HP PRINTER ASSISTANT desktop shortcut disappeared

[bobpi60]

My WIN10 PC was  wifi connected to multiple HP printers: at home officejet 4650, at office laserjet pro MFP M477 and officejet 7110.

Due to protection fault. (exception code 0xe06d7363), with support from the community blog, I had to uninstall all of them and reinstall in this sequnce: 1 Officejet 4650 , 2 laserjet MFP M477.

Officejet 4650 is working ( not yet tested M477) but the desktop shortcut HP PRINTER ASSISTANT IS NOT SHOWING ON DESKTOP.

How can I get HP PRINTER ASSISTANT show up again on desktop ? (as is was before unistal/re instal)

Can I manage all the printers from one single HP PRINTER ASSISTANT ?

[Dragon-Fur · Accepted solution]

@bobpi60

Printer Assistant Container Software

Short Answer:  Each printer must have its own Printer Assistant

Longer Explanation:  Printer Assistant is perhaps a poor name for the container that provides access to the printer software, if only because the name makes it sound like the container is capable of, well, Assisting Printers.  Not the case, unfortunately - each printer has its own "Assistant" that provides access to that printer's software and features.

Printer Assistant Shortcut Icon

Unless something really minor has happened to the Printer Assistant shortcut icon (named for the particular printer), the loss of the Assistant icon might actually mean there is something "not right" further down in the printer software for that printer's installation.  Why?  Shortcut generation is real simple code - to have this part of the installation fail in and of itself is a bit unusual.  (Personal Opinion)

Taking you at your word, it is certainly easy and possible to create a shortcut icon on the Desktop for the Printer Assistant.

Example - Basics - Create Shortcut

• Open a File Explorer / Windows Explorer Window

• Navigate to C:\Program Files\HP

NOTE: Printer Software might instead be located in C:\Program Files (x86)\HP

• Select and open the folder named for your printer

• Navigate to sub-folder Bin

• Look for the executable named for your printer

Example Printer Executable: HP OfficeJet Pro 8740.exe

NOTE: The executable / program will NOT be named Printer Assistant

• Right-Click on the executable > select Send to Desktop

Reference, including an alternate method to create the shortcut

Dragon Document – Collection of Suggestions, Solutions, and Examples

Create a Printer Assistant Shortcut on your Desktop

Reference and Resources – Places to find help and learn about your Printer

Printer Homepage – “Things that are your printer”

Drivers / Software / Firmware Updates, Videos, Bulletins/Notices, How-to, Troubleshooting, User Guides, Product Information, more

HP OfficeJet 4650 All-in-One Printer series

Thank you for participating in the HP Community Forum.

We are a world community of HP enthusiasts dedicated to supporting HP technology.

Click Thumbs Up on a post to say Thank You!

Answered? Click post "Accept as Solution" to help others find it.