Laptop/Printer Compatibility

[JustGiveMeOne]

Running Windows 11 on an HP Spectre x360.  Up until last night (or this morning) I had no trouble printing to my HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw through a USB cable connection.  Now the printer does not show as an available selection.  I've tried all the obvious stuff--reboots, checking connections, even tried to download an appropriate driver package from the HP website.  After sitting and watching the progress percentage increase for what seemed like forever and then stall at 99%, I got a critical error message.  

Is it Microsoft or HP that has engineered this designed obsolescence?

[Pallipurath]

Hi @JustGiveMeOne 

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query.

I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when the printer was working normally until recently.

Based on your description, this is unlikely to be a case of intentional obsolescence by either Microsoft or HP. Since the printer worked previously and then suddenly disappeared, the issue is more commonly caused by the following:

• A recent Windows Update that affected the USB printing stack or printer driver.
• A corrupted or incomplete printer driver installation, particularly since the HP installer stopped at 99% and reported a critical error.
• A USB communication issue, such as Windows no longer detecting the printer correctly.
• The Print Spooler service or Windows printing components becoming corrupted.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw is supported on Windows 11, so it should continue to function with the appropriate drivers. I would request you to please follow the steps:

Verify whether Windows detects the printer:

• Disconnect the USB cable.
• Open Device Manager.
• Reconnect the printer and check whether a new device appears under Printers, Universal Serial Bus controllers, or Other devices.

Try a different USB cable or USB port, if available.

• Remove any existing M277dw printer entries from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, then restart the PC.

Restart the Print Spooler service:

• Press Windows + R, type services.msc
• And Press Enter.
• Locate Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Restart.

If the HP software installation repeatedly fails, use HP Easy Start or install the printer using the built-in Windows driver by adding it manually through 

Settings > Printers & scanners > Add device.

Click here for Software and Drivers

Printer setup guide for:HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw

Additionally, I would request you to please share:

• The exact critical error message you received,
• Whether the printer still appears in Device Manager, and
• Whether the printer is detected if connected via your network instead of USB (if applicable),

I can narrow down whether the issue is related to the Windows driver, the USB connection, or the printer software and suggest the most appropriate next steps.

Take care and have an amazing day!

[IllyaMir]

Hello!

I am experiencing the same issue, but with multiple HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdn printers.

The problem is not limited to a single computer. It has occurred on every computer connected to a printer of this model. Everything had been working perfectly via USB, and then suddenly stopped working.

When we try to install any of these printers via USB, the installer downloaded from your website takes a very long time to load and eventually displays the following error:

“The installation operation took too long to complete. This fatal error prevents the product from being used. Restart the computer and run the installer again. If the problem persists, try to find a solution on the product support website.”

We have checked the USB ports on all the affected computers, and they are working properly. We have tried both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, with the same result. The USB cables are new and have also been tested and confirmed to be working.

Windows 11 Device Manager detects and correctly identifies the printer, but the driver cannot be installed.

As system administrators, we have also tried various troubleshooting methods—both those we already knew and those we found online—but none of them resolved the issue.

You asked whether the printer could be connected over the network. The answer is yes: the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdn printers connect over the network without any problems. The network driver installs quickly and reliably.

I am also confident that the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw mentioned by the original author of this discussion would work over a network connection without any problems.

I have therefore concluded that there may be a conflict between the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdn printer and Windows 11 when using a USB connection. Our organization also has desktop computers and all-in-one PCs running Windows 10, and these same printers work via USB on those computers without any issues.

Could you please investigate this apparent compatibility issue between the USB driver and Windows 11 and advise us on a solution?