HP8010e is stuck in Greyscale

[Walks42]

My HP8010e has been great for more than a year - I run Win11, HPSmart and HPInstantInk - but suddenly will not print colour on any documents - greyscale only. I ran Clean Printhead utility on the printer and it completed with colour squares at the end of the report.. but when I ask ANY document which printed colourfully last week, it now prints greyscale only. I cannot find the color/greyscale button on any menu page.. not in HPSmart/Basic or Document or Advanced. All genuine HP Ink with plenty left. I'd really welcome any hints or links - spent a couple of days on this and circular menus.

[Hawks_Eye · Accepted solution]

Hi @Walks42 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I understand how frustrating it must feel to see your printer suddenly refusing to print in color after working beautifully for so long. 

You’ve already done a very thoughtful step by running the Clean Printhead utility and confirming that the test page shows color blocks—that’s an excellent diagnostic effort. Since the printer hardware is producing color, the issue is most likely in the software or driver settings on Windows or within the HP App. 

Let’s walk through a few detailed checks together:

Step 1: Verify Printer Preferences in Windows

1. On your Windows 11 PC, open Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
2. Right‑click your HP OfficeJet 8010e printer and select Printing Preferences.
3. Look for a tab such as Paper/Quality or Advanced.
4. Ensure Print in Grayscale is unchecked. If it is set to “Black Ink Only” or “Grayscale,” change it to Color.
5. Click Apply and OK.

 

Step 2: Check HP App Settings

1. Open the HP App (formerly HP Smart).
2. Select your printer, then go to Print Settings.
3. When printing a document, click More Settings or Advanced.
4. Confirm that the option for Color is selected instead of Grayscale.
5. Try printing a test document with colored text or images.

 

Step 3: Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver

Sometimes Windows updates can reset or alter driver settings.

1. Go to Device Manager → Printers.
2. Right‑click your HP OfficeJet 8010e and choose Uninstall device.
3. Restart your PC.
4. Reinstall the printer using the HP App or by downloading the full driver package from HP’s support page:
   HP OfficeJet 8010e Printer Setup and Drivers Official HP® Support

 

Step 4: Run Diagnose & Fix

The HP App has a built‑in tool called Diagnose & Fix.

1. Open the HP App.
2. Select your printer.
3. Click Printer Settings → Diagnose & Fix.
4. Follow the guided steps to automatically detect and resolve printing issues.

 

Step 5: Test with Different Applications

Try printing from multiple programs (Word, Excel, PDF viewer, browser). If one app forces grayscale, it may be overriding the printer’s settings. Testing across apps helps confirm whether the issue is system‑wide or application‑specific.

 

Step 6: Print a Color Diagnostic Page

From the printer’s control panel:

1. Navigate to Setup → Reports → Printer Status Report.
2. Confirm that the report prints in color.
   • If this prints in color, the printer hardware is fine and the issue is entirely software/driver related.
   • If this prints only in grayscale, repeat the Clean Printhead utility and check cartridges are seated firmly.

You’ve already shown great persistence in troubleshooting. With these steps, we should be able to bring back those vibrant prints. 

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[Walks42]

Fantastic - thank you - Step 2.. suddenly, in HPSmart, it showed Color/Greyscale/Greyscale2 - clicked Color and behold, the rainbow. Thank you so much - all fixed.

[Hawks_Eye]

You are very welcome @Walks42 

That’s excellent news! I’m glad you found the hidden setting in the HP App and switched it back to Color—sometimes those options can be tucked away and easy to miss. It’s always satisfying to see the rainbow return after a frustrating loop of greyscale prints.

If you’d like to avoid this happening again, you can save “Color” as your default preset in the HP App or Windows Printing Preferences. That way, every job will automatically use color unless you specifically choose greyscale.

You did a great job sticking with the troubleshooting until you uncovered the right setting.

Stay fantastic, and have an amazing day ahead! 

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye