Mac Easy Start install works, scan test works, print test hangs, printing from a different Mac works

[mtfitzgerald8]

(I am on the MacOS version that is current as of January 23rd 2021, which is Big Sur v11.1. That is not available as a choice in the OS pull-down menu.)

Short version of the problem: I used the HP Uninstaller software to remove all HP software from my iMac. I then downloaded the latest Easy Start software from the hp website. It installed the printer software and HP Easy Scan. When I reach the test page part of the installation the scan test works perfectly but the print test hangs at 41%. So... clearly the Mac and the printer recognize each other as being on the same network, since the install routine found the printer and the scanning works. Why does the printing not work? Read on for more detail...

Things that I have tried that do not work

• I have reset the printing system via System Preferences, right -clicking on Rest Print System, rebooted the Mac, then repeated what I noted above. No change.
• I have reset the printer by unplugging it for a minute when it was on and then plugging it back in. No change.
• I checked that the Mac and printer are in the same subnet on my home Wifi Lan. They are. I remember an old trick that involved setting the printer to a lower IP address than any other connected devices, and have not tried that yet.

Why has this happened today?

• I have replaced a ten-year-old Netgear Wifi setup with a new Google Nest WiFi setup this morning. Everything works except printing... but...

One odd thing

• Our daughter, who does not live here, was able to come in, connect to the new network, and print normally from her MacBook Pro. I can't detect any difference between her setup and mine, but I suppose there has to be one.

One last thing

• Printing from my iPad does not work either. I did not change anything on the iPad and printing worked on the prior Wifi setup.

All ideas welcome. As I worked for HP from 2002 until retiring in 2016 I can probably understand just about any technical suggestion you may provide.

[ShlomiL]

Hi,

Is the printer connected through a USB or through the network?

Please give AirPrint a try and check for any difference:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05635968

If that doesn't help, try installing the printer as listed below and check for any difference:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Knowledge-Base/Having-problems-installing-older-HP-Printers-o...

Please let me know how it goes,

Shlomi

[mtfitzgerald8]

Latest update - I repeated the printer reset (by unplugging it for five minutes) and repeated resetting the entire printer system via the System Preferences. I then reinstalled the printer, but this time I just clicked on the '+' in the now-empty printer list, and added the printer as an AirPrint printer. (Yes, the printer is connected via WiFi.) All this means I did not use the Easy Start software to do the installation this time around.

And it seems to be working.  Current status is that I have been able to print from three different Macs, my iPad (after another reboot) a Windows 10 PC, and a Chromebook. I have tried and failed to get it to work with an ancient Voodoo Omen notebook. However, I think this is to do the combination of the new network with the museum-piece PC, and nothing to do with the printer.

So my current suspicion is that the issue is created by the Easy Start software, since bypassing it seems to solve the problem. And as to the suggestion made, I can't see a way of explicitly selecting AirPrint in the Easy Start software. Perhaps I just missed it. And I did not use the HP Software removal tool for the successful third attempt.