My HP Office Pro 6970 doesn't let me scan and save as Word doc

[RicardoMag]

My HP Office Pro 6970 won't let me scan and save documents in anything other than "basic .pdf" I have tried everything support says I should do but nothing is working. According to HP Smart and HP Assistant, I have ALL OF THE DRIVERS...

So, supposedly, HP Smart SHOULD give me an option, after I scan documents to "save as" and there its supposed to let me save as .pdf; word, ocr, etc, but it does not give me those options, only "basic" pdf. 

Since all support software keeps telling me that I'm "up-to-date" it won't let me download any other software to "update" this HP Smart to give me the option to save as other than .pdf. I'm at a loss, can someone help me? 

My email address is Edited

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @RicardoMag,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP OfficeJet Pro 6970 only allows you to scan and save as a basic .pdf, and you’re unable to select Word (.docx) or OCR formats even though your drivers and HP Smart are fully updated. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this issue.

Confirm You’re Using HP Scan Instead of HP Smart

Open the HP Scan application (not HP Smart) from your Windows Start menu.

In HP Scan, choose Scan a Document or Photo, then under File Type, check if Searchable PDF or Editable Text (OCR) is available.

HP Smart supports only basic PDF by default, while HP Scan provides Word and OCR options.

Install HP Full Feature Software Package

Go to the HP Support website and enter your printer model OfficeJet Pro 6970.

Download and install the Full Feature Software and Drivers package, not just the basic driver or HP Smart app.

This package includes the full HP Scan utility that enables scanning to Word (.docx) and Searchable PDF formats.

Enable OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

During installation, ensure the HP OCR Software by I.R.I.S. component is selected.

If it wasn’t installed earlier, reinstall the full software and choose Custom Installation to include it.

Once installed, you should see Save as Editable Text (OCR) or Save as Word options appear.

Run the Scan from HP Scan Utility

Open HP Scan → choose Save As Type → select Editable Text (OCR) or Word Document (.docx).

Scan your document and verify if it saves correctly in the selected format.

Check HP Smart Settings (Optional)

In HP Smart, go to Scan → Settings → File Type, but note that HP Smart often restricts advanced formats.

For the best results, continue using HP Scan or HP Easy Scan (for macOS) instead.

Update Windows and Reboot

Ensure your Windows OS is up to date.

After installation, restart your computer and printer to refresh the driver link.

Following these steps should restore your ability to scan and save documents as Word (.docx) or OCR text files directly from your OfficeJet Pro 6970.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[RicardoMag]

Dear Kuroi,

Thank you for your support!

I have searched hi and low for the Full Feature Software Package but I can't find it anywhere. The ONLY option I'm getting is HP Smart and nothing else. Do you, by any chance, have a direct link to it?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @RicardoMag,

Thank you for the response.

I understand your HP OfficeJet Pro 6970 won’t let you scan and save documents as Word (.docx) files and only allows saving as basic PDFs. Let’s go through a few steps to help you get the full scanning features restored.

Use HP Scan Instead of HP Smart

Open the HP Scan application from the Windows Start menu.

In HP Scan, click Scan a Document or Photo, then check under File Type for “Searchable PDF” or “Editable Text (OCR)” options.

HP Smart only supports basic PDFs by default, while HP Scan offers Word and OCR formats.

Install the Full Feature Software Package

Visit the HP Software and Drivers page for the OfficeJet Pro 6970:
https://support.hp.com/drivers

Enter your printer model and select your operating system.

Download and install the Full Feature Software and Driver Package (not just the HP Smart app).

This package includes HP Scan and the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) add-on needed to save Word documents.

Ensure OCR Software Is Installed

During installation, make sure the HP OCR Software by I.R.I.S. component is selected.

If you previously installed only the basic driver, uninstall it first, then reinstall the full feature package with OCR included.

Scan Using HP Scan Utility

Open HP Scan, select your document type, and under “Save As Type,” choose Editable Text (OCR) or Word Document (.docx).

Try saving the scanned file again — it should now allow saving as Word or OCR formats.

Update Windows and Restart

Ensure your Windows OS is fully updated.

Restart your computer and printer after installing the full software to refresh the driver connection.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,