HP Officejet Pro 6978 Prints Troubleshooting Reports from PC, but not Anything Else

[workprinterwork]

I've been able to successfully print things wirelessly from my phone in the past, but whenever I try to use my computer it doesn't work. The printer makes a couple little sounds then just does nothing. No display like when I actually print something. The funny thing is that when I use HP Smart and print out troubleshooting reports in the settings page, they print out fine, but when I try to print something other than a test the little noise occurs and nothing happens. I've uninstalled and reinstalled my driver, HP Smart, and restarted my computer as well as factory reset the printer and I'm at a loss. Any help would be much appreciated.

[PrinterFan445]

I've had the same issue, and it's honestly making me consider calling in a bomb threat to HP offices. Any help is appreciated! 😄

[Raj_05]

Hi @workprinterwork,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

If your HP Officejet Pro 6978 is printing troubleshooting reports from your PC but not other documents, there are several potential reasons for this issue. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

Check Printer Connection:

• Ensure that your printer is properly connected to your computer. If you are using a USB connection, make sure the cable is securely connected. If you are using a wireless connection, check the wireless settings on both the printer and the computer.

Printer Driver Issues:

• Make sure you have the latest and correct printer drivers installed on your computer. Outdated or incompatible drivers can lead to printing issues. Visit the official HP website to download and install the latest drivers for your printer model.

Print Queue Check:

• Open the print queue on your computer to check if there are any pending print jobs. If there are, try canceling them and then attempt to print your document again.

Default Printer Setting:

• Confirm that the HP Officejet Pro 6978 is set as the default printer on your computer. Sometimes, printing may be directed to a different printer if it's set as the default.

Paper and Ink Levels:

• Ensure that there is enough paper in the printer tray and that the ink or toner cartridges have sufficient levels. Low ink levels can affect the printing process.

Restart Printer and Computer:

• Turn off both the printer and your computer. Wait for a few minutes, then turn them back on. This simple step can sometimes resolve communication issues between the devices.

Check for Error Messages:

• Look for any error messages or warning lights on the printer's display. These can provide clues about the nature of the problem.

Print a Test Page:

• Use the printer's control panel to print a test page directly from the printer. This will help determine if the issue is related to the computer or the printer itself.

Firewall/Antivirus Software:

• Sometimes, firewall or antivirus software may block communication between the computer and the printer. Temporarily disable such software and attempt to print again.

Reinstall Printer Software:

• If none of the above steps work, you may need to uninstall the printer software from your computer and then reinstall it. This can help resolve any software-related issues.

I hope this helps. 
 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted 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!

Alden4
HP Support 

[workprinterwork]

Hi Alden4,

Thank you for your kind invitation to the HP Support Community!

I have tried each of your suggestions, and unfortunately, none of them have worked.

Check Printer Connection:

• Both my computer and printer are connected to the same network. I am not using a USB connection. I wouldn't think the network is the problem because I am able to print wirelessly from my computer, but nothing other than the reports.

Printer Driver Issues:

• I have visited the webpage for the HP Officejet Pro 6978 driver installation here. I have downloaded the "HP Easy Start Printer Setup Software (Internet connection required for driver installation)" option and went through its steps multiple times to no avail. If you think it will help I will do it again though.

Print Queue Check:

• I have looked and there are none. The documents that I do send to the printer remain in the queue for a couple seconds and then suddenly disappear with no completion message or anything.

Default Printer Setting:

• I don't know what you mean by default, but I have the HP Officejet Pro 6978 selected whenever I try to print.

Paper and Ink Levels:

• There is enough paper and ink in the printer because it keeps printing reports.

Restart Printer and Computer:

• Turn off both the printer and your computer. Wait for a few minutes, then turn them back on. This simple step can sometimes resolve communication issues between the devices.
•  

Check for Error Messages:

• There are no error messages or warning lights on the printer's display. Whenever I try to print an actual document instead of a report, nothing changes on the screen, but when I print a report, the display says that something is printing.

Print a Test Page:

• I have already printed multiple test pages and they all come out fine.

Firewall/Antivirus Software:

• Sometimes, firewall or antivirus software may block communication between the computer and the printer. Temporarily disable such software and attempt to print again.
• I have just disabled windows basic firewall protection for the network my printer is on, but it did not have any effect. I don't think I have any antivirus software but if you want me to investigate I will. Some help on that would be appreciated.

Reinstall Printer Software:

• If none of the above steps work, you may need to uninstall the printer software from your computer and then reinstall it. This can help resolve any software-related issues.
• I'm not sure what you mean by "printer software" so if you have any guidance on how to do that I will take it and tell you if I've already done the steps you are asking me to do.

Thank you for your reply, hopefully this adds some more information that we can use later down the line.

Sincerely and desperately,

WORKPRINTERWORK

[Raj_05]

Hi @workprinterwork,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

Due to limited support, I would request you contact our HP Support and our Support Engineers should be able to sort this out. HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link.

https://www.hp.com/contacthp/

Please feel free to contact us here anytime you need any further assistance.

Have a great day!

Alden4
HP Support 

[workprinterwork]

Hey Alden4,

I went to the link you provided, but because my coverage ran out in 2020, all I could do was either come back here or go to the virtual assistant. I tried the virtual assistant but it just referred me back to here, the HP Support Community. I would be open to getting into a text chain with an HP Support Engineer, but I don't know how to do that further. If you could help me with that it would be appreciated.

Thank you,

WORKPRINTERWORK

[workprinterwork]

Hey Alden4,

It has been a few weeks since your last message, I was wondering if you had more helpful tips you could share with the community and I. Anything would be appreciated since my HP printer still does not work.

Thank you greatly,

WORKPRINTERWORK

[workprinterwork]

UPDATE: In these past few weeks I have been browsing the HP community forums, and I've seen a few other problems that sound similar to mine. I might not have mentioned all of my computer's symptoms, but I've had the same problem as this and this as well. If you are experiencing the same problems as me, go look at those posts, but it might be that a Windows update a while back has caused these problems, although those posts are from 2018 and 2022 so I don't know why Windows or HP hasn't fixed it yet. Next Monday or Tuesday I will **bleep** and see if I can figure this out. If I do, I'll try to post my fix on here.

WORKPRINTERWORK