Office Jet Pro 9730e hangs up my system

[ZZTZZ]

When my HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e printer is powered off or in shut-down-save mode, accessing the printer in any way (print or scan or change settings) locks up the system. Message  Preparing to Print (or similar) is displayed, then whatever program I am printing from (Firefox, Word, Excel ...) needs to be shutdown and restarted. Windows 10, Firefox, MS Office Home.

Any ideas please?

A second annoyance is that all colour printing is blocked even if only one colour cartridge is empty. e.g. yellow empty prevents printing blue or red. Any way round this please?

Generally very pleased with the printer - bought 2 months ago on Black Friday.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @ZZTZZ ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e Wide Format All-in-One Printer issues can likely be resolved with a few troubleshooting steps. Let’s address each problem separately.

Issue 1: System hangs when the printer is off or in shut-down-save mode

This issue typically occurs due to a miscommunication between the computer and the printer. Here's how to resolve it:

Update Printer Drivers:

• Go to the HP support website and download the latest drivers for your printer.
• Install them and restart your computer.

Update Windows:

• Ensure that Windows is up to date. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install any available updates.

Set a Default Printer:

• Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
• Select your printer and click Manage. Set it as the default printer.

Change Printer Port Settings:

• Open the Control Panel and go to Devices and Printers.
• Right-click your printer and select Printer Properties.
• Navigate to the Ports tab and confirm the port is correctly set (usually WSD for network printers or USB for direct connections).
• If WSD causes issues, switch to a Standard TCP/IP port:
  • Click Add Port > Standard TCP/IP Port and follow the prompts.
  • Use your printer's IP address (found in its network settings menu).

Disable Bi-Directional Support (if necessary):

• In the Printer Properties, go to the Ports tab.
• Uncheck Enable bidirectional support and click OK.

Check Power Settings:

• Ensure the printer’s power-saving mode is not overly aggressive. Go to the printer’s settings via the control panel or its web interface to adjust power settings.

HP Print and Scan Doctor:

• Download and run the HP Print and Scan Doctor to diagnose and fix any configuration issues.

Issue 2: Color printing is blocked when one cartridge is empty

HP printers often require all cartridges to have some ink, even if you’re printing in black-and-white or only one color. This is to protect the printheads from damage.

To work around this:

Enable Grayscale Printing (for black-and-white):

• Open the print dialog box and go to Printer Preferences.
• Select Grayscale Printing or Black Ink Only and click OK.

Replace Empty Cartridge:

• Unfortunately, HP printers require functional cartridges to operate correctly. Refill or replace the empty cartridge to resume normal printing.

Check for Firmware Updates:

• Some newer firmware versions allow printing in black-and-white when a color cartridge is empty. Go to the printer’s web interface or HP's support website and update the firmware.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

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