No FAX device showing up for m428fdw, but print and scan work normally

[John3k]

My LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw is back to printing and scanning, but the option to use it to FAX (in the Print menu) is not present.

Going back to the beginning...

After giving Windows 10 Update the go-ahead to install updates, my MFP M428fdw was no longer able to automatically duplex print.  I went to the HP Support page and its instructions were:

1. Search for "Printers & scanners" on this computer.  Select your printer from the list.  Then choose "Remove device".

2. Unplug the USB cable and then plug it back in.

3. Return to "Printers & scanners" on this computer and make sure your printer is installed.

4. Return to this screen after the driver is installed and select Search Again.

If the installation is unsuccessful, repeat steps 1 and 2, and then install HP Easy Start from 123.hp.com/setup.  Follow the instructions and select full or basic driver when prompted.

Steps 1 and 2 went well, and I heard the normal Windows tones heard when a USB device is disconnected and reconnected, but when I got to step 3, my M428fdw was NOT appearing.  I checked Device Manager and it was NOT in the "Printers" section of Device Manager, but it was found in the "Universal Serial Bus devices section.

After repeating this process three (3) times, I got nowhere.  I followed the instructions and downloaded HP Easy Start package.  When it ran, it could not find the printer. 

HP Smart could also not find the printer, nor could HP Print and Scan Doctor.

At this point I decided to use System Restore to go back to the way the system was BEFORE the Windows Update.  Unfortunately, Windows refused to use ANY System Restore point.  I couldn't roll back the Windows Update that caused the problem.

After not being able to roll back, I ran a bunch of diagnostics - sfc, DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, etc., but no problems found, and Samsung Magician reports zero (0) errors.

What OS and build?

   Windows 10 Pro, version 10.0.19045 Build 19045, 22H2, Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19053.1000.0

System Basics:

   i7-12700

   ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-E

   64 GB RAM

   C: is Samsung  990 Pro 2 TB, PCIe, NVMe. M.2

         Plus another 42 TB of SSDs and HHDs

   ASUS ROG STRIX NVIDIA RTX 4080 OC 16 GB Gaming

After more digging in Windows I found that it was appearing as a device type "MTP".

A little over 3 hours later I had the drivers downloaded into C:\HP_LJM428f and found a "try this" that recommended a back door way to change the driver from "winusb" and some other device setting and to set the printer driver not for the device in Device manager, but for the "MTP" device. 

After a reboot, Windows saw the M428fdw as a Printer but not as M428fdw but as M428f.  Also, the MTP device was now the scanner.  It doesn't show up as a scanner, but the HP software for scanning sees the MTP device as a scanner and works normally.  There was also no scanner or fax.

With the device showing up  as a printer and as scanner (the MTP device), I just needed to get faxing working again,

I tried HP Easy Start, but it got to a point where it had a spinning circle for 30 minutes with "Please wait..." under it and nothing happening.  Eventually I closed it.

No luck with HP Smart either.  It also went looking for something and after 40 minutes of the spinning circle, I closed it.

HP Support Assistant DOES see the M428fdw as the correct "fdw", and it finds nothing wrong, but then when it goes out to see what software is needed, it goes into spinning wheel mode.  I waited 50 minutes before closing it.

So, at present I can:

- Print to the M428fdw

- Scan from the M428fdw

But I cannot:

- Print to the M428fdw's FAX functionality because the FAX functionality doesn't appear as a print device.

I made a System Restore point and ran an experiment where I tried changing the driver on the MTP device, but all that did was remove scanner functionality as the MTP device with the FAX driver didn't show up as a FAX device in the printer selection options.

Any suggestions on what to try next?

Oh, and if anyone has a suggestion on getting the duplex printing working again, I'd appreciate those suggestions as well.

Thanks,

John