HP Smart printer is not an option to choose from other applications when printing (Windows 11)

[mmoore65987]

I have recently switched to a new Windows 11 laptop and have installed HP Smart as instructed. I followed the steps in HP Smart to install my HP Envy 4527 printer and it appears to have installed correctly. I am able to print in colour from the HP Smart if I go to 'print documents' and find a pdf to print. I am also able to scan and copy in colour.

However if I go to another program, Word for example, and choose to print, I am not shown the option to print to the HP Smart Printer (as I was previously able to on my old Windows 10 laptop). I am only shown the option to print to "HP Envy 4520 series". If I choose this printer, I am not shown any options for printing in colour, and the page is printed in black & white.

I have seen other support posts that suggest going to the printers & devices page and checking the printer preferences for an option to disable greyscale printing... this isn't an option listed when I go there.

If I print a test page from the printer listed in Devices & Printers, it only prints in greyscale.

I have also tried installing from the HP Easy Start app, but this hasn't resolved the issue either. I want to be able to print from apps directly, not have to save everything as a PDF and then open HP Smart separately just to be able to use my colour cartridge!?

Is there a guide for getting HP Smart back as an option I can choose when printing from other apps in Windows 11?

Thanks

[BeemerBiker]

There is a problem with your current driver.  Please delete it and install the Full Feature Driver.

Do this first:

Run the following app from the command line

printui /s

Remove all references to the HP printer.

Install the new driver and then search for the printer which should already be connected to the internet.

I assume you did not use Wi-Fi direct when you set the printer up originally and the printer is connected to the router.

After installing the full feature driver package, click the windows key and select all apps and find HP.

Look for HP Scan.





If HP scan is not present then use HP Smart. get HP Smart from the Microsoft store if needed or if you want the newest version. You will have to sign into HP Smart using your HP account. The latest version as of Jun, 2024 is 154.2.1072.0 (USA English). If you do not have this version then go to the Microsoft store, find HP Smart, and click "update". If the button "update" is missing then you need to run WSRESET from the Windows search bar.

To put HP Smart (or HP Scan) on the desktop:

For Windows 10, click Start. For Windows 11, click Start and click All apps. This will show (see above) a list of all apps you have installed in Windows. Find the target app from the list, drag and pull the app from the Start menu to the desktop. This will create a desktop shortcut for the app installed from Microsoft Store.
The following video is an example of how to put an app on the desktop.
This is a video for the support assistant desktop icon here

[mmoore65987]

Hi,

I've followed your instructions above but unfortunately I'm still unable to print in colour from any application other than HP Smart itself. On my previous laptop HP Smart printer came up as a printer option. Now I just have 'HP Envy 4520 series (Network)', and that has no colour printing option.

Here is what I tried:

I went to printtui /s, selected the drivers tab and tried to remove 'HP Envy 4520 series' which was listed there. I was told I couldn't remove this because it was in use.

So I went to Windows Printers & Scanners, and first removed the 'HP Envy 4520 series' printer. I then also uninstalled HP Smart. Then I was able to remove the driver from the previous window.

I then ran the 'Full Feature Driver' you linked above. This prompted me to select the printer and I connected to it (via the router).

It then prompted me to install HP Easy Start. I didn't do this as you had suggested to use HP Smart at this point.

I reinstalled HP Smart (version 157.1.1186.0), it also detected the installed printer.

Seeing that this still hadn't resolved my issue, I then also followed the steps to install HP East Start, but that also hasn't made any difference and I still cannot print in colour or choose 'HP Smart' as a printing option from Word etc.

[BeemerBiker]

If a driver is in use that means there is a print job that has not completed.  The windows queue would have to be brought up and the job canceled before the driver could be uninstalled.

For some reason you have a color print job  pending but the printer thinks you want only mono.  This is just guess.

Possibly HP's Print and Scan Doctor might be helpful but try this first

Bring up printers and scanners => HP Envy 4520 series => "Set as default" => Printing Preferences => Factory Default => Color Options => select color.

Then click on :"apply"

Then prevent windows from managing your printers

Bring up Printers and Scanners again so you can set the default printer.

If the last time you printed it was black and white,  windows may continue to print in black and white if you are not careful.  Do not let windows do the management.

[mmoore65987]

Thanks but I'm afraid none of those have worked either.

There is nothing in the print queue. As I said a bove I was able to remove the driver, but only after I had removed the printer, then I removed it all and followed your steps to add the full feature driver.

I have set the printer as my default printer.

When I go to Printer Preferences > Factort Default there is no 'Color Options' to select.

There is also no colour listed under advanced

'Let Windows manage my default printer' is also already off.

I tried Print & Scan Doctor but that said everything was ok. However the test page prints in black & white only - but there is no way to tell the Print & Scan Doctor that.

This is still the only printer listed. The 'HP Smart Printing' printer device is not listed.

But HP Smart is installed, it recognises the printer and it prints in colour from the HP Smart app - just not from any other application.

[BeemerBiker · Accepted solution]

 I did some more looking and there is a known problem and a complicated solution

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/hp-envy-4527-not-printing-colour/2f397e30-989f...

If can be returned I would get one that does not have this problem.

There is a firmware update that fixes "network"

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/swdetails/hp-envy-4520-all-in-one-printer-series/model/11534751...

[mmoore65987]

Thank you, the firmware was already up-to-date but the method referenced in your first link does work! I still don't have the HP Smart Printing option I had on my old laptop, but the HP Envy 4520 Series (Network) printer does now finally print in colour! 🎉

I'll paste the method described on the link here below too if anyone else finds this message thread!

1. Open Printer Properties:
    a. Click the Windows search icon, type ‘Printers’ and then open the Printers & Scanners or Devices & Printers settings.
    b. Select your printer and click Manage. If there is no Manage option, right-click the printer.
    c. Click Printer properties.
    d. Click the Ports tab.

2. If the selected port is not a TCP/IP port, we need to create one.

3.   Click the General tab and copy the IP address in the Location field. The IP address is the series of 4 numbers separated by dots, after ‘http://’ and before the ‘:’.

4.     b. Return to the Ports tab, and click Add Port.

    c. Select Standard TCP/IP Port, and then click New Port.
    d. In the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard, click Next.
    e. Enter the IP address which you copied earlier and a name for the port, and then click Next.
    f. Click Finish to close the wizard.
    g. Select the new port, click Apply, and close the Printer Properties dialog.

5. Finish setting printer preferences:
    a. Click the Windows search icon, type ‘Printers’ and then open the Printers & Scanners or Devices & Printers settings again. There will be two icons for your printer.
    b. Select one of the icons for your printer and click Manage. If there is no Manage option, right-click the icon. If you see Printer Properties, click it. If you see Scan Properties, click the back arrow, open the other printer, and click Printer Properties.
    c. Click the Device Settings tab.
    d. Change “Automatic Configuration” to “Update Now”. It will revert to ‘Off’, but ignore this and click Apply. Close the Printer properties dialog.
    e. In the application you want to print from, click Print, and then Printer Properties. On the Paper/Quality tab, select Color and click OK.

6. Try printing again.

[BeemerBiker]

Thank you for verifying that procedure worked.  You are the one in a million that can do it!