this issue.

Basic driver will not have all the features like what full feature drivers have, so its recommended to use full feature driver.

Let me know how it goes.

To thank me for my efforts to help you, please mark my post as an accepted solution so that it benefits several others.

Cheers.

[russd]

Hi, The fax functionality of my OfficeJet Pro 8600+, from my PC, has been lost. This has happened frequently in the past. Previously I been able to uninstall, run the "Print Server Properties" (printui /s) to delete uninstalled 8600 drivers (as suggested to me by Raj1788), reinstalled the printer (and associated fax) with "OJ8600_1316 Full.exe" (version 1.4.1926.0), and I could fax again.

This time that does not work. The printer reinstall fails. (See error message below). I have checked for any 8600 printers in Control Panel (there are none), run printui, and rebooted numerous times. I cannot install the 8600. I'm thinking maybe some leftovers in the registry are the problem. Any suggestions would be welcome.